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LeBron James Reveals Legendary Head Coach Who Recruited Him to Play College Football

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jan 15, 2025 10:47 AM ET

There's no secret that NBA and Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James was a phenomenal athlete on the football field during his high school days at St. Vincent-St. Mary in Akron, Ohio.

On Wednesday, while appearing on the “New Heights” podcast with Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce, the four-time NBA MVP revealed which legendary head coach came "knocking on his door" multiple times before he was drafted to the NBA out of high school in 2003.

"You mentioned Ohio State, man, I gotta ask, did Tressel ever come knock on the door?" Travis Kelce asked.

James responded, "Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely. [Jim] Tressel knocked on the door plenty of times. They wanted me to come up there and be a two-sport player, like Travis Hunter. We saw what Travis Hunter did this year with Colorado, but definitely, they knocked on the door and said, 'If you come down to Ohio State, we want you to play both sports.'"

He added, "I definitely would have thought about that at the time. Sian Cotton went off to Ohio State on a full ride and played football there, so that would’ve been super dope. I could’ve roomed with him, played football during the fall, and basketball during the winter and spring. That would’ve been dope."

James was one of the best high school football players in the state of Ohio during his junior and senior seasons, and while basketball always remained his top priority, Tressel, who was experiencing great success at Ohio State, came knocking. The Buckeyes were coming off a national championship in 2002, a year before James was gearing up to be drafted to the NBA.

Tressel has mentioned his recruitment of James in the past, further solidifying and echoing James’ claims about being recruited by the Buckeyes football program.

"Back in the day, I tried convincing King James to play a year of football at Ohio State. Tressel revealed. "He had the hands, the speed, and that legendary smile. But he said, 'I don't think so, Coach.'"

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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