One-on-One: Why we're jacked about these two NFL camp long shots

Based on his one carry from his preseason debut, he's well on his way. Given one shot, he took a handoff 65 yards to the house. It was the fourth quarter of the first preseason game, so maybe it wasn't against the stiffest competition, but it made sure a lot of people took notice.

Mueller: The fun thing about watching Wade and any other athlete crossing over to the NFL from a different sport is the knowledge that they don't really know what they're doing, yet they're so overwhelmingly athletic that they manage to fit in. The honeymoon doesn't always -- or often -- last, even when a crossover attempt is initially successful. Jarryd Hayne made the 49ers roster in 2015, but his impact on the team was minimal, and he logged a total of eight NFL games before going back to rugby in Australia.

When it works, though, like it did with Antonio Gates, a basketball standout at Kent State, the results can be devastating. And Wade's touchdown run was so exciting to watch because he flashed that which is coveted in the NFL but cannot be taught: pure speed. Can he learn enough of the nuances to make it worth Buffalo's while to keep him? Time will tell. And while he's a great story, he's not close to the best one this preseason. That distinction belongs to Cleveland hopeful Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi, whose story seems destined for the big screen if he ever makes it in the NFL.

How Sheehy-Guiseppi worked his way into Browns camp is a long story, and well worth your time, but it boils down to this: He was sleeping outside in Miami and eating meals wherever he could find them, fibbed his way into a tryout by pretending to know Browns vice president of player personnel Alonzo Highsmith, then ran a 4.38 in the 40, and headed north to workout for the Browns at their Berea facility. He got a contract from that workout, and then in their preseason opener, did this.

Read the story of how he got to Cleveland, then watch that video, and don't blame me if your house gets a little dusty. 

Sheehy-Guiseppi might still be a long shot to make the team, but it's impossible not to pull for him. 

Tunison: Hey, this is clear Darren Bennett erasure. Let's not forget the former Australian Rules Football star becoming a solid NFL punter who could actually hit and eventually became a member of the '90s All-Decade Team. I realize Christian Wade probably won't end up having that level of impact, but it's not unprecedented that the international transition can be pulled off successfully.

Sheehy-Guiseppi's personal story is certainly more compelling. From the standpoint of broadening the appeal of the NFL, it would be nice to have an international star break through and contribute to a team. I'm not concerned about the league's revenue growth opportunities, though American football is easy to pigeonhole as this regressive phenomenon, especially in comparison to soccer, because it tends to hold fairly limited appeal outside of the U.S. One rugby star won't change that overnight, but it's a fine way to make inroads, which helps to explain why that Pathway program was created in the first place.

I agree the transition from rugby to football requires much more than just being fast or else there would be far more examples to draw from. In general, though, I would like the NFL to seem more accessible because with the crush of rules and overall complexity of the game, it can feel prohibiting to outsiders.

Mueller: I don't see the NFL as complex in the same way that a native speaker doesn't think English is complex. I know that the opposite is true, but in my mind, it should be more accessible to a foreign audience than it probably is. Reality is that a first-time viewer would likely be just as confused as I am when I try to watch cricket.

I do think that a bona fide international star, one who isn't a specialist -- sorry Mr. Bennett, please don't hurt me -- would really help the sport abroad, but putting better quality games in London would probably help as well. Even foreign fans can only take so much of the Jaguars.

Bennett's success in the NFL proves more that the sport is immensely complicated and nearly impossible to pick up at a high level for a foreign-born player making the crossover. His job was simple: catch the snap, punt the ball. He added in, "Destroy anyone wearing the other jersey," but his job was one of the simplest in the league. Essentially, "see ball, kick ball."

Sheehy-Guiseppi's path to the league is precarious because his best shot is as a specialist. Catch ball, run with ball. That's what he did at Phoenix College in his two seasons there, racking up nearly 2,500 kick return yards, and leading the country with four kick return touchdowns in his second season. Antonio Callaway's suspension helps, no doubt, but Sheehy-Guiseppi probably would need to take another punt or kick back for a score -- and show legitimate progress as a receiver -- to really sell Cleveland on his talents. 

Wade would be the bigger, more significant story for the NFL's purposes, because while Sheehy-Guiseppi's path to this point has been incredible, it is just a particularly compelling variation of the undrafted free agent tale. Having a player come through the International Pathway Program and actually show the chops to warrant a roster spot would perhaps start the ball rolling and generate more interest among elite athletes abroad. It only takes one. 

Can't both guys just make their respective teams? Is that too much to ask?