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You guys have no idea what type of special human it takes to make it in the NFL. There’s a reason nobodies in the NFL make monopoly money and nobodies in MMA make 5k a fight. He’s probably right. Someone like Brock couldn’t even make a practice squad, and he won and defended the title.
Brock could not make an NFL roster because he lacked skill, not athleticism. That is, he lacked technique. And he didn't want to wait around to build his skill when he could get paid to do other things.
http://www.espn.com/espn/wire/_/section/nfl/id/1821029
"He is a project with a capital P," said Scott Studwell, the Vikings' director of college scouting. "He's got physical tools, but he has a long way to go."
Most sports (fighting, NFL, etc) take skill. For NFL linemen, you need technique. Brock didn't have it, and didn't want to wait around to develop it.
Much like Greg Hardy -- or even someone like Ngannou who has been fighting as a pro for 4+ years -- doesn't seem to possess great fighting skill even though he/they are good-to-excellent athletes.
But the NFL understood Brock was a great athlete. A great athlete who lacked NFL skill.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/news/story?id=1830855
"He's a project. Big time," Vikings player personnel director Scott Studwell said. "As much as you'd like to take a shot on a guy like him because of his athletic history, do you do it at the expense of cutting another player? Probably not. At the expense of taking reps away from a promising young player? Probably not. With Brock, it's like you're starting from scratch."
Too far to go to build up his skill level to be top-level professionally.
He always had the athletic ability though. He's a freak. Now, how he got to be a freak is a different matter. But he's a freak.