Dictionary definition of “alligator arms”

alligator arms

n.pl. in American sports, especially football, arms that are not sufficiently extended to catch a ball; generally, short arms on a player. Subjects: English, Body, Football, Sports & Recreation, Slang

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Citations: 1985 Neil H. Greenberger Washington Post (Nov. 9) “Chappell Is a Major Factor As Howard Gets Untracked” p. B8: Curtis drops some short passes, but it is not a matter of him being unable to catch the ball over the middle or having alligator arms. It is just concentarion and the fact he is simply a better long receiver. [1987 Associated Press (Nov. 6) “Sports News”: “Our goal is to hit a receiver so hard and so often they’ll catch the ball like an alligator. If you’ve ever seen an alligator, their arms are about three inches long. We want to hit a receiver enough to where he doesn’t want to reach very far or very often.”—Kevin Steele, secondary coach of No. 19 Tennessee.] 1989 Tom Friend Washington Post (Dec. 21) “Monk, Clark, Sanders Dealt Pro Bowl Snub” p. C1: Sanders is a converted running back, as was Monk, who didn’t take to wide receiver at first. “He had alligator arms, know what I mean?” said his former coach.… “He didn’t reach for the ball at first. If he hadn’t had the USFL experience, he wouldn’t have made it in the NFL because no one would’ve given him time to develop.” 1992 Curt Brown Star-Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota) (Oct. 16) “Skill and heart, not height, breeding success for Gophers”: Still, John Lewis wishes he had a quarter for every alligator-arm quip he’s heard. “People always say if my arms were longer, I might reach more balls, but I try not to take it personally,” he said. “I don’t let it bother me because when you play this sport, it’s your talent and your heart that counts, not the size of the man.” 1997 Bernie Wilson @ San Diego, California Associated Press (Nov. 13) “Raiders, Chargers battle in the basement”: The Chargers sacked Jeff George six times, and, Harrison noted, “Tim Brown helped us out with a couple of alligator-arm catches.” Brown dropped several passes early in the game, and finished with just three catches for 18 yards. 2006 Jason Jones @ Alameda Sacramento Bee (California) (Oct. 31) “Moss has a case of the dropsies”: But Shell wouldn’t take Moss to task for short-arming catches—an affliction commonly called “alligator arms.” 2008 Eric Plummer Bonner County Daily Bee (Sandpoint, Idaho) (Dec. 31) “The fine art of shooting free throws”: Some of the best players in the NBA have developed “alligator arms”— sports parlance for not extending the arms—under the pressure of big free throws.

Posted 3 Nov 06 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

There is a definite irony to this, considering that the Florida Gators have produced a lot of good receivers.

by Mark 03 Nov 06, 0923 GMT

also used to describe someone who is cheap. their arms are too short to reach their wallet.

by js 16 Apr 07, 0553 GMT

This definition is misleading. The term “alligator arms” refers to a receiver who is afraid of taking a hit while trying to catch a pass. Because of this fear, the receiver does not extend his arms as far as he could or should. He keeps his arms closer to his body to protect himself. The term has nothing to with the physical length of a player’s arms, so the second part of the definition is way off base.

by Joe O'Brien 22 Aug 08, 0103 GMT