American football is a sport where two teams are going against each other, trying to score more points than the other team, while trying to prevent the other team from scoring as well. But unlike other sports, players don’t really need to be good at everything to be a good football player, players only need to focus on one part of the game out of many options, and players can be great if they work hard enough. Presenting the idea that American football is the most versatile sport.

So, in American football, there are a total of 10 positions to choose from. Which presents someone with a lot of different skill bases to choose from. For example, playing linebacker is a really different position than playing wide receiver. For a linebacker, some skills they need are reading the defense to see openings and how to prevent them. They also need to be able to correctly perform tackles to actually put any offensive players on the ground. One great linebacker in the history of the NFL (National Football League) was Ray Lewis. He had a great defensive IQ and his tackling was scary. He was one of the best linebackers to ever live. But he didn’t really possess many wide receiver skills when he was on the field, because he didn’t need them. Wide receiver skills contain good catching ability, precise route running, and able to carry the ball up the field. Wide receivers have to have good catching ability because if they’re always open but they can’t catch, then there is no point in making them a receiver. Route running is also important so the receiver can give options to their quarterback, one good wide receiver is Randy Moss. He was taller than most of the defenders, he was fast, strong, had good route running, and could catch exceptionally well. Both of these players are amazing at football yet their skills are not that similar! 

Second, football players don’t need the same athletic attributes. Some positions to prove this are defensive linemen and cornerback. Both of the positions are on defense but they’re so different. For a defensive lineman, the athletic attributes they need are strength and elusiveness. Linemen need strength because the offensive linemen are going to be pushing the defensive linemen away from the quarterback, and the defensive linemen should try and overpower them. Linemen also need elusiveness because sometimes if the offensive lineman is too strong, then they should try and juke them to get by them. A good defensive lineman is Aaron Donald. He is a very strong player, his elusiveness is great too. For cornerbacks, they need speed, agility, and a good vertical. Cornerbacks need speed because if the wide receiver burns them every time then the quarterback will always have an option, and if the quarterback has a good arm then the other team will score touchdowns every play. Cornerbacks also need agility because if the receiver tries to hit moves on the cornerback, the cornerback needs to be able to stay with them and not be sent to the spirit realm. Cornerbacks need a good vertical because if the receiver is taller than them or has a good vertical, then the quarterback can just keep throwing jump balls, and the receiver will get it most of the time. A good cornerback was Deion Sanders. He was fast, had great agility, and could jump to stop any jump balls coming. These two positions need pretty different athletic attributes even though they’re both on defense.

Third, there is a position in football where players don’t really need any of the athletic attributes or skill bases reminiscent of the other positions, and it’s the kicker/punter. A kicker is exactly what it sounds like, they kick the football. Kickers contribute to their team by scoring the extra point after the team scores a touchdown, and they can score field goals if their team wasn’t able to score a touchdown. Punters contribute to their team by punting the ball down the field if their team wasn’t in range for a field goal. They don’t need strength, because they’re not contacting any players on the other team, they don’t need speed because they’re not running much. They don’t need elusiveness because they’re not juking anyone. They have no need for a vertical because they’re not jumping. There is no need for agility because they’re not moving much. They don’t need IQ because they’re just kicking the ball. They don’t need to tackle. The only thing kickers/punters need is a strong kicking leg. Kickers and punters might need the least amount of skills and athleticism but their usefulness to their team is just as important as the quarterback. 

So in conclusion, football is a great sport because the diversity in choosing a position to play is so grand that someone can be the most athletic wide receiver ever seen, or the most unathletic kicker but never misses a field goal. That’s why American football is a great sport.