Shaquille O’Neal is a big man, and he is one of the NBA’s most dominant players ever. However, he could have had a chance at making it to the NFL.
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The big man stands at 7 feet tall and is a giant 315 pounds which means he definitely would have been a handful to go against in the NFL.
He was a handful in the NBA, and his size could have made a load of difference for an NFL team. Shaq used to play tight end, and he would have been perfect for the modern NFL.
His size would mean he could block anyone anytime, and he had the mobility in his playing days to get open on routes and catch passes.
In the end, Shaq chose basketball, and in hindsight it looks like a great decision. He won four titles and goes down as perhaps the single most dominant force in basketball.
Shaquille O’Neal wanted NBA money and chose basketball over the NFL
During high school, Shaq was making waves as a basketball player. Scouts saw his size and ability and felt like he could be a perfect fit at the college level.
The big man was also playing football in high school, slotted in at the tight end position on his school team. Shaq made an appearance on the Dan Patrick show once, and he talked about how he had a chance at going to the NFL.
“I actually started out playing football,” O’Neal recalled. “I was a hell of a tight end. As you know, I have wonderful hands, my hands are impeccable, and I like to punish people.”
“But then a guy your size, hit me in my knee one day, I was all bummed out, and my dream came true. I was sitting on the couch and Jon Koncak signs for $15 million for three years. I was thinking, ‘If I can make $5 million doing the basketball thing, I think I am going to switch up now … true story.”
Koncak actually signed a 6-year, $13 million deal in 1989, so Shaq had the numbers a little bit off, but nevertheless he saw the bag, and he knew he wanted. Ultimately, he may have made the best decision of his life.
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