Noah Lyles has secured his title as one of the fastest people on track, with six world titles to his name. One perhaps cannot think of track and field or sprinting without him, owing to his over-the-top persona and equally impressive pacing. But if not for his sprinting, he did have some backup career options in place.
In a conversation with Ben Gallaga in Everybody Wants To Be Us, he talked about his career, childhood, future plans, and everything in between. Amidst that, the host asked him to choose a sport amongst the plethora of options available that he’d prefer apart from sprinting.
Lyles had already talked about how he had attempted various sports throughout his childhood, including basketball, baseball, and even gymnastics. However, given the choice, he admitted he’d opt for soccer as his backup career option if he didn’t sprint.
“Truthfully, now, knowing the skills that I have now and looking at all the sports, I think I would have needed to go into soccer.”
Sprinting often demands high levels of energy and endurance, apart from an ideal body build. These were the factors that Lyles believed he would need to be a good soccer player, along with his ability to coordinate and strategize.
“I think I have a soccer body…I have the speed, I have the coordination. My ability to think…being able to map out scenarios and…being very vocal.”
But what Lyles also focused on wasn’t simply the athletic skills he would need for both sports. He mentioned the culture surrounding soccer, wherein he believed that he would’ve done equally well had he been inculcated into an environment that encouraged the sport.
This led the discussion between Gallaga and Lyles to take a slight turn from the choice of sport to the sprinter’s choice of soccer team. Without any hesitation, he picked Manchester United, much to the disappointment of the host.
It turns out that some time ago, NBC invited Lyles to visit Universal Studios and pick a team of his choice for the Premiere League Kickoffs. That was when he made up his mind about the Red Devils, and ever since then, he claimed he has been extremely hesitant to change his mind about it.
That set-aside, these anecdotes serve as a testament to Lyles’ versatility when it comes to various sporting ventures. While one might not get to see him don a soccer jersey too soon into the future, his flexibility within track has already been a hot topic of discussion.
