Charles Barkley Livid Over ‘Fools’ Using High School Football Pedigree to Justify Potential Successful in the NFL

Former NBA star Austin Rivers has recently come under fire after saying that there are as many as 30 NBA players who can make it to the NFL. Former NBA superstar Charles Barkley recently chimed in on the debate and downplayed the notion of NBA athletes being an automatic fit for the NFL. He also made sure to highlight the line separating high school football from pro football.

On his Steam Room podcast with Ernie Johnson, Barkley argued that just because a bunch of NBA players have experience in high-school football doesn’t mean that they can make it to the NFL. 

“I hear fools on Television, ‘Well that guy played in the high school’. Uh, that was high school, that’s not college, that’s definitely not the pros. Anybody who knows anything about sports, high school, college, pro are like light years apart,” Charles Barkley told Ernie Johnson.

Barkley felt that declaring that a player from basketball can play football at the highest level is disrespectful to the sport of football. While he conceded that there can be “exceptions”, he also pointed out that the physicality in the NBA is nothing compared to the NFL.

“It’s a fun silly argument about could NBA players can play in the pros? Number one, the physical stuff because this little stuff y’all doing in the NBA, this ain’t contact, I’ve been kissed harder,” Barkley added.

Thus, the 76ers legend isn’t convinced about NBA players making a case for a solid NFL career. He doesn’t take such notions seriously and can’t overlook the physical rigors of the pro football scene. His beliefs emerge out of his personal experience with football.

Charles Barkley resented his football experience

When he was in high school, Charles Barkley participated in a football practice to find out if he was cut out for the sport. It didn’t take him long to figure out that it is better to stay away from the taxing sport. A bloodied-up Barkley was done with football after he learned the damage caused by just one scrimmage.

Recently, he recalled this ordeal on the Club Shay Shay podcast while confessing that the NFL is a “real man’s sport”.

“I played the one day and I just ran into a guy full speed for two hours, this is the stupidest sh** ever! I was sitting in the locker room, I was bloody and beaten up, I had my head down and the coach says,”I’ll se y’all tomorrow.” I said, ‘Wait, we doing this tomorrow! I am not doing this sh** tomorrow under no circumstances,” Barkley narrated to Shannon Sharpe.

Barkley’s fears were not misplaced and there are numerous studies that point to the physical and mental toll suffered by NFL athletes. Thus, he preferred to stay away from a sport that can cause long-term bodily issues and thanks to that, he constructed an illustrious NBA career.