What if LeBron Played Football? | Part 2

Today will feature yet another Simon Pruitt article complete with baseless conjecture and hypotheticals. This particular piece will look into how a 16 year old thinks the 2003 and subsequent 3 CFB seasons would have gone with the insertion of LeBron James. The ludicrous nature of the concept reaches new heights when pointed out that I wasn’t even alive when this season took place. Prefaces aside, enjoy the second part to my LeBron football series and look for part 3 next Wednesday.

LeBron’s First ‘Decision’

The spotlight shines brightly upon young LeBron James in the spring of 2003. Almost every school in the country would love to claim his transcendent athleticism as their own. The most plausible choice for LeBron would be to commit to the local Ohio State. The Buckeyes are clearly the most attractive option, given the proximity and recent CFB success. In 2002, star Buckeyes QB Craig Krenzel led the team to a National Championship against the highly favored Miami Hurricanes. Krenzel’s stock would’ve been at an all time high when LeBron was weighing his options, leading the King to pair with a proven QB for a run at the BCS title.

LeBron’s Stats

Ohio State’s leading WR at LeBron’s arrival was eventual first round pick Michael Jenkins. As great as Lebron is, it’s simply unrealistic to assume that he would immediately ascend to the top of a nationally ranked WR corps as a freshman. That being said, we can expect him to put up at least notable numbers for his first year. Here are his projected numbers based on a “complex algorithm” I created.

2003 - 42 catches/692 yards/3 TD

2004 - 50 catches/752 yards/5 TD

2005 - 53 catches/902 yards/8 TD

2006 - 58 catches/980 yards/11 TD

LeBron’s progression hinders the development of Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn Jr, both of whom still go on to be drafted but at later positions. Despite his prowess, I don’t see Ohio State’s finish changing drastically in any of the 4 seasons he plays. The largest impact he makes on the CFB world is on his fellow Buckeye receivers.

Next week, we’ll conclude our series by breaking down LeBron’s hypothetical NFL career. See you then.