Scouts, coaches, and fans use the phrase “Looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane” to describe a player that appears physically imposing, but plays at a level not consistent with their apparent physical gifts.
Tarzan and Jane obviously come from the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs, but who coined the term in relation to sports?
My thought is that the NFL draft scouting process may have been the origin, as it is listed in a list of common NFL scouting lingo, so an old NFL scout may be the source, but I don't have any data to back up the claim. Any documentation that can attribute this phrase to a particular person and date of origin would be appreciated.
Best Answer
The late Joel Buchsbaum, who was the media's first NFL draft expert, and possibly still its best ever, has been credited with originating this phrase. He also used another one I like, "all-pro from the neck down".