Recently, there has been an enthusiastic conversation among pro athletes about how many NFL players could play in the NBA and vice versa.
A number of former college basketball players such as Tony Gonzalez, Julius Peppers, Jimmy Graham, Antonio Gates, Mo Alie-Cox, and Julius Thomas made their mark in pro football.
Of those players, only Peppers played on the defensive side of the ball.
All the rest were converted to tight end, including Alie-Cox, who currently suits up for the Indianapolis Colts.
During an interview on the “Roommates Show” hosted by current New York Knicks players Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, the duo asked former Knick great Patrick Ewing if he could have played in the NFL.
Ewing’s response was an emphatic, “No! Nor would I even try.”
“When I graduated from Georgetown, the Washington Redskins at that time, wanted me to come try out for defensive end. I’m like ‘are you crazy?'”
Patrick Ewing talks about the time he was invited to try out for the NFL 😂
(via @Roommates__Show)pic.twitter.com/HpxesGhWAT
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 7, 2024
He then dropped a bombshell by saying he was approached by an NFL team to play ball for them after his college days.
“When I graduated from Georgetown, the Washington Redskins, at that time, wanted me to come try out for defensive end,” Ewing said. “I’m like, ‘Are you crazy!? I’m the number one pick and you want me to come try out for football? Nah,’” laughed Ewing.
It’s difficult to imagine the seven-foot Ewing in anything other than a basketball uniform.
During his 17-year career, Ewing was one of the best big men to ever play the game.
He was an 11-time All-Star who also won Olympic gold with the 1984 and 1992 USA men’s teams.
Ewing has since been named one of the 50 and 75 greatest players in NBA History and has been inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame.
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