Willie Mason - Aussie NRL Player (1 Viewer)

[Don Quixote]

Not the traditional Aussie looking to switch to an NFL punter. Looking to play TE or DE.

Here is his NRL profile. Metric conversion: 6'5" and 253 pounds.

He has the size (and the smile) and some articles I've seen also claim he has good speed for his size. But how many teams will invest in a 25 year old without any knowledge of the NFL? Gates, Duke et al. at least played football in high school.

Any Aussies with insight on his NFL chances?

Mason would star in NFL, says coach

By James Hooper

June 10, 2006

THE coach of the Australia gridiron team last night endorsed Willie Mason as an NFL star-in-the-making, offering to tutor the NSW enforcer in the finer points of American football.

The Daily Telegraph yesterday revealed Mason's agent Greg Keenan was understood to be in the US for talks with the Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers over the next fortnight.

Paul Manera, the second Australian to graduate from the University of Hawaii after Colin Scotts, has pledged to educate Mason with a crash course on NFL rules after learning of the Blues forward's interest in the code.

"Size-wise Willie is a great size to play tight end," Manera said.

"He would obviously have to learn how to block and then also how to run routes.

"What he did in State of Origin when he ran over those three people was awesome.

"What it will come down to is his ability to understand the game and learn the techniques of his position. But don't get me wrong, I'm sure he can do that.

"Moving from rugby league to gridiron, one being an aerobic sport and the other being an anaerobic, Willie would put on 15 kilograms fairly easily with his frame.

"Playing offence is far more technical than playing defence in the NFL."

A typically cool Mason yesterday confirmed his interest in the US phenomenon, labelling the NFL an "exciting" game.

Queried over what position would best suit him, Mason joked: "I don't know, I don't know that much about the game but there's that much trash-talk and garbage going on in the game it might be my sort of style, I'm pretty stoked by the fact they'd even look at me."

The Saturday Daily Telegraph understands Mason's agent will meet six NFL clubs over the next fortnight.

It is also understood a video highlights package of Mason, including his blockbusting try from State of Origin I, has been distributed to NFL teams.

"It's something I would look at if it came across. There's a couple of teams over there that approached my manager," Mason said.

"If he came back with five offers of course I've got to look at it. The game does interest me, I'm not going to lie.

"It's an exciting game, if there were offers it would be hard to knock it on the head. But right now I'm concentrating on the game next Wednesday."

Mason will be the NSW pack's central figure when the Blues travel to Brisbane to meet Queensland in State of Origin II next Wednesday.

Coach of the Australia gridiron outfit Manera suggested Mason also had the potential to make it on the NFL's front line as a defensive end.

"What his job would be is to pass rush the quarterback when the quarterback passes the ball and obviously close down lanes when the running back is running with the ball," Manera said.

link

 

[aussiehockeyfan]

Not a chance.

Firstly practical issues.

Money isn't that big of a problem. If you can get a NFL team to give him about 1/2 million per year guaranteed, that's about what he earns here.

But he wouldn't be anywhere near as famous in the US as he is here. So it's not worth it. This was the same issue that came up with Jonah Lomu - an All Black Kiwi rugby player in the late '90s. That guy could easily have been a RB.

Secondly, whether Mason would have the ability to successfully play TE or DE in the NFL is debatable.

Running routes is not easy. He has probably never done anything like that in his life. I can't say much about his hand-eye co-ordination, but I think he would have problems going up for jump-balls. So I don't think you can count on him being a receiving threat. He's athletic though, so if he can manage to catch the ball, he could do some damage after the catch.

Blocking would also be something completely foreign to him. I think he would be utterly lost in technique, and his explosiveness would also be questionable.

As for DE... I think it would be easier for him to make the transition. But I think technique will again be the main problem.

He certainly has the size and atheltic ability, but he lacks the skills and technique required.

Keep in mind, as a Queenslander (one of those people he "ran over") I hate Willie Mason with a passion. He is a %^&*@! and occassionally gets in trouble with the law or does something stupid like signing autographs under a teammate's name.

 

[Bri]

aussie,

Australia is one of the foreign countries with the highest viewer ratings of NFL games. Is the NFL a big deal there? Do kids play a similar game?

 

[The Mechanic]

aussie,

Australia is one of the foreign countries with the highest viewer ratings of NFL games. Is the NFL a big deal there? Do kids play a similar game?

Good questions Bri.I bet if the kids play something like football there they prob use a 9 lb shotput for the ball so as to toughten them up for rugby...

 

[aussiehockeyfan]

Only one game is televised free-to-air. Obviously you know which one.

But you can catch at least two games per week + the highlights show on cable.

So whilst we're comparatively pretty good - it's not that good.

Professionally, we play nothing that is even remotely similar to the NFL. Basically most of our sports, you have to know how to attack and defend.

There is an amateur american football league... but nobody who has size and skills would play that game - they'd be playing rugby league/union, aussie rules etc.

On an even lower tier - "flag football" is pretty popular these days.

Basically, I cannot see an Australian who could be making a decent living playing on the popular sports making the transition to NFL (punters withstanding). And the likelihood that you have a kid develop his skills playing in the amateur gridiron league (and not getting picked up by scouts from the other sports looking at pure talent standpoint) is highly unlikely.

The only way I see a non-punter making it into the NFL is as an fat OL guy. We have sizeable migrant Pacific Islanders population. That's my two cents.

What Mason is doing is just grandstanding and trying to get attention (and probably a lucrative contract extension from his NRL club side). I don't think he is at all serious about contemplating a move.

 

[Bri]

aussie,

Australia is one of the foreign countries with the highest viewer ratings of NFL games. Is the NFL a big deal there? Do kids play a similar game?

Good questions Bri.I bet if the kids play something like football there they prob use a 9 lb shotput for the ball so as to toughten them up for rugby...

I haven't known many rugby fans, the one's I have are sorta snobbish toward the NFL "lesser" game....snobbish.Growing up, we always played whatever games were on TV. Granted it involved a couple sewers for a homer or parked cars being out of bounds but....I'd figure if the game is popular in Australia(and it might just be similar to NFLE in the US for all I know) some kids somewhere are playing it

 

[Bri]

Only one game is televised free-to-air. Obviously you know which one.

But you can catch at least two games per week + the highlights show on cable.

So whilst we're comparatively pretty good - it's not that good.

Professionally, we play nothing that is even remotely similar to the NFL. Basically most of our sports, you have to know how to attack and defend.

There is an amateur american football league... but nobody who has size and skills would play that game - they'd be playing rugby league/union, aussie rules etc.

On an even lower tier - "flag football" is pretty popular these days.

Basically, I cannot see an Australian who could be making a decent living playing on the popular sports making the transition to NFL (punters withstanding). And the likelihood that you have a kid develop his skills playing in the amateur gridiron league (and not getting picked up by scouts from the other sports looking at pure talent standpoint) is highly unlikely.

The only way I see a non-punter making it into the NFL is as an fat OL guy. We have sizeable migrant Pacific Islanders population. That's my two cents.

What Mason is doing is just grandstanding and trying to get attention (and probably a lucrative contract extension from his NRL club side). I don't think he is at all serious about contemplating a move.

that's interesting, thanks

 

[Trig2U]

Probably a dumb question but what's "State of Origin"?

(re: "'Size-wise Willie is a great size to play tight end," Manera said. "He would obviously have to learn how to block and then also how to run routes. 'What he did in State of Origin when he ran over those three people was awesome.'"

I assume that's Aussie for "The Big Game", "Super Bowl XL", "The Big Enchilada" etc?