Thursday, October 13th, 2011 at 9:00 am  |  64 responses

Pete Carroll Playfully Recruiting LeBron James to the NFL


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

The NBA lockout has given teams in other hoops leagues around the world a chance to woo basketball’s biggest stars, and with no end in sight to the current labor fight, other sports are even trying to get in on the action.

All this week, LeBron James and Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have been publicly flirting with one another on Twitter, with Carroll playfully recruiting James to join his football team.

Pete Carroll took things to another level last night, by showing the Miami Heat forward (and the rest of the world) a customized LeBron Seahawks jersey he had made.

Fox Sports looks into the back-and-forth between player and coach:

James may not have meant anything by the tweets he sent out Tuesday asking about NFL free agency, but his messages still got the attention of at least one NFL head coach. Late Tuesday night, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll sent LeBron the following message: “Hey @KingJames are you aware of what the League’s rookie minimum is?” LeBron responded a short time later, telling the second-year NFL head coach, “yeah more than what I’m making now Coach.”

The banter continued with Carroll asking James, “I kinda think of you as a touchdown maker but is it true you think of yourself as a pass rusher?” and James responding, “TD maker for sure!” Wednesday morning, Carroll picked the conversation back up, suggesting that James work out at the University of Miami football facility. Then Carroll upped the ante even more Wednesday night, when he sent James a photo of a custom-made No. 1 Seahawks jersey with the name “LeBron” stitched across the back. (James later responded, “Nice!! Looks great.”)

Despite playing the game of football back in high school, it’s probably beyond unlikely that LeBron James would risk injury (and humiliation) by stepping on to an NFL field. But it’s fun to contemplate the idea of LBJ trying to haul in a few touchdowns.

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  • http://slamonline.com The Black Rick Kamla

    somewhere Nate Robinson is steaming lol

  • http://SlamOnline.com Mars

    There are actually plenty of NBA’RS who could do some damage in the NFL, LeBron included. @The Black Mamba Kamla, yes, Nate Robinson is probably heated AFRN. I think the should really consider this.

  • Kilo

    He’d smash every single season tight end record their is if he played football.

  • http://sajkflf.com Jukai

    Allen: Touche. I guess I was thinking about his power and how he would be able to leap and power through guys, I didn’t think about how his gigantic body would probably be a disadvantage. Oh my, the issues of being a fairweather football fan.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    He ain’t powering through linemen and linebackers. They weigh just as much but are more compact

  • http://sajkflf.com Jukai

    Allen: Dunno about that, but with his humongous length and arm reach, he’d be great at getting that ball an extra inch or so.
    Fine, what about defensive end?

  • T-Money

    I could see a straight pass rushing DE. He’d be just too quick for the OTs.

  • @Deknowz

    Hmmm, 6’8″ 250lbs atleast a 4’4″ 40 time and hops for days. He would run fly routes all game in triple coverage all game and lead the league in TD’s!. What corner’s gonna jump with him? What linebacker is gonna run with him? If the threat of injury wasn’t there he should totally go put up numbers in the NFL!

  • http://members.cox.net/pilight pilight

    The NFL and NBA are both incredibly gay. If you want to watch a real sport, watch the WNBA!

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Y’all are greatly underestimating the upper body strength needed at defensive end. And the level of technique needed to be good. That is a position where skill and leverage are more important than natural ability. His best bet is offense and something involving catching passes. Line play involves lots of angles, anticipation and leverage.

  • Feez22

    I think lebron could be a good player… heck he even has football feet the guy shuffles his feet all the time… may i say he travels? rofl. high school football messed his footwork up. However… He can take a hit. Just because he went soft in the finals doesnt mean he can’t take a hit. This is the same guy that on a consistent basis bullied other nba players. a man amongst boys in the nba. Cant tell me a 6-8 250+ pound guy that has 4:4 speed and very good cutting ability can’t at least last a game in the nfl. He can. In fact you can make an argument that his upper body is nfl like. The problem would obviously be his height. Those small DB’s would cut block him and tackle low EVERY TIME. they would take his knees out. Troy Polamalu is a guy that is perceived to hit the hardest but in reality he is hitting the legs of players hard stopping them at the sight. Thats what lebron would have to face. In his present body do i think lebron could play in the nfl? yes. However, cut blocks, his statuesque posture and his height would be clear targets… unless you run him on 9 routes all the time. TE won’t work as a 6-8 guy he’d get hammered at the knees by safeties and DB’s who have a running start towards him at least as a WR he can brace himself.

  • Feez22

    & remember guys this isn’t a patty cake nba player we are talking about here… Lebron james is the most durable wing player in the game today. Period. For the amount he drives to the basket i think he has had 1 major injury… the wrist in 08. I think he fractured it. Maybe that elbow in 2010 even though people don’t put stock into that… It was revealed to be a real injury with a 3 month recovery time. Other than that… just knicks and bruises he is a durable guy.

  • Feez22

    by the way … Its not like lebron would be a slot receiver or a blocking TE of that sort. TOUGHNESS? let me tell you guys about toughness. If lebron is running 9 routes as a WR all day toughness is overrated. Why? because DB’s can’t touch him 5 yds off the line of scrimmage and at 6-8 with burn speed ability he would get past or catch the ball on practically any DB not named revis. He can outjump any DB with that 40 inch vert and at 6-8 could DEFINITELY pose a risk. As a WR that is. He would have some advantages but also disadvantages as i stated before (susceptability to cut blocks and such). However, toughness in deep threat WR’s is overrated. Whose really going to be successful in jamming a 6-8 250 pounder at the line of scrimmage? No one is asking lebron to go across the middle. Im just saying… ive seen a bunch of soft WR’s. its not like lebron would play the slot. its funny because people act like lebron is soft like the real softie of the heat (bosh). by the way… im sure if this was a serious proposition lebron would train like football players train. Lebron’s majority of strength training has been resistance type stuff. No weightlifting. Im sure he would change up his workout if he was serious about this… This is just a joke at the end of the day. People need to stop being so uptight about it. Have a laugh…

  • asgf

    You know what? Fuk it.. Long Live the King!!!

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