Big surprise: ‘Lightning Bolt’ Usain Bolt reveals he almost quit racing to pursue a career as a rugby player – Just one more decision and he could have fulfilled his dream!.k1

‘Lightning Bolt’ Usain Bolt has revealed that he once refused to become a professional rugby player because of health concerns in old age.

Usain Bolt still holds the world records for the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19 seconds), both set at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. He also set the 4 x 100m relay record at the 2012 Olympics with Jamaican teammates Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Yohan Blake.
Despite his success in track and field, Usain Bolt revealed in 2016 that an NFL team had expressed interest and was keen to sign him. Despite the enticing opportunity, Usain Bolt decided not to take up the sport.

“When I was younger, I used to watch rugby and I didn’t like the way the players hit each other. I know it’s gotten better now, but those collisions still haunt me,” Usain Bolt shares about why he didn’t become a rugby player.

To be fair, Usain Bolt’s observations about rugby are well-founded. Players who play this sport often suffer from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a condition caused by repeated injuries.

Even though players are now equipped with body armor and helmets, they still take multiple blows to the head during each game. A 2023 study by Boston University found that of the 376 former NFL players surveyed, 91.7% had CTE. While CTE is not fatal, it can lead to personality and behavioral changes. This has raised concerns about the long-term health of the players.

In addition, Usain Bolt also tried his hand at football, when he underwent two days of testing at Borussia Dortmund in 2018. But fortunately, the coach of the German club at that time, Peter Stoger, commented that “Usain Bolt still has a lot of work to do if he wants to become a player”, so the Jamaican runner gave up his dream.