Ever since I got my first TRS-80 back in ‘82, I’ve been obsessed with what makes things tick — whether it’s code or human performance. So when I heard people debating which sport produces the most well-rounded athletes, I had to jump in. Forget the keyboard — this was a battle I understood. It’s not about who can throw a dart or clear a bar; it’s about pure, transferable athleticism. Let’s settle this once and for all.
Through the Years
Back when we had to do everything ourselves
I remember my high school coach making us run suicides after practice, then lift until our arms gave out, then do sprints. That was “cross-training” back then. Today’s athletes? They’re doing that plus position-specific drills, plus recovery work that would make your head spin. The difference is night and day — and the NFL is where you find the most complete packages.Track and field is the baseline, not the summit
Don’t get me wrong, track athletes are incredible. I’ve seen decathletes do things that defy physics. But they’re specialists too — just in multiple events. The real test is whether those skills transfer to something completely different. That’s where track guys sometimes fall short.Rugby players are tough, but not versatile
I’ve watched plenty of rugby, especially after my buddy from London sent me tapes in the 90s. Those guys are absolute beasts — discus-sized shoulders, sprinter’s legs. But ask them to pole vault or run a sub-5 mile, and you’ll see the limits. They’re powerhouses in their domain, but that domain is narrow.
Aussie rules football: the closest thing to a modern athlete
Let me be clear — I started watching Aussie rules during the last pandemic lockdown, and those guys blew my mind. They’re like flying kangaroos with footballs. But even they lack the throwing strength of an NFL QB or the pure explosiveness of a wide receiver. They’re high-octane, but not complete.Baseball’s hidden athletes
People dismiss baseball players, but look at the top 10. You’ve got guys who could run a 4.3 40, throw a baseball 100 mph, and have the hand-eye coordination of a neurosurgeon. They’re not built for endurance, but in a pure strength/speed/coordination contest? They’d surprise you.
American football: the ultimate all-around test
The NFL combine is basically a decathlon for grown men. You need speed (40-yard dash), jumping (vertical leap), strength (bench press), agility (3-cone drill), and endurance (for the whole season). Every position requires something different — a kicker needs leg strength, a lineman needs pure power, a corner needs everything. It’s the only sport where you can point to 10 guys and say they’d compete in any other major sport.MMA fighters are specialists, not generalists
I’ve seen UFC events since the early days when it was basically a bar fight on TV. Those guys are incredible at what they do, but pure athleticism? They’re built for one thing — beating the crap out of someone. They wouldn’t last in a track meet, and definitely not in a decathlon.Tennis players: the quiet contenders
You don’t hear about them much in these debates, but top tennis players are monsters. Endurance, explosivity, coordination — they’ve got it all. They just don’t get the same attention because their sport is so specialized. If you took the top 10 tennis players and put them against NFL players in a multi-event test? It’d be closer than you think, but the NFL guys would still win.The distance runner’s dilemma
This is where the NFL might struggle — pure endurance. You can find NFL players who can run a sub-5 mile (trust me, I’ve seen the stats), but they’re outliers. Most are built for short bursts. That’s why I still say football wins — because in a multi-event test, you’re not just testing endurance. You’re testing everything.Decathlon winners don’t win everything
Fun fact: the gold medalist in the Paris Olympics didn’t win a single event. That’s how specialized it is. The NFL guys? They might not win every event either, but they’ll be in the top 10 of every event. In total points? It wouldn’t even be close. It’d be a massacre.
From Experience
I’ve seen technology evolve from punch cards to AI, and one thing remains constant: the best systems are the ones that can adapt. The NFL isn’t just a collection of specialists; it’s a living, breathing decathlon where every player is an event unto themselves. When you look at pure, transferable athleticism across multiple domains, there’s no contest. The NFL has been quietly producing the world’s most complete athletes for decades — and nobody’s noticed. Now you know.