3 Reasons LeBron James Would Have Never Made it in the NFL

LeBron James has arguably mastered the craft of basketball to a greater degree than any other player in NBA history, as the 6-8, 250-pound point-forward can pretty much dominate the game in all facets.

Naturally, many wondered if LeBron's physical gifts would give him a shot at sticking in the NFL, most notably as a tight end. While Jerry Jones seemed willing to offer him a contract with the Dallas Cowboys, there are quite a few factors working against LeBron being able to make it as a pro football player.

3. Route-Running

LeBron is one of the most cerebral players in basketball history. He could probably be an NBA head coach right now given his expansive basketball IQ. However, learning a complex NFL route tree proves to be extremely difficult for receivers coming out of college, let alone a guy, who, at that point, hadn't played in almost 10 years. One look at Kyle Shanahan's playbook would make his head spin.

2. Safeties Would Have Tried to Crush Him

James' 250-pound body has been able to withstand the punishment of 16 NBA seasons, but he's lucky that defenders don't have the freedom to launch right into his head at full speed. Given his size and the fact he would have been playing in the NFL nearly 10 years ago, all it would have taken was one hit to the head under the rules of old to shake him up big time.

1. He's Not Aggressive Enough

LeBron is without a doubt a force every time he steps on an NBA court, but how many times have we seen him avoid driving down the lane when his team needed a timely bucket? All in all, he'll deliver a good amount of the time, but we know there are far too many occasions when he's hesitant or apprehensive in really getting down and dirty in the paint. If you're in the NFL, you don't have an option. There are hits on every play. We're not saying LeBron isn't tough enough, we're just saying we've seen him hold back enough times to know that the lightning-fast hard-hitting NFL is too much for him.