Photo via Yahoo Sports

From Andre the Giant to Tacko Fall: The case for using a 7-footer to block field goals

Half a century ago, Washington head coach George Allen used a publicity stunt to keep his franchise in the media spotlight during the offseason by floating the idea of signing professional wrestling star Andre the Giant to swat away opponent field goal attempts. Quarterback Joe Theismann recalled posing for publicity photos alongside the massive athlete, though no actual contract or tryout ever materialized.

Decades later, a similar concept has emerged in analytical football circles as a potential strategic tactic. Former Philadelphia Eagles assistant coach Ryan Paganetti recently suggested that modern teams should evaluate extraordinarily tall basketball players like Tacko Fall for a specialized role in blocking kicks by exploiting gaps created along the interior line.

Up nextNFL· 28m ago

Five teams face an 0-4 start — and only one 0-4 team has ever made the playoffs