Past Scott Harding (2005-2009)

[Tairy Greene]

Wow, very unexpected! Good luck to the man!

 

[Jorgo]

I don't follow NFL at all... but what size is your normal wide receiver? Scotty's listed about 178cm and 78kg on his wikipedia page.... how does that compare?

 

[dlanod]

Wow, that is freaking awesome. Go Scotty. Is he the first Australian footballer to become a Wide Receiver?

I would have thought that we'd have had others at college level, which is what he's at but apparently not.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/27/3228562.htm

It actually lists him as wide receiver, kick returner and running back. With his lack of height I'd expect him to be more of a running back, as NFL wide receivers tend to be quite tall.

 

[Hollow Knight]

I don't follow NFL at all... but what size is your normal wide receiver? Scotty's listed about 178cm and 78kg on his wikipedia page.... how does that compare?

Most are taller but there are prominent exceptions.

Wes Welker of the Patriots for example. Only 175 centimetres tall and he is a three time Pro-Bowler.

 

[dlanod]

Percy Harvin does pretty well as well, at 1.8m.

 

[Hollow Knight]

Yeah, Welker and Harvin are examples of guys who make up for their lack of height by being plain smart. They read the play, they run tight routes.

Harding always struck me as a bit of a "dumb" footballer. Playing American Football at the college level, he'll have to learn a whole offensive playbook off by heart as well as learn about how opposition defences operate, especially after the snap where you have about half a second to work out whether the opposition is blitzing... whether the secondary is in zone defence or man coverage etc. Hard work. Good luck to him.

 

[dlanod]

Interestingly the structure might help him. Whereas AFL is a free flowing game, NFL is all about set plays and if he can memorize them well you can go further than AFL where it's more about spontaneous responses.

 

[blinker]

colin scotts went from a 90kg rugby player (16yr old) to a 130kg NFL player 20 years ago. he also went via University of Hawaii. something tells me Scott Harding wont be 78kg for long. speed is important, but the acceration of those guys is amazing. could see Merrett having a crack as well.
good luck to Scotty

 

[Dylan12]

Wow, that is freaking awesome. Go Scotty. Is he the first Australian footballer to become a Wide Receiver?

I agree, really happy for the lad. If I'm not mistaken, he will join a number of Aussies at UH, including a monster of a young lad who has big wraps on him...can't think of his name.

 

[dlanod]

It's also where Mat McBriar started off before he went pro.

 

[Lehmo87]

Good luck to him but he'll need to get used to the different contact he'll get from defenders. I never saw Harding as being a tough player and some of the hits that are dished out in the NFL can be quite violent (despite some stereotypes about the padding).

 

[Grimreepah]

Former Brisbane Lion Scott Harding ready to 'make a statement' in US College football debut for University of Hawaii

• Jai Bednall
• From: The Sunday Mail (Qld)
• July 10, 2011 12:00AM

"I used to watch it all the time and constantly be thinking, 'I can do that'," Harding said. "I'd watch it on TV and think, 'I don't see how he runs any faster than me, or catches any better'. I've always had good hands. That was one of my strengths in the midfield. I was always pretty clean and a one-touch player."

Harding considered making the code swap when he was delisted by Brisbane at the end of the 2009 season. Considered one of the unluckiest players to be cut that year, he decided to throw his name back in the draft and he was picked up by the Power.

"My manager at the time still thought I had some more AFL left in me," Harding said. "I thought I did, too. I was a bit stiff to get let go by Brisbane at that point and I thought I'd get picked up somewhere else."

 

[weevil]

“one of the unluckiest players to be cut that year”. My lord, he was given game after game after game to show something. I was a big supporter of Scotty but he had every opportunity and pretty clearly was not up to it.

 

[Nuggo]

Yeah, had a laugh when I read that. If he doesn't make it in American Football he could alway become a comedian.

 

[Cousin Jed]

Thought the comment about clean hands seemed a bit generous.

 

[Nuggo]

Guess he couldn't talk about his kicking.

 

[patfullfankezz]

Scott Harding is currently playing OK for Hawaii against Colorado.

 

[dmac_55]

Scotty got his first run in the regular season against UC Davis with 6 receptions for 67 yards.. Was a blowout win so they brought in there backups.. Good stats though especially for a freshman who has just converted! Go Scott!

 

[Hanley]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-harding-earns-his-wings-in-american-football

Seems to be doing pretty well over there, all the best to him.

 

[joshhem]

@ConquestDT: Congratulations to @scotthardingUH on selection in the all American freshman team of the 2011

 

[Haso]

 

[Chasing the Dream]

http://blogs.rgj.com/packblog/2012/...harding-does-it-all-for-hawaii-football-team/

quite the rap for him

 

[Ruse]

When is the draft for the NFL and is he a chance to get drafted? He'll be 27 next year any chance he'd be too old?

 

[dlanod]

When is the draft for the NFL and is he a chance to get drafted? He'll be 27 next year any chance he'd be too old?

One team took a 28 year old quarterback in the first round of the 2012 draft, so age isn't as big a deal. Often you'll see players signed from CFL (the Canadian league) on the older side as well. Overall the NFL teams aren't picky about talent. He won't get drafted this year (I think you have to complete at least three years of college, and Harding's in his second now), but depending on how he goes next year and the year after he may be a chance.

 

[Mavlions1961]

When is the draft for the NFL and is he a chance to get drafted? He'll be 27 next year any chance he'd be too old?

The NFL draft is usually in April. It is preceded by draft camps, similar to our draft combines etc.