An athlete is a unique breed.
Show one a sport, teach him the rules and you can bet he will compete.
But even among athletes, there are those who stand out more than others. Some only ever play at the high school level. Others reach the plateau of being a collegiate All-American, and a good number become all-stars on a national stage.
The most impressive to me, however, are the multi-sport athletes who are good enough to compete in two professional leagues.
Sure, it's impressive that former Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway batted .361, hit nine homeruns and knocked in 50 RBIs at Stanford and was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1981. But he decided to pursue a career in the NFL, so the baseball accolades don't mean much.
Knowing that San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates averaged 20.6 points per game in the 2002-03 Kent State basketball season is cool – especially when he emphatically dunks the football through the goal posts after scoring a touchdown – but he never set foot on an NBA court.
And yes, it was nice to watch Greg Paulus start at point guard for the Duke Blue Devils last season and then go on to take the snaps as the Syracuse Orange quarterback this year, but again, these aren't professional sports.
As a kid, my friends and I didn't just play one sport. Whether we were messing around with a nonchalant game of whiffle ball, running a competitive full-court basketball game, playing tackle football in the snow, or just tossing around the baseball, we played a wide array of sports.
If I was playing soccer, I imagined myself to be David Beckham – he was the only soccer-related household name I knew. If I was a shortstop, I became Derek Jeter, the face of the New York Yankees. When I caught a touchdown, I was Jerry Rice, my favorite receiver from NFL Blitz. With each sport, I would pretend to be a different star athlete.
But what if there was a super athlete who was considered to be the best player of two sports? What if there was one guy who was so talented, so freakishly athletic, that he could be a difference maker in two professional leagues? Say, for example, there was one guy who could be the most prolific scorer in the NBA and catch 10 touchdowns a season in the NFL.
Cough-LeBron-James-cough.
Nowadays, kids emulate Lebron when they play basketball. But what if they emulated him when they played football, too?
Last week, James briefly entertained the idea of playing wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns. His physique and athleticism, along with his confidence that he would, according to ESPN.com, 'be really good no matter what team [he] was on,' make this an intriguing idea. He's 6-foot-8-inches, 250 pounds, has high school football experience and is by far the most athletic player in the NBA.
LeBron thinks that if he dedicated his time to football that he could be an asset to any NFL team.
And I think he's right.
He dominates a sport that is played by some of the best athletes in the world, is freakishly fast and even more freakishly huge. There's no doubt in my mind that if he dedicated a year to football, he would be an elite receiver or tight end, and even make the Pro Bowl.
There's less doubt in my mind, however, that this won't be happening anytime soon.
James still has too much to prove in the NBA and too much hype to live up to. He drew comparisons to Michael Jordan while still in high school, and has far too much pride to give up his dream to be greater than the greatest.
It takes hard work and dedication to be like Bo Jackson and become an all-star in two different professional leagues (MLB 1989 and NFL 1990), or to have the similar success that Deion Sanders experienced in those same leagues.
Still, it's an entertaining idea, and I can stay hopeful for the day when James sets foot on turf and tears up the gridiron.
E-mail: andrew.wiktor@ubspectrum.com
