Charles Barkley cemented himself as one of the toughest players in the NBA during his era. He never backed down from an opposing player or fight. However, the Hall-of-Famer refused to give himself praise for his toughness when it came to football as he detailed quitting after only one practice.
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Barkley made a guest appearance on the ‘Throwbacks’ Podcast. The former NBA MVP, opened up about the respect he has for football players, stemming from his personal experience in the sport. He said,
“I’m gonna tell you how much of a wuss I was. I played football one day in my life. I remember the last the coach said to me. My hands were all beat up, my everything was hurting. I was dirty, I was stinky and I had my head down. The coach said ‘I’ll see y’all tomorrow’… The last thing I told my coach was this ain’t for me.”
It only took one practice for Barkley to realize that football wasn’t the sport for him. His position was a linesman, which took a severe toll on his body.
it’s quite surprising to hear Chuck so openly claim that he was a ‘wuss’ as his reputation on NBA hardwood is the farthest from this notion. Known as the ‘Round Mound of Rebound’, he brandished a style of basketball that relied on banging down low with player who almost always had a height advantage over him, leading to quite a bit of physical play. Of course, comparing the physicality of basketball to football is akin to comparing apples to oranges.
His decision to pursue basketball proved to be the right choice. Generally, basketball players’ careers last longer than football players. The average NBA career is 4.8 years compared to the NFL, which is only 3.3 years.
The ‘Inside the NBA’ star revealed that his coach suggested moving him to another position such as a tight end. However, Barkley refused to tie up the cleats again.
Barkley’s respect for football players increased
Football is a more demanding sport than basketball and this narrative is more than just an opinion as it shows itself on a weekly basis throughout an NFL week. Following Barkley’s only day playing football the respect he had for players of that sport grew incredibly.
Barkley revealed the glaring difference in football, which he didn’t experience in basketball. He said,
“Football is no joke. You can’t go out there messing around. Especially, if you have to play one of those positions where you really have to hit every play. You can’t hide on the defensive line or the offensive line.”
In comparison to the NBA, players can avoid a physical defender in the paint by settling for jump shots. However, in the NFL there’s physicality every single snap of the game. The concussion rate is significantly higher in the NFL than in the NBA.
Barkley vocalized the great decision he made to quit football. His basketball career turned out to be a good one as he was an 11-time All-NBA Team member, 11-time All-Star and member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
