Could LeBron James be an NFL Quarterback?

LeBron James basketball career is at it's peak. He just won his fourth MVP in five years.  This year the vote was one vote away from being unanimous.  He made his seventh All-NBA First Team and fifth All-NBA Defensive Team. Last season he also won MVP, NBA Finals MVP, and an Olympic Gold Medal. His Miami Heat team may have lost last night, but still are in prime position to make and win the finals.

Joe Theismann in his playing days
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But not all the publicity is about his basketball skills. Hall of Fame Quarterback Joe Theismann said the LeBron James could be an NFL quarterback. He has commented on this twice in the last few days. On Saturday, he told Fox Sports Florida that: "I would love to work him out and also serve as his agent. I'll go wherever he wants this summer. He could play another four years in the NBA before seriously trying the NFL." and "There are not a lot of 38 or 39-year-old basketball players, but there are 38 and 39-year-old quarterbacks, there is still time for him." He later said that the agent comment was "tongue-in-cheek". On the NFL Network on Tuesday, he added that: "He could, I think, do anything he wanted."

Theismann is not the only one to comment on James' potential on the gridiron. Two-time BCS Championship winning coach and current Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said he could have been a "first-round draft pick" and "a Hall-of-Famer".

James played football for three seasons at St. Vincent-St. Mary's High School. He played quarterback during his freshman season and wide receiver during his sophomore and junior years. In his sophomore season, he caught 42 balls for 820 yards and seven touchdowns. His junior year was much better. He had 1245 receiving yards with 16 touchdowns. Both seasons, he was selected to the All-State team. 

When looking at LeBron's potential as a quarterback, you must start with his built and his intangibles. He is incredibly strong at 6'8'' and 250 pounds. As a comparison, Carolina Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton is 6'5'' and 245 pounds. He is also very durable. In his ten pro seasons, the lowest amount of games he has played in a non-lockout shorten season was 75.  I am confident that he could hold his own physically in the NFL.

LeBron James as a football star?
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Now, we will look at some of the positives. His work ethic is tremendous. If he were to make the switch from basketball to football, I know he would study very diligently and would do all he can to make himself the best. He would become a football nerd. His mental toughness may be a question to many, but not to Joe Theismann. He said that, "He's as mentally as tough a guy you are going to find." His previous experience also will be a help.

Not everything about the possibilities are on the brighter side. We have no idea how well he could play the quarterback position. Would he be comfortable under center? How well can he consistently throw a football? Could he perfect a three-step, five-step, and seven-step drop? Can he throw on the run? These are just some of the questions that would surround LeBron if he moved to football. With enough work, the answer might be yes to these questions. However, it can takes years to answer these questions. I would believe that James doesn't have that much time. 

All in all, LeBron is not going to the NFL any time soon. Why would he leave the game he loves at his peak to play in the NFL? He has been battling comparisons to Michael Jordan all his life. Why would he pull the same move as MJ did?  If he did end up playing football, it might be one game for an Arena team or semi-pro team, and the probability of either of these is slim to none. All these words are just words. For right now, LeBron playing football  and most likely forever, will be a fantasy.