“Find the rest of the tapes”: LeBron James eager for fans to witness his high school football greatness
LeBron James was once a standout high school football player as well. James quit football after his junior year to focus more on basketball, which eventually turned out to be a wise choice. However, James shared an Instagram reel of some of his old gridiron highlights from his days at St. Vincent St. Mary’s High. The towering forward is seen running routes and catching a diving touchdown during an old game.
James wants fans to see more. He says there is more footage out there that shows off his football skills.
“We need to find the rest of the tapes,” James wrote on his IG story.
LeBron James football career
LeBron James was not only a standout on the hardwood during his high school days. The St. Vincent St. Mary’s star forward was also a solid tight end/wide receiver on the football field. James was reportedly recruited for football as well before giving it up to pursue his hoop dreams.
James played two seasons of high school football in Akron, Ohio. Ohio is a state known for its competitive high school football program.
He was 6-foot-8 already in high school and a mighty 232 pounds. He was a massive target at wideout and a serious mismatch even without breakneck speed. He put up solid numbers despite the unusual frame for football.
He averaged more than 20 yards per reception during his football career. He caught 23 touchdowns in those two seasons. That pace would have put him in the top ten in receiving touchdowns in high school football history.
In his sophomore season, James caught 46 balls for 905 yards and seven touchdowns. His junior season saw an uptick in production. The tight end caught 57 passes for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns.
James wants fans to see more of the footage from his football days. The video is grainy and shows how much time has passed since the 21-year NBA veteran donned a football helmet. However, some exist on the internet. Watch a few below.
James clearly is not the most graceful runner in pads. His size at that young age does not exactly make it as easy. However, he is still an incredible force on the field.
James is nearly impossible to bring down by the first tackler. His catch radius was quite large given how big of a target he was.
LeBron James won Mr. Ohio, which is given to the best high school player in the state. He was also named All-State in both of his seasons of football. He did not play his senior season after breaking his wrist and gave importance to his basketball career.