An American Navy SEAL who was part of the operation to kill Osama bin Laden back in 2011 has revealed he had an NFL-related epiphany just a week before the mission.
Robert O'Neill was part of SEAL Team 6 during the raid that killed the man behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The CIA had identified a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in September 2010 which they believed was the house where bin Laden and his family were living.
They launched an operation out of Afghanistan in April 2011 and the leader of al-Qaeda was shot dead by SEAL Team 6 in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.
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During a podcast appearance earlier this year, O'Neill revealed he had an epiphany about the NFL shortly before that mission.
He told OutKicks' 'The Ricky Cobb Show': "We trained for about two weeks and then went to Afghanistan to stay. It was a weird time to be in Afghanistan.
"I remember watching the NFL draft. And I was on a treadmill, thinking that the [Washington] Redskins needed an offensive tackle.
"Then I realised, 'It doesn't matter for me, I guess. I'm gonna be dead next week'."
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The Redskins, who were renamed the Washington Football Team in 2020 and then the Washington Commanders, did eventually sign an offensive tackle.
They brought in Ryan Kerrigan and he went on to spend 10 years with the team before leaving for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021.
Meanwhile, O'Neill recently met up with UFC icon Conor McGregor during a visit to Ireland.
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McGregor posted two photos with him on social media.
And O'Neill replied to the message, writing: "Great energy in Ireland."
McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he broke his leg during his defeat to Dustin Poirier.
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The Irishman had been set to return last year against Michael Chandler, but the fight was cancelled when McGregor sustained an injury at the last minute.
However, McGregor is now poised to make his comeback next year and is keen to fight at UFC White House, which will be held on June 14.
UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed there will be no more than 4,000 people at the venue and they will not begin announcing fights for the card until February.
McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, recently insisted that the fighter is ready to make his return.
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Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said: "On our end, we're 100% in. He's asked me to basically lay out a program between now and June of how we'll ramp up our training.
"He's back in the gym most mornings early and he's having fun with it...
"He's already tasked me with putting together a team of suitable training partners.
"Like I said, if it's Conor's choice, he's in. I don't know how it will work with the UFC."
Topics: NFL, Conor McGregor, UFC
James Taylor