When Detroit Lions president Matt Millen was a linebacker, he rarely encountered a 300-pounder. Last season, there were 455 of them in the NFL.
“In my day, a team would have made (rookie free-agent guard) Levi (Newton) weigh 275. … But today? Levi is kind of underweight for his position,” Millen said.
The size of NFL players is being scrutinized once again following the death of 49ers offensive lineman Thomas Herrion, who collapsed and died after a preseason game last Saturday.
It could take three to six weeks before toxicology results from the autopsy provide a cause of death, but Herrion’s size–6-3 and about 310 pounds–is at the forefront of the issue.
After Minnesota tackle Korey Stringer died of heatstroke four years ago, the NFL began testing players for ephedra. It also re-evaluated how teams practice in extreme heat. “The health of our players is always a concern,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. “We have a committee of doctors looking at the cardiovascular health of players.”
Millen said rule changes designed to open up the passing game in the mid-1970s affected the size of offensive linemen.
“When they allowed tackles to lean back a little more and linemen to (extend) their hands and put them outside of the frame on defensive players, you got lesser athletes on the offensive line,” Millen said. “Now, you have guys who can’t move their huge butts. Then again, they don’t have to in order to be successful.”
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Edited by Phillip Thompson ([email protected]) and Michael Morgan ([email protected])