SCRUM AND JOIN US JONNY ABOVE: HOT SHOT: Jonny Wilkinson17th October 2007 By IAIN BURCHELL, US Editor, in LA Your Shout MEGA-RICH American Football teams are queueing up to offer England hero Jonny Wilkinson £6million a year to quit rugby for the NFL. Wilko’s golden boot has reignited a desperate scramble to sign him up as a kicker four years after he first caught the eye of NFL franchises. The goal-kicking machine resisted big-money bids to lure him across the pond following England’s 2003 World Cup triumph, only to be struck down by a series of devastating injuries. Now confident Yanks are sure his injury nightmare, as well as the chance to earn more than 20 times his current £250,000 salary, will persuade Wilkinson, 28, to kick rugby into touch. They say top gridiron goalkickers do not face the physical pounding Wilko takes in rugby because they are brought on just to boot points. An NFL source said: “Scouts have been sent out to watch Jonny at the World Cup and obviously they have been very impressed. “There were major doubts over his fitness but he’s looking stronger than ever. There is no shortage of money in the NFL and the financial side of any deal would be no problem. “But the trump card for convincing a player who has had so many injury problems could be the lack of physical contact for kickers. “Kickers just come on and do their stuff. The only way they get touched is if they mess up – and Jonny doesn’t do messing up.” Rugby sources fear England’s chances of hanging on to their star player will be even slimmer if Wilko and his lionhearted team-mates can pull off another sensational World Cup win against South Africa on Saturday. An insider said: “If Jonny can win the World Cup again he could decide to walk away at the very top. “He has had such a tough time with injuries since the last World Cup that he may not want to risk putting his battered body through all that again. “There’s no doubt he could be a star in the NFL. He would have to learn the game over there but he’s so talented and focused that it would be no problem.” Kicking king Wilkinson has told in the past how he loves watching American Football games and would seriously consider playing in the NFL. He said back in 2003: “It is quite an exciting prospect to think about. I do like to keep an eye on what is going on in the NFL, and that does hold some serious interest for me.” I think he deserves the chance to earn way much more money, for much less work. He should rest his body and try and be successful at another chapter of his life.
Deserves his chance. But his kicking has been woeful recently. We are winning despite him, if he were in form we'd be trouncing teams.
RE: Deserves his chance. He deserves the lack of physicality, the lifestyle and fame he would probably earn over there. I can see plenty of the better teams wanting him. Should be easier for him as well, with field goals taken centrally all the time.
What fame? he'd just be a kicker, they are virtually anonymous unless they miss a straight forward kick that would have won the game! He also wouldn't have the same time to size up the kick, and he won't be able to place the ball - it's a different mindset, not saying he couldn't do it but he wouldn't be as big a star as you seem to think
RE: What fame? Don't they get any recognition? Not even if they are reliable. Or are the majority reliable? Surely the points they get from their kicks are worth alot to the team.
RE: What fame? They get recognition, but unless they score a winning fieldgoal in the dying moments of the Superbowl, e.g. Adam Vinitiari, they aren't really renowned.
RE: What fame? maybe a bit like penalty takers in footie, no-one knows about them until they miss a few ?</p> (I know nowt about American <strike>hand</strike>football )</p>
RE: Adam Vinitiari............ This was muted 4 years ago, it's British newspaper talk, I'll only believe it when I see it
