Geniuses are often gifted in more than one way. Akron’s finest, LeBron James, is an athletic specimen of the very highest ilk. To say his prosperity on the hardcourt would’ve translated to other sports with linearity may be hyperbolic, though. He chose the right one. But Bron loves himself some football too. A love that perhaps stems from playing the game when young. He eventually got to a crossroads and chose to traverse the basketball route. Suspend disbelief and walk with me. What if LeBron picked football instead, or maybe alongside?

After 20 plus years now, fans know not everything LeBron James says is to be taken as gospel. He’s made a sensational claim once again and was befittingly wearing a cap while making it. However, he appears to be serious. Bron made an appearance on the “New Heights” podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce. Naturally, the conversation pivoted to football and, in particular, Ohio State. With the trio of Ohio natives in conversation, a massive revelation came to light.

LeBron has always projected as a vetted Buckeye through and through. He’s never refrained from showing his love for the school. So when Travis asked him if there was ever an opportunity to suit up in Scarlet and Gray, Bron affirmed. It wasn’t even like he had to choose between football and basketball. Longtime OSU head coach Jim Tressel offered him the opportunity to do both.

“They wanted me to come up there, be a two-sport player i.e Travis Hunter” claimed Lebron James. “They knocked on the door, and it was like, ‘If you come down to Ohio State, we want you to play both sports. I would have definitely thought about that.” The thing is, Lebron out of highschool was actually limitless. He certainly could’ve pulled it off, too. “[Could’ve] played football during the fall. Basketball during the winter and spring. That would’ve been dope,” said LeBron. 

LeBron never went to college, period. He went from high school hoops straight to the NBA when that was still a thing. So, it’s difficult to discern how things would’ve transpired if he actually took Tressel’s offer. Would he have been as great if he was balancing two sports at once? Maybe not. He certainly wouldn’t have been plying his trade into his 40s if he did. Conveniently, Travis Hunter is stood on the precipice of a similar conundrum over 2 decades later.

Travis Hunter needs to take inspiration from LeBron James’ career path

People have diverged into different factions when it comes to Travis Hunter’s NFL future. With some overlapping in between, sort of like a venn diagram of sorts. There’s a minority which believes he shall primarily be a receiver in the NFL, who plays some snaps on defense.  A majority believes he’d be a lockdown corner used in certain offensive packages, and those in the middle are hoping this unicorn will continue his unprecedented run of doing both with equal zest.

The skepticism isn’t about whether Travis has the ability to play both sides. It’s about whether he or anyone, can deal with the toll it will exact on their bodies. Shannon Sharpe has said, “If you played the game, [you] understand how hard it is to play one position in a full game.  You’re not playing two positions every single snap. You’re just not…” This school of thought is multifold. Firstly, playing both CB and WR will inadvertently lead to diminishing returns.

You can’t give 100% of yourself to both, and the NFL demands that. Secondly, if Travis gets injured, his team loses a vital cog in not one but two positions. You can’t account for roster depth. If that rationale wasn’t enough, here’s an irrefutable shortcoming. Playing both sides will mean Travis has to divide time in practice. This in turn will make it difficult to be on the same page with his quarterback. Although it wasn’t apparent in college, this issue will get amplified in the pros.

Travis is arguably the best athlete in the country since LeBron James. But a full-time 2-way player may still be a step too far, especially if he wants a long career of excellence like his predecessor. LeBron was a trailblazer, and so is Travis. Sometimes, less is more. That cliche resounds true in this case.