according to a link on the vt we are giving a trial to a American gridiron player named jermaine allen.

Here www.independent.co.uk/sport/gene ... 87460.html Also states Rowley would like the coach's job

Here www.independent.co.uk/sport/gene ... 87460.html Also states Rowley would like the coach's job

As someone who knows nowt about american football, can anybody who is more knowledgeable give an idea as to what sort of skills and physical traits a 'running back' has? Are they fast? big? Do they ever actually have to tackle in American Football, or is that all done by the DEE-Fence

Didn't an American Football team once offer Mick Martyn a trial as a running back? As for Allen en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermaine_Allen As for 'Running Back' try this one en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_back

Didn't an American Football team once offer Mick Martyn a trial as a running back? As for Allen en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jermaine_Allen As for 'Running Back' try this one en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_back

Interesting stuff, would be good if the club could give us a clue as to how it all came about etc?

There is an interview with him on the bbc website. He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7

There is an interview with him on the bbc website. He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7

Certainly interesting. He is likely to be fast and explosive and be able to catch (in an offensive zone at least) but couldn't tackle a hot dinner - plus fitness levels would be nowhere near the standard required. I got a bit excited when the New Orleans Saints were mentioned, one of the better teams and they won the Superbowl in recent years. Turns out he was just a "practice player" - effectively a triallist.

You never know - can't hurt to try and if he is a good, quick learner we could be onto a winner. Having said that, we'd be better off with a "tight end"

given the composition of our squad.

Quote ="Nozzy"There is an interview with him on the bbc website. He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7'" Vernon is a lanky git though With my (very) limited knowledge of grid iron, I'd guess a running back is something similar to a winger and considering he's from London he may have a rugby union background as a kid maybe? Even though he was effectively a trialist at New Orleans, he must have something about him to get as far as that to begin with?

Quote ="Nozzy"There is an interview with him on the bbc website. He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7'" Vernon is a lanky git though With my (very) limited knowledge of grid iron, I'd guess a running back is something similar to a winger and considering he's from London he may have a rugby union background as a kid maybe? Even though he was effectively a trialist at New Orleans, he must have something about him to get as far as that to begin with?

[url=http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23907733-nfl-star-broke-london-clubbers-cheekbone.doThis link[/url isn't too encouraging, however...

He's a tall lad Vernon. There have been quite a few running backs that have not been huge but very fast and agile. They seem to use different sizes for different plays like rugby a bit but there are that many on a team they probably have a different size and shape for every play.

Give him the ball,give him a tin of heinz Beans and watch him go.

He's just a slightly unorthodox technique if you search for "harry being tackled by chicago Bears jermaine allen" on YouTube!

Working Visa's applied for both the potential overseas coaches.
Have they both been offered the job, has one been offered it and the other a back up in case the other one fails.
All been done very strangely this.

Haha that link is quality Matt, hope that 'Harry' is Mick Nanyn next year, its the Northern Rail Cup final and we set Jermaine to pounce on him hahaha.

Quote ="Nozzy"There is an interview with him on the bbc website. =#FF0000He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7'" His 'vital stats.', in 'old money' are stated as 6 foot and just under 16 1/2 stones. Not too small!

Quote ="Nozzy"There is an interview with him on the bbc website. =#FF0000He doesn't look huge. He's being interviewed by Vernon Kay and Vernon is way bigger than him! www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/photos/vernonkay/3856/7'" His 'vital stats.', in 'old money' are stated as 6 foot and just under 16 1/2 stones. Not too small!

I play for the same uni team Jermaine played for, same coaches. He was quite simply a freak in this league, went and played a bit in the States. Just spent a couple years at her majesty's pleasure though. He played Running back and linebacker, so he's fast, can carry the ball, and make big hits as well.

Before coming to the Stallions, his background was mainly Basketball IIRC.

If you can keep him busy until about the 3rd week of may so that I don't have to face him in the old boys game, it'd be appreciated.

I always wondered how Dessie D would have done as a running back in the NFL?

Don't you mean give him the beans first and then watch him go

Linebacker is one of the more glamorous defensive positions.
Seems like he can take and give a hit, but can he tackle?

It says in the League Express this week that he contacted that club off his own back and that he's living near Wigan, I think!

He's a running back though, hence he doesn't defend he attacks. Another Leroy Rivett then lol?

If he's played running back and line backer, then he certainly can tackle. If I was going to pick any player from an NFL team to try and convert toRugby League, it would be a linebacker.

YouTube shows he has a good tackling technique. Goes right for the ankles aswell as a full on killing tackle

thats a right tackle on youtube! ha

Been chatting with one of the coaches who played with Jermaine a few years ago, apparantly while he was under contract to the NFL, he wasn't allowed to play for us, but they said nothing of other sports, so he played League and Union for the Uni. So it's not like he's got to learn the sport from scratch. Should be interesting if he ends up playing against Wigan in the friendly, i'd definitely go to watch that.