Pete Carroll on Nate Robinson’s NFL attempt: ‘All but impossible’

Former NBA point guard Nate Robinson wants to play professional football, and that desire led him to a tryout with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday. Unfortunately, the 32-year-old is not going to make the team.

When asked about Robinson’s tryout, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll praised the former Washington University cornerback but said it would be nearly “impossible” for him to earn a spot on an NFL roster.

“I think it is all but impossible,” Carroll said Tuesday, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “It is as hard as you can possibly get. He is 32 as well. I don’t know if anyone could do it, but if anyone could it might be Nate. He is a versatile athlete and a great competitor.”

Carroll called Robinson an “amazing” athlete and said he was impressed with his speed and hands. However, he believes too much time has passed since Robinson last played football competitively.

“He could play on both sides of the football back in the college days,” Carroll said. “There is no telling what kind of athlete he could have been at the position, whether he was a receiver or DB. I think he would have done both, but he is such a phenomenal basketball player he had to go that way and his heart was really there. Football was kind of his first sport he would tell you, but obviously basketball was a great avenue for him to follow.”

Robinson said in 2011 that he was considering playing football during the NBA lockout. More recently, he put this video together to show he is serious about wanting to play in the NFL. I’m sure he knows deep down that his goal is unrealistic.