Is Wall or Cobb the better athlete?
December 14th, 2009 | 
Author: By LARRY VAUGHT
During a routine conversation with Kentucky freshman quarterback Morgan Newton Sunday, he happened to mention Kentucky basketball.
So I asked him if he had seen a better athlete than John Wall.
“To be honest, I don’t know. He is 6-4 and the things he can do, it’s unreal. People are waiting on him to have a bad game, but I don’t think it is going to happen,” said Newton.
He related how he and teammate Randall Cobb watched Wall dominate North Carolina.
“Every time he made a play, or his teammates made a play, we were realizing that they were really good. I am enjoying it as much as Kentucky fans are. I am excited about things they are doing and hope some of that success will carry over to football. But Wall is something,” Newton said.
However, that made me wonder who is the better overall athlete — Wall or Cobb, UK’s Mr. Do-it-All in football.
Wall is the SEC Freshman of the Week again after averaging 18.0 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.5 steals in leading the Wildcats to wins over 14th-ranked Connecticut and at Indiana last week. He scored 12 of Kentucky’s final 15 points against UConn and finished with a career-high 25 points. His six steals against the Huskies tied for third-most ever by a UK freshman. He nearly posted a triple-double against Indiana, finishing with 11 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
For the season, he averages 18.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
But Cobb is just as outstanding in football. He led Kentucky in receiving with 37 catches for 427 yards and four touchdowns. He was second in rushing with 537 yards — and 6.4 yards per try — and a team-high 10 touchdowns. He even threw for 77 yards. He averaged 13.5 yards per punt return and had a touchdown and averaged 26.5 yards per kickoff return. He led the team in scoring with 90 points and was second in all-purpose yards with 1,619. And he held for field goals and extra points.
I asked several media buddies for their answer to the Wall-Cobb question.
“John Wall for two reasons,” said WTVQ sports anchor Kent Spencer. “I have never seen an athlete like him as a true point guard, and the second is Cobb himself says (via Twitter) he shouldn’t be compared to Wall because Wall is on another level. Both are special, but Wall is out of this world.”
What do you think?
Later you’ll see what Ryan Lemond, who works for WKYT-TV, WLAP radio and the UK Radio Network, thinks along with how Dick Gabriel of WLAP and the UK Network feels — and they have differing opinions.
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18 Responses to “Is Wall or Cobb the better athlete?”
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They are similar in that both can dominate a game in their respective sports.
It would be interesting to see Wall as a receiver and Cobb as a point guard. Somehow, I think the transition to receiver would be easier for Wall than Cobb as point guard. Advantage Wall.
Toughness – Could Wall take the pounding Cobb takes? No – Advantage Cobb.
Speed – No question Wall.
Advantage Wall.
I guess Wall but by a small margin.
Wall by far, What Cobb does, is mostly due to determination, heart, and savvy. Everyone who comments on his effectiveness, notes how he does it without being the biggest, the strongest, or the fastest.
Wall is that rare combination of all of the qualities of cobb, coupled with outerworldly athletic ability. Wall is a rare athlete to say the least.
In reality, what Cobb has been able to accomplish is rather remarkable, He reminds me of Walter Payton, while Wall reminds me of Jordan.
I would choose Wall for this reason. If the NBA draft were held right now, Wall would go 1st or 2nd. If the NFL draft were held right now, Cobb might go in the fourth or fifth round. It takes longer to develop in football, and a year or two from now Cobb may be a first rounder.
This one is easier than people may think…..Wall and only because COACH CAL ACTUALLY GIVES HIM THE BALL IN THE CLUTCH, UNLIKE BROOKS WITH COBB!!!!!!!!!!!! There have been toooooo many times that cobb should have had the ball and we could of won the game….but should woulda coulda “sighs” I hope we get it right against clemson.
