LeBron James once almost tried out for Cowboys

LeBron James continues to chase Michael Jordan’s legacy, and he once even came close to the second sport sabbatical part of it as well.

James told The Athletic this week that he seriously considered an offer to try out for the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys back in 2011. The offer came from owner Jerry Jones himself. Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll also sent James a custom Seahawks jersey and an invitation to try out.

At the time, James was with the Miami Heat, who had just lost in the Finals to the Dallas Mavericks. An NBA lockout then followed, spurring players around the league to participate in exhibition games or to briefly play overseas. James, meanwhile, mulled his NFL prospects. He adjusted his training routine and even ran some routes.

“I would have made the team,” said James. “I would have tried out. But I would have made the team. One thing about it, I don’t mind working for something. So if I’d have had to try out for the Cowboys or the Seahawks, or if I’d have stayed home and went back home to Cleveland, I’d have tried [out]. But I would have made the team. I just know what I’m capable of doing on the football field. Especially at that age.”

James, who was 26 at the time, had been a two-sport star in high school, playing both basketball and football. He was a wide receiver on the gridiron and even got recruited by some Division I football programs such as Notre Dame. Many believe that James, with his size at 6-foot-9 and 250 pounds, speed, and leaping ability would have excelled in professional football had he chosen that path instead.

One of the Cowboys receivers back then also thought that James would have crushed it in the NFL. Thus, an official tryout might have actually been more substance than publicity stunt.