Your & Your Best Friends Have A Lot More In Common With NFL Teams Than You Think
Once you describe each player as a person in your friend group, suddenly it all makes sense.
LightField Studios | Shutterstock Women often feel intimidated when it comes to sports, especially the NFL. That's not because they don't enjoy the game, however. It's more likely because they never learned the rules. However, research shows female viewership of the NFL has increased in recent years, even more so now that Taylor Swift is engaged to Super Bowl-winning Travis Kelce. In fact, since Swift and Kelce started dating, the number of women who watch the sport is reportedly up 9%.
As a result, veteran female football fans have taken action to teach and introduce sports to girls. Case in point: Football fan Callia Huang. She shared how an NFL offensive line is really just like a female friend group, breaking the sport down so it's simple to understand. And it just goes to show that you and your best friends have a lot more in common than an NFL team than you thought.
The quarterback is the group chat girl
Ringo Chiu / Shutterstock
Think about the person in the group who is always setting up the plans — they're the equivalent of a quarterback in football. They're calling the shots and deciding whether to hand off the ball or make a pass.
The group chat girl, much like the quarterback, is the ringleader. She's the one making the plans, or in the case of football, the plays. She is the heart of the friend group, and she organizes everything. It's the same with the quarterback.
The wide receiver is the friend who's always there
Steve Jacobson | Shutterstock
The friend who's always liking your posts, responding to your messages, and texting you back is like a wide receiver. They're the ones who reflect on a decision made by the quarterback. They'll agree or disagree depending on what they think is best.
The wide receiver has a good relationship with the quarterback, and so does the helpful friend. She's the one who will say, according to Huang, "I also agree that this is a good idea." She added, "That's basically what the wide receiver is for the quarterback. The wide receiver catches the ball when the quarterback throws it, and they just have an unbreakable bond."
The running back is the girl in the trenches
Ringo Chiu | Shutterstock
If there's a challenge the friend group is facing, this girl will be the first one in line to hop in and see a way to fix it. That's also the running back's job. His objective is to gain yardage to reach a first down. The running back gets handed the ball, and they just have to run.
The running back will get hit and likely hit hard by a defensive lineman, but they're willing to because it helps the team. Just like the girl in the trenches, they'll go through obstacles for the best of the group. Think of the girl who waits for hours in a Ticketmaster queue to get concert tickets for the group; that's the equivalent of the running back.
The offensive line is the introvert girls
Richard Paul Kane| Shutterstock
These players are the ones who protect the quarterback and running back. They don't get the ball often, but their purpose is to defend, and they're loyal.
The introverted girls in the friend group might not say much, and they might not like a lot of attention from strangers, but they rally when they need to. They are loyal and dependable. "They always have your back," as Huang explained.
The left tackle or right tackle is the girl who protects you from texting your ex
Huang explained that the left and right tackle are part of the offensive line, and they "protect the quarterback's blind side." If a defensive player is coming at the quarterback, the tackle steps in so he doesn't get sacked. It's all about giving the quarterback enough time to run the play.
Similarly, when you're drunk and not thinking straight, the left tackle is like that one friend who will take your phone away before you attempt to text your ex. It's all about the protection you don't even realize you need.
The tight end is the girl who's introverted, but also extroverted
Ringo Chiu | Shutterstock
The tight end is the player who can block an offensive lineman, but they can also catch the ball like a wide receiver. They can either be next to a tackle on the offensive line or in a receiver position during formation, depending on the play. The tight end is bigger than a receiver but not nearly as big as a lineman. They must be agile and resilient.
Huang equated the tight end to the one girl in the friend group who doesn't love going out all the time, but when she does, it feels like you're having the best time ever. It's like the player who protects you when needed, but also makes the run when they can.
Matt Machado is a writer studying journalism at the University of Central Florida. He covers relationships, psychology, celebrities, pop culture, and human interest topics.
