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There was a time the NFL copied a rule that you'd only see in the NBA.
It is rare to have a rule be named after one person, but there are a few exemptions. Take the NBA's “Stepien Rule” for example: This rule was named after former Cleveland Cavaliers owner Ted Stepien for when he recklessly traded away a multitude of his first-round picks for role players you or your parents never even heard of. It got so bad the NBA had to stop Stepien from trading any more of his picks. If he did, the Cavs would be gone from the league.
However, in the NFL's case, it was for a player named Morris Stroud Jr. He was a 6-foot-10, 255-pound tight end who played six seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs from 1969 to 1974. And just in case you were wondering, Stroud is not the tallest player in NFL history. That honor would go to defensive tackle Richard Sligh, a legit 7-footer.
Stroud initially never wanted a career in football. In fact, he never even played the sport in college. He was a basketball player for Clark Atlanta University. So, you can expect he was surprised to be drafted in the third round of the 1969 NFL Draft. But legendary coach Hank Stram convinced him to give it a try and play as the Chiefs' tight end.
Stroud didn't really get much of an opportunity to show what he could do on offense. By evidence of his career stats of only 54 receptions, 977 yards, and seven touchdowns in six seasons. Instead, he was mostly used on special teams. But his role wasn't your usual rush a kicker to try and block a field goal type. Specifically, Stram instructed Stroud to stand all the way back near the goal post to try and swat the ball instead as it was going down the uprights. In NBA terms, that would be known as goaltending.
The Chiefs were never actually successful in this unique tactic, but nonetheless the NFL had to do swoop in before other teams would also give it a try. A few weeks later, the NFL's “Stroud Rule” was implemented. This said that whenever an NFL player attempts to block a field goal in this manner, the offense could be awarded an extra three points for unsportsmanlike conduct.
When The NFL STOLE A Rule From the NBA 😲 | Clutch #Shorts – YouTube
