Would you say this football player has AS....

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...because he doesn't always make eye contact?

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/ ... ant06.html

That's a really broad assumption you have there. There's more to being an Aspie than a lack of eye contact.

I'm not sure anyone with AS could make it in the NFL, and certainly not at the level Trufant has (he's been voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time this year).

I totally disagree that anyone with AS could not make it in the NFL, in fact I feel its the opposite. Quite often people on the spectrum are very talented and we all share traits which have been behind some of the greatest human achievements to date.

There are so many reasons people don't make eye contact besides having AS. It doesn't mean anything at all without more specific AS features.

It certainly could be, and it just as well be not. A lot of people who are shy and soft spoken don't have asperger's.

Given how many professional football players there are/have been over the years, I wouldn't find it odd if one or two really did have asperger's, though.

I don't think asperger's necessarily results in clumsiness that would make it difficult to play sports, like some people have. After all, there are a lot of musicians with aspegers as well.

One thing I would think would get in the way is that football is, after all, a team sport, and interacting with your team is a requirement. On the other hand, at Div I programs in college and in the NFL, basically your life is a structured routine that revolves around the team. So I guess that would be a bonus

It's getting quite wearing people asking if so-and-so has Asperger's because they saw him do one little thing out of the ordinary. If they really were you'd probably know about it.

It's only an assumption, but it is theorized by others besides me (sorry, no specific citation available, but it shouldn't be hard to find) that Ricky Williams may be, at least, straddling the spectrum. For a period of time, he was one of the best backs in the league, and had an incredible college career.

Honestly, I think a person with AS is well suited to reach the top level of almost ANY profession. Persistance and determination are as equally important as talent when it comes to performance, and I think that the determination needed to constantly practice is a strength of people with AS. The only profession I think we don't have a chance in is politics due to the constant socializing, and blatently illogical thought process that goes along with having to promise all things to all people.