LeBron James once had a very close call when it came to joining the NFL, and it looks like Kawhi Leonard may have been on a similar path.
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LeBron has repeatedly made it known that he could have made it big in the NFL. During the 2011 lockout season, LeBron talked about how Jerry Jones nearly recruited him to the Dallas Cowboys. The offer was ready and everything.
James also played football in high school where he was an All-Ohio wide receiver. The point being is, if LeBron focused on it, he could have been a great NFL player.
In fact, if he joined the market, there may be some teams who would be interested in trying out the 6’8″, 250-pound beast at perhaps tight end or wide receiver.
Kawhi Leonard believed he could make it to the NFL like LeBron James
Leonard is no slouch when it comes to having a chiseled frame either. The Clippers superstar stands at 6’7″ and weighs in at 230 pounds. He can go muscle for muscle, pound for pound, with anyone in the league.
His defensive ability on the perimeter is unmatched in the league, and he’s one of the strongest players in the league. With his physique, he’d be perfect in the NFL.
He even admitted as much. “I hated putting on pads,” Leonard revealed once. “I was good. I probably could have gone to the NFL. I just hated practice.”
His college coach Steve Fisher also noted that Kawhi had the work ethic to be a football player. “Kawhi’s just a gym rat,” Steve Fisher said, via Slam’s Jordan Conn. “He’s the guy you have to chase out of the gym.”
Leonard is currently on a $176 million contract with the Clippers, and who knows, if he had just liked NFL practice he may have been making that money with a football team.
