RARE: Young Michael Jordan Showing NFL Potential With the Perfect Wide Receiver Build

Michael Jordan was a freak of nature. He could jump out of the gym and had explosive speed for a 6-6 shooting guard. In his prime, Jordan took a year off to try a different sport, baseball. But he had the potential and body to try out another, Football. Jordan could have been a solid wide receiver, but he was never too keen, as he knew he was destined to play in the NBA.

Jordan ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash in his sophomore season. According to Dean Smith, who was the assistant coach at UNC in 1982, he could not believe his eyes when Jordan ran 4.38. He asked him to do it again, this time multiple people checking the time. They were all blown away as ran it under 4.40 again.

“Too fast for you, huh?” was Jordan’s response.

Why did Michael Jordan choose basketball?

In an interview with EPSN, Jordan told ” I have good hand-eye coordination. I always felt I could be a wide receiver in football. I ran a 4.3 40 back in college. Of course, it was with the school’s watch.”

“But it’s my knowledge of basketball that is really high. I know every facet of the game, every trick of the trade, every little motivation, every little technique,” Jordan continued saying.

READ MORE: Michael Jordan Once Opened Up on His Marriage With Ex-Wife Juanita After Initial Hesitation: “It Was a Big Move Getting Married. It Helped Me Mature”

Jordan went on to be drafted third overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1984 NBA draft. He would go on to have one of the most impressive resumes of all time. In the end, Jordan would finish with 6 championships, 6 Finals MVPs, 5 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, 10 All NBA First Teams,9 All-Defensive First Team, and the 1988 NBA Defensive player of the year award. Further, he made the game global and went on to become one of the most famous athletes of all time.

WATCH THIS STORY: 5 times when Jordan addressed LeBron comparisons.