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Moritz Boehringer Pro Day Performance Has NFL Buzzing

By Toni Matthews
Published on: 02:10 PST, Apr 2, 2016

No need to panic if you’ve never heard of Moritz Boehringer. Most people in the United States had no idea Boehringer existed before his performance at Florida Atlantic’s Pro Day on March 31. However, the 6-foot, 4-inch and 227-pound wide receiver made quite an impression.

Perhaps the most stunning bit of information about Moritz Boehringer is that the athletic professional isn’t associated with the NFL or the American football system in any way. It turns out that Boehringer hails from Germany — and he’s only been playing football for approximately three years!

It was hard for many NFL scouts and coaches to wrap their minds around how 22-year-old Moritz managed to do so well. Fans of the German Football League probably aren’t too surprised. According to Heavy, Boehringer had a stellar rookie season in the GFL, during which time he played for the Schwabisch Hall Unicorns. Moritz caught “70 passes for 1,461 yards and 16 touchdowns.” His breakout performance earned him GFL “Rookie of the Year” honors.

After two years at the youth level and one year of professional play under his belt, Moritz has decided to try his luck at American professional football. He reportedly trained for Pro Day at XPE Sports Academy in Boca Raton, Florida. XPE specializes in helping athletes train for the NFL Combine and Pro Day.

The practice paid off for Boehringer; he was the talk of the day.

Moritz Boehringer clocked in at an impressive 4.43 seconds for his 40-yard dash. Bleacher Report said that had he ran that time during the NFL Combine, Moritz would have had the third best time overall. Boehringer also boasted “a 39-inch vertical jump, 10’11” broad jump and 6.65-second three-cone drill.”

In other words, Moritz Boehringer had about the best day an aspiring professional football player could hope for. Despite this, the odds of him finding a place in the NFL remain remarkably slim.

Why?

Well, because if you hadn’t noticed, competition to get into — and to remain within — the NFL is incredibly fierce. While waves of hype can land a foreign athlete in the spotlight, there’s no guarantee it will be enough to land him a spot on a team. Even if he makes it, there’s also the chance he can be let go early on.

One need look no further than the much talked about (and since forgotten) Jarryd Hayne. Hype is inevitable when someone unknown and unexpected does amazing things. Some NFL observers expect that despite an “Olympian” performance this week, Moritz Boehringer will likely not be drafted, instead becoming a free agent left to hope for the best.

Still, there’s a possibility that the impact Moritz Boehringer made on Pro Day is being underestimated. Since blasting his way onto the NFL’s radar, Moritz had dinner with the Minnesota Vikings. NFL reporter Andy Fenelon writes that in addition to the Vikings, “the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Denver Broncos” have all shown interest. It’s reported that the New England Patriots also have an eye on Boehringer.

Demonstrating interest and moving to draft a player are two very different things, but being on the radar of several different teams could very well push the odds in the German athlete’s favor.

Should he manage to get drafted to a team, one would agree that it would be the easiest part of a tumultuous process.

Make no mistake; the NFL is unlike any other football league in the world. These top athletes put their bodies through the wringer every week, but still manage to pull off incredible performances. Outstanding Pro Day numbers are great, but it will be an actual performance against experienced NFL professionals that determines if American professional football is right for Moritz Boehringer.

[Image via Shutterstock]

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