Willie Mason to the NFL?

For those who don't follow rugby league, Willie Mason (Australian) is one of the best players in the World... he's about 6'5, weighs over 100kg's and pretty much steamrolls people constantly. Very cool to watch.

Mason wants to follow NFL dream
By James Hooper
June 9, 2006

WILLIE Mason has always been a showman. The bigger the occasion, the greater the challenge, the better the New South Wales Origin enforcer performs.

Mason: Cauldron holds no fear
But Mason boldly underlined the greatest challenge in his elite sporting career last night, revealing a desire to feature on the biggest stage in US sport: the National Football League.

MainGame can reveal that Mason's management team has sent a video highlights tape including footage of the forwards' devastating try in Origin I to numerous NFL teams.

Despite having inked a four-year deal with the Bulldogs until the end of 2009 last year, Mason is prepared to consider walking away from the Belmore club.

Six NFL clubs - Oakland Raiders, San Fransisco 49ers, New York Jets, New York Giants, Buffalo Bills and San Diego Chargers - are expected to hold talks with Mason's agent, Greg Keenan, in the US over the next fortnight.

And the last Australian export to star in the NFL's front line, Colin Scotts, has predicted Mason's essential combination of size, power, speed, balance and willingness is the perfect recipe for success in American football.

But for Mason, the reasoning is much simpler.

The challenge of cutting it in the multi-million-dollar elite echelon of US professional sport, where 130 million people watch the Super Bowl each year, is what dazzles.

"It would be an unbelievable challenge and it would be a massive stage like
nothing I've ever experienced," Mason said.

"I've always wondered when I've watched the NFL if I was born in the States how good I'd go at it.

"There'd be heaps to learn, but for me that's half the challenge, I just reckon the whole experience would be awesome."

Former St Louis Cardinals defensive end Scotts has volunteered to assist Mason by helping to open doors to some of the NFL's top teams.

Scotts has earmarked the position of offensive right tackle as perfect, meaning Mason would stand in the front line of defence for the team holding the ball and protect the quarterback, running backs and wide receivers.

"Willie is super quick for a big man and, in terms of balance, he's got beautiful co-ordination for a man of his size," Scotts said.

"He's also got those huge long arms that scouts look for in the NFL, big hands to go with them and from the look of his statistics he's a powerful man.

"I know a good friend of mine in Hawaii who knows every NFL team so he can open up doors for him to get in somewhere.

"I'd be fascinated to see another Aussie get over there and have a go and Willie Mason has got that tough temperament to make a fist of it.

"Welcome to the most intense, competitive, complex game in the world; Willie is still young enough, so why not have a go?"

MainGame understands Raiders head of professional recruitment Ed Dodds was immediately impressed when informed of Mason's statistics.

"He's how big? And he runs that quick. Yeah, of course we'd be interested in having a look at him," Dodds said.

And Jets Director of Professional Scouting Brendon Prophett responded: "Wow. I bet he could run over a few cats."

The dossier on Mason reads: running 20m in 2.76sec, 40m in 4.89sec; bench pressing 170kg for one repetition and leg squatting 220kg.

Mason's agent Keenan denied arranging meetings with NFL clubs in the next fortnight, but MainGame understands they have been scheduled.

"I'll be in the US on business in the next fortnight but I'm not going to say what sort of business I'm there on," Keenan said.

If Mason opted to depart the Bulldogs kennel, it would mean severing the final three seasons of a $1.6 million contract.

While it would hurt leaving the teammates with whom he won a premiership in 2004, and the club to which he has shown tremendous loyalty for the past seven seasons, it's a sacrifice Mason is willing to make.

Again, the reasoning is simple. In terms of rugby league milestones there is little left for Mason to conquer;

* HE collected the Clive Churchill medal as the best player on the field in the Bulldogs' 2004 premiership triumph over Sydney Roosters.
* HE has played 17 Tests for Australia since debuting for the Kangaroos in 2002.
* HE has made five Origin appearances, collecting man-of-the-match honours in Origin I this year.

Mason has nominated Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens as his favourite NFL player, saying: "He's the guy in the NFL I reckon rocks."

In the NFL, each team has a salary cap of $102 million to spend on playing talent per year - more than 25 times the $4 million beneath which NRL teams must balance their 25 top-line players next season.

Five Australians have previously qualified to star in the NFL: Scotts, Darren Bennett, Ben Graham, Mat McBriar and Colin Ridgeway.

But only Scotts graduated for the rough and tumble arena of the NFL front line, making it as a defensive end and defensive tackle for St Louis Cardinals, Phoenix Cardinals and Houston Oilers after being drafted from the University of Hawaii in 1987.

