Ryan Clark spent a lot of time in his day banging heads on the football field, but how would he have fared if his career path led him to the octagon instead of the gridiron?
“Well, I’d have more concussions than I eventually had playing football, that’s for sure,” Clark told MMA Junkie Radio.
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The Super Bowl champ has always been a fan of combat sports and spent time on the mats during and after his football career. Clark has become an MMA analyst as well, and has a good eye for the game. So the question was asked, which of his fellow Pittsburgh Steelers could have made a career in MMA?
Guys like Troy Polamalu, James Harrison, Rod Woodson, Joe Greene, Jerome Bettis, and many others who wore the black and yellow were menaces on the field. What could have been?
“Troy would have been phenomenal,” Clark said. “James is legitimately the meanest person I know. I think he would have been good, and Joe Greene, an absolute legend.”
There is one name that Clark offered who may not have been on the tip of the tongue.
November 6, 2011; Pittsburgh,PA, USA: Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Ike Taylor (24) takes the field with his face covered in a Terrible Towel during the first quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USPRESSWIRE
“Ike Taylor would have been an excellent mixed martial artist,” Clark said. “The most disciplined person I know, and he loves to fight more than any football human I’ve ever met. So, he would have locked in and became one of those guys that I believe could have been champion. And also, I’ve never seen anyone with the ability to cut weight the way he does, when you don’t actually have to cut weight for a living. So, I would add Ike Taylor to that.”
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Taylor, who hails from Louisiana like Clark, played cornerback for the Steelers, winning a pair of Super Bowls. He was known for his elite speed and coverage ability, and brought his own style of intensity to the game. At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Taylor could have made for one dangerous middleweight – at least one of his championship teammates believes so.
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This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Ryan Clark names Super Bowl teammate who could have been MMA champion
