For fans who have closely watched the growth of MMA, it’s always been clear that the quality of the sport will always rise when the level of athletes competing is at its highest. In the U.S., NFL players are widely considered to be among the biggest, strongest and fastest athletes in sport today. And while there has been some minor crossover between professional football and MMA – big-show veterans such as Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub chiefly among them – there hasn’t exactly been a rush of NFL talent making its way to combat sports.