Things are getting a little cookoo with two of the major sports leagues on lockdown. The lack of work is turning players to interesting avenues of entertainment and revenue. NFL rookies are mowing lawns; Deron Williams is going to play basketball in Turkey; Paul Pierce is playing poker at the World Series of Poker; Chad Johnson is wrestling snakes naked while riding a bull or something, and now one of the smallest players in the NBA has said he might try to play NFL football.
Now that sounds crazier than Chad Johsnon, right? Well it does until you consider it is Nate Robinson. Nate Robinson is not a man, as much as he is stick of dynamite. Living in the Seattle area and being in school the same time as Nate Robinson I had a pretty good view of his exploits. And he was definitely a football player first and a basketball player second.
Robinson quit football after his freshman year. The main reason was he was frustrated he did not get to play offense. Nate Robinson's dad was a fantastic running back for the Huskies and Nate wanted to play receiver. Instead he was stuck at corner. And he was amazing. He started the final six games of the season and had two interceptions. One of which was a game clincher against the No. 3 ranked WSU Cougars.
He was the best freshman corner I have seen at the UW. I thought he was crazy when he gave up football for basketball as I had no idea he would be good enough to start in the NFL, and I didn't think he had a chance at cracking an NBA roster.
Robinson is only 5'9". That is short for a corner, but height is not that big a deal when you can dunk a basketball after jumping over Dwight Howard. Robinson is strong enough that he is not going to get bullied off the line, and he is quick and fast enough to hang with any receiver, and his ball skills are awesome.
Now Robinson didn't say if he still wants to play offense, and he only said that he "might" try football. So who knows if will actually go through with it. But I do know if he does decide to give it a try the Raiders should be the first to bring him in. I imagine his football skills are a little rusty, but he is 27 and his body is trained to play elite level sports. Sign this guy up. He will be cheap, and I've learned better than to doubt that when it comes to sports Robinson can do anything.
Check out some of his high school highlights that made him a Seattle legend.
(via atlhawks3)