While poker and the NFL don’t have much in common, one thing they do share is that both have been seriously considered as a potential Olympic sport over the years. While poker will have to keep waiting, the NFL will get its moment to shine at the 2028 Summer Olympics as the SoFi Stadium will host the opening and closing ceremonies.
The NFL could also get further representation through the introduction of Flag Football. CBS Sports reports that there is a big push for American Football to soon make its debut in 2028 through the non-contact version. The news channel also speculates that retired pros like Tom Brady could be coaxed out of retirement to represent America as part of a dream team. Potential American dream teams are a concept that many fans like to speculate on. With poker and the NFL currently kept out of the Olympics, we wondered what would happen if the sports were combined and a poker dream team made up of NFL players were sent to the summer games to win big. Below is our NFL poker dream team, which we are sure would get the gold.
Rob Gronkowski
Gronkowski is the marker against which all tight ends, including Travis Kelce, get measured. With four Super Bowl wins, he is widely considered one of the sport’s best players. He was also selected for the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. Not content with just being a success on the field, Gronkowski has shown himself to be a proficient poker player and last year appeared on PokerStars Big Game on Tour Season 2. While he may not be the most experienced poker player, his competitive mindset and ability to be calm under pressure would make him a great asset for the dream team.
Tom Brady
Widely considered not only the greatest NFL player of all time but one of the greatest sports stars period, Brady has branched out in recent years to the poker table. He has become a regular player at celebrity poker tournaments, including the “All In For America’s Charity Tournament.” While, like Gronkowski, he may not be the most experienced player, his proficiency as one of the world’s best athletes would give him an edge. Playing alongside his championship-winning former teammates Gronkowski and Richard Seymour would also make the dream much more formidable. With Tom Brady only tipped for the flag football team, he would definitely find a place in the NFL poker dream team.
Richard Seymour
If Tom Brady is on the dream team, then he is definitely bringing along his former teammate, Richard Seymour. The two players had a close relationship on the field with the New England Patriots between 2001 and 2008, winning three Super Bowls together, and are replicating this partnership as minority owners of the Las Vegas Raiders.
However, it is not Seymour’s football or business skills that put him on this list, but his emerging career as a poker pro. Seymour has competed in some of the biggest poker tournaments in the world and, in the 2019 WSOP Main Event, placed 131st, putting him above top poker players, including Chris Moneymaker (who finished 687th). This was a monumental achievement as Moneymaker is a poker legend and has even been inducted into the Poker Hall of Fame. Today, Moneymaker is the face of America’s Card Room and continues to be a major name in poker, even hosting his own Moneymaker Tour around the USA. That Seymour was able to finish quite a bit above him is why he would be on the NFL poker dream team. As the most experienced player, he would be the captain of the poker team.
Calais Campbell
Like Seymour, poker is not just a pastime for Campbell. He has publicly said that he wants to win the WSOP and be as successful on the felt as he was on the football field. He even compared football to poker, saying, “I feel like with football, I’ve been very good at seeing things before they happen. It allows me to really spot my keys, give me information, and allow me to process it. In poker, it’s the same thing.” This confidence, alongside the experience of playing in three WSOP events, would make him invaluable on the dream team.
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