Video of Cardinals rookie on treadmill goes viral
Jul 1, 2013, 4:10 PM | Updated: 4:47 pm
A 29-year-old rookie of the Arizona Cardinals has been recorded on video running a blazing 25 mph on a treadmill.
Robert Gill, a 5-foot-10 wide receiver, has yet to play in the NFL and may not make the Cardinals’ final roster, according to NBC Sports, but his speed is making everyone do a double take.
The Cardinals’ website said Gill is the oldest rookie currently on an NFL roster. Since playing ball at Texas State, Gill has bounced around several lower-level professional leagues, including the Canadian Football League (where he never saw the field) and the Arena Football League, last playing from 2011 to 2012 for the now-defunct Kansas City Command. Gill’s coach in Kansas City, Danton Barto, now a scout with the St. Louis Rams, compared his speed to Deion Sanders.
Cardinals scout Josh Scobey invited Gill for a tryout earlier this year. After his first day at the team’s mini-camp in April, Gill was offered a three-year contract by the team.
“He has an element you can’t teach, which is speed,” Cardinals General Manager Steve Keim said. “The fact that he’s a 29-year-old rookie who has taken the long road to get here says a lot about his passion, desire and overall commitment to the game.”
The treadmill video is not the first to tout his speed. Gill has posted several videos of himself on YouTube titled “The Fastest Man in Arena Football.”
He even tweeted the treadmill video directly to Cardinals Head Coach Bruce Arians.
Hey coach @Bruce_Arians look at me. Lol @AZCardinals http://t.co/6J70FPnDXq
— Robert Gill (@BUBBYGILL10) June 25, 2013
It’s doubtful Gill will see the Arena-to-NFL success that Kurt Warner had, but Cardinals coaches are liking what they see so far, and there may be a spot for him on the roster come September.
