PFT - Ryan Swope: People are shocked I’m a white guy running a 4.3

[Mursilis]

I was just thinking about it, and for the life of me, I do not remember seeing a single white defensive back at the Combine.

Not one. I'm not even exaggerating.

Maybe it's a case of white athletes feeling like, unless they play quarterback or something, their chances of getting recruited and then getting playing time aren't very good?

I think the lack of white WRs, DBs, and RBs just has more to do with the fact that sub-Saharan Africans are the fastest sprinters in the world, as a group. That's just a physiological fact, not some racist stereotype. Look at the Olympic 100m finals, both men and women. When's the last time a non-African medaled or finished top-3 in a world-class field in a sprint? I can't even remember. Something like the top 200 100m times are held by Africans. This doesn't mean a white guy can't post a 4.3 in the 40 (obviously, he can), but it will be a lot more rare. Here's an article about effects of genetics and location in elite-level sports.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonentin...ould-all-care/

[Henry]

I don't know anything about college players. If this guy is that fast and athletic and they are calling him a slow white guy then yeah that's bad.

[scyber]

There was an article a few years ago about the lack of white Cornerbacks in the NFL and they interviewed Jason Sehorn. He basically came out and said the issue isn't necessarily the NFL, the issue is the High Schools and Colleges. Basically he said that white players are discouraged to play some positions at lower levels (white CBs pushed towards safety, white RBs pushed towards fullback. etc.), which means by the time they get to the NFL, there aren't any qualified players.

[SemperFi Skins]

Zeke Motta fron Notre Dame is the only one I can think of - and he is a safety which is kind of a position you do see the occasional white guy playing. Now corner - cant think of a white corner in the NFL or at the combine.

I can't think of any today but I do remember Jason Sehorn very well... Played for the Giants for awhile. He was actually known for his speed as a return man and wide receiver before being converted to a Safety by the Rams and then played all CB for the Giants.

---------- Post added March-1st-2013 at 09:18 AM ----------

There was an article a few years ago about the lack of white Cornerbacks in the NFL and they interviewed Jason Sehorn. He basically came out and said the issue isn't necessarily the NFL, the issue is the High Schools and Colleges. Basically he said that white players are discouraged to play some positions at lower levels (white CBs pushed towards safety, white RBs pushed towards fullback. etc.), which means by the time they get to the NFL, there aren't any qualified players.

Haha, I just posted at the same time as you, and was talking about Sehorn....

My lacrosse coach in HS, also the defensive backs coach for football, was literally begging me (as a white dude) to come and play CB for our HS cus he knew my speed and I love to hit... Wide receiver intrigued me more.

[Ghost of Nibbs McPimpin]

I get pretty damn aggrevated whenever an white wide receiver is compared to Wes Welker. Seriously, if he's a white wide receiver in the NFL today,and he's caught a touchdown pass, and he happened to do it working out of the slot, he has at one point or another been compared to Wes Welker..

What's absurd is that it's as if people can't recall the NFL prior to today. Ed McCaffrey, Joe Jurevicius, Fred Biletnikoff...Ricky Proehl....Tom Waddle..lol

[MartinC]

What's absurd is that it's as if people can't recall the NFL prior to today. Ed McCaffrey, Joe Jurevicius, Fred Biletnikoff...Ricky Proehl....Tom Waddle..lol

Going back in time and the Jerry Rice of his day - Raymond Berry.

[Ghost of Nibbs McPimpin]

Going back in time and the Jerry Rice of his day - Raymond Berry.

Indeed. I'd say Crazy Legs Hirch or Don Hutson but I would understand if people didn't see them and thus do not want to make the comparison. But even among mid-level receivers (why I included Waddle and Jurevicius) there are different types, sizes, skill sets. Tim Dwight too...

[MartinC]

Indeed. I'd say Crazy Legs Hirch or Don Hutson but I would understand if people didn't see them and thus do not want to make the comparison. But even among mid-level receivers (why I included Waddle and Jurevicius) there are different types, sizes, skill sets. Tim Dwight too...

Dwight Clark ..... lots of them.

[Big Blue Joe]

I like this Swope kid. He seems like an intelligent, high motor, overachieving, student of the game. He's practically a coach on the field!

[Warhead36]

I like this Swope kid. He seems like an intelligent, high motor, overachieving, student of the game. He's practically a coach on the field!

You forgot scrappy

[SemperFi Skins]

I like this Swope kid. He seems like an intelligent, high motor, overachieving, student of the game. He's practically a coach on the field!

...and he's got average speed, good hands, runs good routes, right? I mean come on, he's white

[Genghis Khan]

It's stupid when they compare people by race but its even worse when they compare people together because of what school they played at.

[Fat Stupid Loser]

Zeke Motta fron Notre Dame is the only one I can think of - and he is a safety which is kind of a position you do see the occasional white guy playing. Now corner - cant think of a white corner in the NFL or at the combine.

So I'm not the only one who has noticed a shocking lack of caucasions in the CB,WR,RB positions in the NFL huh? LOL. The NFL needs to put more effort into seeking out quick white dudes for these positions. We exist. Crap, I ran a 4.38 25 years ago. A lot of good it did me on the rowing team, sitting on my butt going backwards. Perhaps an extension of the Rooney Rule. Teams must time at least 2 white boys before drafting a CB.

[MR2Drift]

Rob Parker when he commented on RG3 being a "cornball" brother.

That one is different though. Parker is stating RG3 is not black enough, in other words he is looking down on him due to him not meeting Parker's criteria for blackness (+5 for dreads, -10 for white woman). That is the key difference, Parker is saying RG3 is inferior while no one is saying that about Swope. It comes across as more lazy analysis where as Parker comes off as hateful.

[NLC1054]

That one is different though. Parker is stating RG3 is not black enough, in other words he is looking down on him due to him not meeting Parker's criteria for blackness (+5 for dreads, -10 for white woman). That is the key difference, Parker is saying RG3 is inferior while no one is saying that about Swope. It comes across as more lazy analysis where as Parker comes as of as hateful.

Oh, come on man.

Dating white women is at least a +5 in most people's books, :-)