The other Australian exports used AFL backgrounds to make it as punters, whose job is just to kick the ball.

Despite Scott's glowing endorsement of Mason, the last rugby league forward to try his luck on an American football scholarship was cautious about the daring switch of codes.

Retired Kangaroos, NSW and Balmain Tigers forward Paul Sironen, who won a scholarship to the University of Hawaii in 1984, believes Mason has a huge mountain in front of him, but by no means an impossible one.

"Getting into a whole new code of football, it obviously looks exciting and lucrative with all the hype surrounding it but it's a lot of learning too," Sironen said.

"Tight end is a pretty good position and Willie would have all the skills to handle that - but the hardest part would be the learning curve.

"It's a pretty hard learning curve, it would take him at least 12 months to get a handle on things and fit in with it."

In seven years in the NRL, Willie Mason has distinguished himself as a special talent.

If ever there was a player suited to the brash, flash, showmanship of American football, Mason is the man. Bring on the bling.

The Daily Telegraph

I don't know if he will go. I guess it would be cool to see him play over there, but he will probably be missed by players and fans here.

Jets Director of Professional Scouting Brendon Prophett responded: "Wow. I bet he could run over a few cats."

A cat-killer, I'm starting to like him already.

running 20m in 2.76sec, 40m in 4.89sec; bench pressing 170kg for one repetition and leg squatting 220kg.

Shite, he can inflict a lot of pain.

He really wants to go the NFL and will do if a team signs him up, even as a practice player.

I wouldnt call myself a fan, perhaps from Origin 1 But i would like to see how he could handle over there.

I've met him before, very likeable guy. NFL seems to be a sport that you need to grow up with to understand. I've been following it for 10 + years and I still dont have a clue how to play in real life. But with Mason, he has all the athletic ability to be a very good player. Theres no harm in trying it, considering that he's accomplished close to everything he wants to do in rugby league.

NFL seems to be a sport that you need to grow up with to understand. I've been following it for 10 + years and I still dont have a clue how to play in real life.

Not really, in my case anyway.
I only started to take notice of the NFL for a much shorter time than you Matthew (nearly 5 years) and I did get the drift of how to play it (as for playing skill, that's a different matter) just by learning the rules, what a player does in his position, and those NFL films made for fans to understand the game did help also.

I haven't been following NFL lately as my knowledge of the league is now reduced to the Philly Eagles. All I know for now is McNabb = Eagles, that's about it. If McNabb is gone/traded I'll probably follow the league closely again.

It's hard to find people who understand and can play football here in the Philippines (as there are a few people who know how to accurately throw an elongated ball ). The closest thing in here is flag-football or as I like to call it fag-football (no offense meant to homos). After a game they would brag how they got a minor scratch from playing, as if they suffered massive blood loss. Of course there's also significant physical contact but they treat it as if it's the only sport that offers that unique danger. Heck, I got my face plastered, banged, and elbowed with 3 people attempting a rebound in basketball but I don't go about telling others after game of how dangerous it is.

Maybe this might help you Matthew:
What a player does in what position, Lesson 2 and 3 at the left of this web page.
NFL rules simplified for fans.

Now if could only help myself find ones for cricket..
Forget about hockey, their rules are insanely hard to understand. Red line, blue line, 2nd blue line, WTF?

I dont know if he would be very successful. When you have bigger guys than him. He might end up being run over by bigger people such as 300 pound DT's.

Willie Mason
Age: 25
Height: 6 ft 5 in (195 cm)
Weight: 115 kg (254 lb)

Maybe he could play tight end?

Yea tight end would be a good fit for him. How are his hands though?

NFL seems to be a sport that you need to grow up with to understand. I've been following it for 10 + years and I still dont have a clue how to play in real life.

It's hard to find people who understand and can play football here in the
Maybe this might help you Matthew:
What a player does in what position, Lesson 2 and 3 at the left of this web page.
NFL rules simplified for fans.

Oh no, I understand each position and what each player does, what a sweep pass and a wr option route is, I just don't understand why there is such a difference between run and pass defense (sounds small but to me its a huge thing). In real life, wouldnt the game come down to a guessing game and a game of reaction to what the offense is doing? Also, wouldnt it be sort of possible to have both options on offense. Thats what I dont really get, and I've never played so I guess thats why im curious about it.

Yea tight end would be a good fit for him. How are his hands though?

His hands are good, he plays a sport where he's constantly having the ball thrown to him so he knows how to catch.

Yea tight end would be a good fit for him. How are his hands though?

His hands are good, he plays a sport where he's constantly having the ball thrown to him so he knows how to catch.

