“Tears would flow down my eyes when I passed the football field”: Allen Iverson recalls asking legendary Georgetown coach, John Thompson, permission to play football

Allen Iverson dishes on how much he loved the game of football and just how much he wanted to step back on the field when at Georgetown. 

Like LeBron James after him, Allen Iverson was an accomplished multi-sport athlete. While he excelled in basketball at Bethel High School in Virginia, he was also the quarterback for his school’s football team. He was so good at football that he played Defensive back and running back for them as well, something very few athletes could pull off. 

The fact that Allen Iverson had the athleticism and dexterity to play basketball along with the toughness to play football is a testament to just how skilled he was a North American athlete. It’s even more impressive when you consider that AI never lifted weights while training, according to him.

Also read: “That bothered me a lot because I think the way kids look up to me…”: Allen Iverson opens up on his infamous practice rant for the first time in 20-years

‘The Answer’ was definitely talented at both basketball and football but of course, as history would dictate, the former would win out and he would accept a scholarship at Georgetown to play under John Thompson. 

Allen Iverson on wanting to play football while at university. 

Allen Iverson had a genuine love for the game of football and still does to this day. While asked about how he chose Basketball over perhaps going pro and into the NFL by Dan Patrick, AI said this: 

“I asked coach Thompson if I could play football, because we had to walk to the gym everyday from class and I always had to pass the football field. I remember going past the football field and I used to get emotional and tears would be coming out of my eyes because I missed the game so much.” 

“One day I just built enough courage to ask him [John Thompson], ‘Could I play?’ With the language, I don’t think I could say what he said.” [at 1:51 mark]

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Allen Iverson may have been denied his opportunity to play college level football but he credits his Georgetown coach, John Thompson, with ‘saving his life’. He showed an immense amount of love to him during his HoF speech and claimed he wouldn’t be where he was without him.