Yeah. I think a lot of people underestimate the technical challenges of catching a spinning ball at speed whilst dodging tackles. And, that goes double for soccer.
Becoming an NFL quality wide reciever in most cases require dedication from an early age.
The only exception I think is kicker. David Beckham for instance would likely have been a hall of famer if he had “retired” in the NFL instead of the MLS.
We have two Norwegians who became famous in American football. One was Knut Rockne, the other was Stenerud of the Kansas City Chiefs. He came to America on a ski jumping scholarship I believe for college, but had played some soccer as a kid growing up in Norway. Spotted by chance kicking a a football on campus by the baseball coach, he was
invited to try out for the football the team.
The rest as they say.... is history :)
A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled on a YouTube video about Gaelic Football, and I immediately was intrigued...it’s like the way I would have wanted soccer to be if I had invented it myself. You have to have the skills of a soccer player, and the moves of an NFL running back to elude defenders, the skills to catch the ball, and to drop kick either over the posts, or kick the ball past the goalie into a goal.