Usain Bolt rejected chance to become pro in sport other than football after key reason left him 'turned off'
Usain Bolt has revealed he was “turned off” from becoming a professional in another sport due to one reason.
Bolt, 38, is the current 100m world record holder with a stunning time of 9.58 seconds – achieved at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, Germany.
He also holds the world record in the 200m race, having registered a mind-blowing time of 19.19 at the same event in 2009.
The sprinter also holds the 4x100m relay record alongside his Jamaican teammates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake from the London 2012 Olympics.
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The athlete also turned attention to other sports, including the time he had a two-day trial at German football team Borussia Dortmund in 2018 - but the manager at the time, Peter Stoger explained that Bolt had "a lot of work to do" if he was ever to become a professional footballer.
"The physique he needs for his other sport is completely different from what he needs for football, but it was really fun for us,” the former Dortmund boss explained.
However, football is not the only sport that the 38-year-old has voiced his interest in.
Back in 2016, he revealed that a NFL side had registered their interest in signing him.
"I've never really thought about going," he told journalist Dan Patrick in 2016.
“But I’ve gotten offers, and people have asked me.”
Despite having the opportunity, Bolt revealed the main reason he has never taken his interest in American football further.
“I used to watch [football] when I was younger, and the hits that the guys used to take…I know that it is not as bad now, but the hits that the guys would take kind of turned me off,” he explained.
In fairness to Bolt, his observation is backed up by sufficient evidence. American football is associated with a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by “repeated traumatic brain injuries", according to the National Institutes of Health.
Given the nature of the sport, [American] footballers are susceptible to often experiencing several blows to the head per game despite wearing body armour and a helmet as protection.
Research by Boston University in 2023 revealed findings of “345 former NFL players with CTE out of 376 former players studied (91.7 per cent)”, which is fairly conclusive.
Although CTE does not usually cause death, its side effects include changes in personality and behaviour.
Topics: Usain Bolt, NFL, American Football, Borussia Dortmund, Football
Luke Davies