Problem for him is that he has no football experience. If hes going to be successful, he will need to learn routes and read coverages. Also his technique will need a lot of work espically blocking wise.

Jae, knowing how to catch a pass in rugby league is completely different to american football. In american football, you almost never have wide open catches, especially over the middle of the feild where most big TE's operate.

Jae, knowing how to catch a pass in rugby league is completely different to american football.

Yes I know... that doesn't mean he hasn't got good hands.

It doesnt mean he has good hand's either . I know he wont be clumsy when catchy american footballs, but its such a different situation, and its impossible to predict.

NFL seems to be a sport that you need to grow up with to understand. I've been following it for 10 + years and I still dont have a clue how to play in real life.

It's hard to find people who understand and can play football here in the
Maybe this might help you Matthew:
What a player does in what position, Lesson 2 and 3 at the left of this web page.
NFL rules simplified for fans.

Oh no, I understand each position and what each player does, what a sweep pass and a wr option route is, I just don't understand why there is such a difference between run and pass defense (sounds small but to me its a huge thing). In real life, wouldnt the game come down to a guessing game and a game of reaction to what the offense is doing? Also, wouldnt it be sort of possible to have both options on offense. Thats what I dont really get, and I've never played so I guess thats why im curious about it.

like my understanding is that for Dime defenses, which are aimed towards passing you have more corners or safties dropping, whereas other defenses crowd the line with extra blitzers for the run

though i'd like to see this guy here, be something

He's also 117kg, heaps of baulk and muscle.

He doesn't have real good hands he knocks on in Rugby heaps, I couldn't imagine him running and cathing a ball in NFL.


He needs a decent pass to the chest to actually catch the ball.

He'd have to improve his catching alot if he wanted to go to the NFL. But then again in Rugby League he's a great runner and a great tackler I could see him smashing people in the NFL but dropping the ball alot.

If he "knocks on heaps" he wouldn't be getting picked for Australia and NSW

OutKast, the role of a TE is not a bigger wide reciever. He has much more responsability in terms of pass and run blocking. The biggest problem might be getting a helmet to fit that chin inside .

Yeah, that's true he has a huge chin, Jae the reason why he get's into NSW and Australia is because he is a true runner he can make linebreaks and he makes his constant 10 metres each run even more. He can also tackle like crazy but if you watched most games he'll have at least 2 knock ons on an average game.

I'm not saying that he couldn't make it to the NFL he would just have to have alot of training in cathing and passing in the NFL style.

They chose him for his constant endurance, tackling, and running, it all makes up for the way he may knock on a bit.

Did you watch Origin II it came off his head 3 times but he played great anyway. I'd love to watch him in the NFL but his hands might let him down a bit if he doesn't get more training.

He would not have "at least" 2 knock ons, that's ridiculous. If a guy knocks on twice in a game EVERYONE notices it, they wouldn't just ignore it because of a few other good plays. I've watched quite a few Bulldogs games, especially last season, and there's no way he knocks it on that much... no way at all. Get some statistics on it.

*Double Post*

Ignore that, I did some research and thanks to NRL.com I have statistics.

In 11 club games this season, Willie Mason has made 7 handling errors (i.e, knock ons). That means the average, per game, is 0.6 per game.

That would hardly suggest he knocks on alot, in fact, he's amongst the best in his club in that stat. Out of interest though, out of those 11 games he's only ever knocked on in 4 of them. He had three games where he made 2, and one game for 1. Otherwise he's been perfect in that category.

You can't get some statistics on how much a player knocks on but I'm telling you he needs a very straight ball to catch, he does knock on alot. At the least he would knock on once a game.

Last year was last year as well, that's the past watch the next Bulldogs game and I gaurentee he will knock on at least twice then again there are alot of players that do it more then him. For example, Frank Pritchard for the Penrith Panthers.

You can't get some statistics on how much a player knocks on

Yes you can.

At the least he would knock on once a game.

No he doesn't.

*Double Post*

Ignore that, I did some research and thanks to NRL.com I have statistics.

In 11 club games this season, Willie Mason has made 7 handling errors (i.e, knock ons). That means the average, per game, is 0.6 per game.

That would hardly suggest he knocks on alot, in fact, he's amongst the best in his club in that stat. Out of interest though, out of those 11 games he's only ever knocked on in 4 of them. He had three games where he made 2, and one game for 1. Otherwise he's been perfect in that category.

Also, the ammount of times he is handling the ball in a rugby league game would be far greater then what he would be getting in an nfl game. He has had 192 hit ups in 11 games, thats at least 17 times a game he's had to catch a ball and run with it. In the nfl, there is no WR who averaged more than 15 catches a game.