Good comments, but Jake you surely have one of the best lines of the week. Congrats for you wit and insight, my man
i wouldnt mind seeing wall, bledsoe, harris, or patterson on my football team. Imagine patterson at tight end.
Cobb.
Jason: Determination leads to adrenaline leads to enhanced physical performance. No one has more determination than Cobb, and his baseline ability is probably about the best on the team anyways. He does all these athletic feats while taking punishment throughout the game.
Wall can probably jump higher and run faster. And I love the guy and think he’s at LEAST top 5 overall in the college game right now. Nothing against John at all. But I’ve NEVER respected an athlete more than Randall Cobb. The things he does at 5-11 (really 5-10)…gosh.
I agree with Jared. Although Wall has came through for us in “gut check” time, I don’t think we have seen him show the heart and determination that Cobb has shown. However, I hope by the end of March we can be making the same comments reguarding determination about Wall.
It would be great to suit them up for the Music City Bowl
Who cares who is better. We have them BOTH!!! All the other NCAA teams can just watch with amazement and wish they had them!!!!!
GO JOHN!!! GO RANDALL!!!! and GO BIG BLUE!!!!!!!!
[...] John Wall is a better athlete than Randall Cobb [...]
Randall Cobb has a huge heart and incredible determination. John Wall is an excellent athlete, one of the best around. Personally, I love the heart and determination of Cobb most.
If the NFL draft were held today-Wall would be drafted as high as Cobb. That’s not a knock of Cobb but a compliment to Wall.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! The fact that we are having this discussion puts a HUGE smile on my face. That the level of talent in both sports is way way up makes who cares IS best answer. LOL Really I think it has been a long time since both programs were on the same page athleticly.
How great it is that we can talk about this instead of losing to GW in BB or UL in FB. My mornings haven’t been this peaceful since my first son was born. LOL
That said I have always said Cobb would be a cut your heart out PG. Quick(not fast), strong , intellegent, with a drive and desire to win second to none(change quick to fast and I’m talking about Wall) would make him tough as nails at crunch time(Who am I talking about). Get my point? I started talking about Cobb but it could EASILY have been Wall. Man it’s great being a UK fan right now. Decisions Decisions. I’m taking the easy way out and calling it a toss up!! Both are FREAKS of NATURE. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GO BLUE OR STAY HOME.
PS. Just in case I said it wrong the Who Cares means a million in gold or a million in cash Who Cares it’s still a MILLION!!!!!
[...] Larry Vaught of the Danville Advocate-Messenger compares Randall Cobb and John Wall: “However, that made me wonder who is the best overall athlete — Wall or Cobb, UK’s Mr. Do-It-All in football.” [...]
Love all the great comments and insights. And maybe the best line is “Who cares?” It is nice to have great athletes in both sports
The question is kind of unfair.
They both have the require physical traits that separate them in their respective sports. They are each focal points of their teams. In football it is very difficult to have one player beat you. In basketball, there is a remote chance that one player CAN beat you, but not very often.
Cobb could lead his team in passing, receiving, rushing, and all purpose yards.
Wall on the floor makes his team VERY,VERY good. Off the floor or cramped up, he can make his team VERY,VERY ordinary.
The physical tools that are required to be John Wall or Randall Cobb are very much different.
The question of who is a better athlete between the two is just as unfair as, say, who is the better writer? Jerry Tipton or James Patterson.
I have not read either very much. I do know that Patterson has written and sold more books in the last ten years than I will ever read. I have seen them on the shelves. My wife reads most of them.
Tipton writes stuff that inspires many emotions of his readers. Many of those emotions make the reader not like Tipton very much. But he does inspire them.
I can tell you this much, I don’t know if I have seen a better player for either sport at Kentucky before. I know UK has had their fair share of talented players in Basketball, but Wall may be on another level than anyone else. As far as Cobb is concerned, he may not be the most talented football player ever at UK, but I wouldn’t trade him for anyone else. He is the real deal and I wish we could recruit 25 guys just like him every year!