I was watching a documentary piece on Showtime about Allen Iverson. It made mention of the fact that Iverson led his team to a high school state title not only in basketball, but in football as well. One guy said he was the best football player in the state.

It made me think about in this era of specialization, what could have been for some of these stud athletes if they hadn’t chosen the sport they did choose. Here are the athletes I thought of and the sports that not necessarily they played in some cases, but sports I think they could have been awesome at.

  • Lebron James – I bet some of you did not know that Lebron was a first team all-state wide receiver his junior year in high school.  He probably would have made a heck of a tight end with his size and speed. But, don’t you think he could have been a kick-butt volleyball player? Lebron’s vertical is amazing and this guy’s athleticism is off the charts. His reaction, soft hands, quickness, and explosiveness would have been ideal for volleyball.
  • Allen Iverson – He was an all-state quarterback, but there is no way he would have survived a full season of football at any level past high school with his size. He would have been a heck of a soccer player though. His speed and quickness would have been unmatched on the soccer field. Just think what our USA team would have been like with Iverson as a forward.
  • Ezekiel Elliott – Ezekiel hasn’t even made an NFL roster yet, but he’s a pretty popular dude here in C-Bus. His senior year, he won the Missouri State Track Meet in the 100M, 110H, 300H, and 200M. Have you seen how big this guy is?? A lot of football players run track, but that is pretty amazing.
  • Mike Trout – This guy is a physical specimen. With his size and speed, could you see him as a strong safety for an NFL team? It already looks like he has no neck!
  • Serena Williams – Serena is an incredible athlete. She has a lot of muscle and with that muscle she is quick and explosive. I don’t think she is quite tall enough to make some noise as a basketball player, but what about MMA? She could probably put quite a pack in the punch don’t you think?
  • Any Gymnast – I don’t know who the top gymnast is right now, maybe that Gabby Douglas or Aly Raisman, but I’ve worked with enough of them to know that track could be a calling. Generally, these ladies are athletically very coordinated and explosive. Running as fast as you can for an extended length is very doable. Plus a lot could probably do pole vault. I know a former gymnast that got a scholarship to Louisville doing pole vault.

Obviously, we will never know what could have happened to these athletes if they had pursued another sport. It is fun to speculate.

Which athlete do you think could have been good at another sport if they had decided to go that route?

Put your suggestions in the comments box below and give a quick reason why you think so. I know there are others I probably can’t think of right now, so help me out. Just remember, if you are a good athlete, don’t pigeon-hole yourself into just one sport too early. You always have options.

Photo courtesy of Keith Allison on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/keithallison/