I started looking into Christian Wade because my NFL buddies were talking him up big time. Said this former rugby guy was tearing it up in Europe and might actually hang with NFL stars. Sounded like pure hype to me. Let me walk you through my deep dive.
Digging Up the Dirt
First thing – grabbed stats from Wade’s time with Buffalo Bills practice squad. Took forever because practice squad numbers are buried like secret treasure. Then I pulled career stats for top NFL running backs like Derrick Henry and Christian McCaffrey. Ended up with spreadsheets looking like my kid’s messy math homework.
My comparison process went like this:
- Focused on yards per carry first – figured that’d show pure running talent
- Checked receiving stats next since modern RBs gotta catch too
- Tracked how many touches before first big injury
- Even looked at kick return stats cause Wade did that too
The Mind Blowing Part
When I crunched Wade’s preseason numbers? Holy smokes. His 7.9 yards per carry blew away everybody. Like, Derrick Henry’s career average is 4.7. And Wade was doing this on just 15 carries! Dude hit 40+ yard runs almost every third touch. Meanwhile McCaffrey needs 20+ carries to pop one that big.
But here’s the killer – Wade’s NFL career lasted just 19 months. Made me realize we’re comparing a lightning strike to a thunderstorm. His highlights were pure electricity, but NFL starters sustain that grind for years. Different beasts.
Finished by comparing his rugby stats too. Wade scored 82 tries in 148 games – basically RB touchdowns. That consistency is bananas. Explains why he could juke NFL defenders with those rugby-style moves.
What I Learned
Straight up? Special talents can pop anywhere. Wade definitely had NFL-level explosion. But practice squad vs starting 16 games? That’s like comparing fireworks to the sun. Still mad respect for him balling out at 28 after switching sports. Makes you wonder what if he’d come over younger.
Honestly felt like finding buried treasure. Almost didn’t believe my spreadsheet at first. Stats don’t lie though – dude was a legit meteor flashing across the NFL sky.
