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Professional basketball

LeBron James's Forgotten Football Career: A Look at the Champ's Alternative Path

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

LeBron James's extraordinary basketball skills have captivated audiences for nearly two decades, but fewer know about his impressive football career in high school. At St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio, James was an all-state wide receiver who caught 61 passes for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior. Despite his love for football, James decided to pursue an N.B.A. career directly from high school in 2003, leaving behind a promising football future. In an exclusive interview, James revealed that he might have been an N.F.L. player if he had not entered the N.B.A.

Key Takeaways:

  • LeBron James was an all-state wide receiver in high school, catching 61 passes for 1,245 yards and 16 touchdowns as a junior.
  • James's football career ended after he broke his left wrist in an A.A.U. basketball game before his senior season.
  • James's head coach, Jim Brophy, kept his football pads in the gym locker room, just in case, and often teased him about returning to the sport.
  • Danny Ferry, the Cavaliers' general manager, believes James could have been an N.F.L. player and would have been an All-Pro football player had he taken that path.
  • Brophy envisioned James as a cross between Harold Carmichael and Randy Moss, saying he would have figured out a way to be a great N.F.L. player.
  • James's decision to pursue an N.B.A. career directly from high school in 2003 left behind a promising football future.
  • James's football abilities were impressive enough to draw inquiries from many college football coaches, including Ohio State's Jim Tressel.
  • Tom Lemming, a CBS College Sports Network analyst, believed James could have been the N.B.A.'s top overall selection despite his limitations in football.
  • James's love for football competition and desire to score touchdowns remain strong, even as he excels in basketball.

Statistics:

  • 61 passes caught by James as a junior
  • 1,245 yards gained by James as a junior
  • 16 touchdowns scored by James as a junior
  • 42 receptions for 820 yards as a sophomore
  • 8 passes caught by James in his first varsity game
  • 3 of 4 passes thrown to LeBron in a game by quarterback Willie McGee went to James

Sources:

  • LeBron James, interview with the New York Times
  • Jim Brophy, St. Vincent-St. Mary High School coach
  • Danny Ferry, Cavaliers' general manager
  • Tom Lemming, CBS College Sports Network analyst
  • Jim Tressel, Ohio State football coach
  • Akron Beacon Journal

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