Imagine being a high school football player, showing up to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in the year 2000, excited to line up under the Friday night lights. Your smile immediately wipes away when you look across the field and see a 6-foot-8 wide receiver who can run and jump better than anybody on the field.
That was the LeBron James high school football experience. We've heard stories over the years about his standout talents on the gridiron, and now there's new video to back it up.
LeBron was a star wide receiver in high school
It's no surprise that someone with the combination of size, speed and strength that King James is known for was good at football. He was the No. 1-ranked football prospect in Ohio, described as a "readymade" NFL wide receiver and a "taller, slower version of Randy Moss."
He only spent two seasons playing varsity football before putting all his focus on basketball. Across those two seasons, he put up over 100 catches, more than 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns.
What if LeBron James played football?
With his athletic talent, King James could have probably played football at the highest level. Jay Brophy, who coached LeBron on the football team at St. Vincent-St. Mary, told Bleacher Report that he had offers to play college football from "all the major schools," such as Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama and Ohio State.
Furthermore, when the NBA lockout happened in 2011 and the season did not start on time, James received real offers to play in the NFL. He was offered contracts by Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys and Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks. LeBron had no doubt he could make an NFL roster if he put his mind to it.
"I would have made the team," James told The Athletic in 2021. "One thing about it, I don't mind working for something, so if I would have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I'd have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I'd have tried (out), but I would have made the team. I just know what I'm capable of doing on the football field."
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