LeBron James would have to earn a spot on Ohio State’s football team, according to head coach Ryan Day. The four-time NBA MVP’s legendary status in basketball doesn’t grant him any shortcuts on the gridiron.
James expressed his agreement with this approach, stating on social media, “I don’t mind it one bit, Coach Day! Earned Not Given.”
Day made these remarks during an appearance on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,” just a week after Ohio State celebrated its victory in the first 12-team College Football Playoff.
During the show, Fallon presented Day with a social media post from James dating back to 2022, where James questioned, “Do I have college eligibility if I went to play another sport besides basketball? How does that rule work?”
Recognizing James’s Ohio roots and his long-standing support for the Buckeyes, Fallon sought Day’s opinion on the possibility of James playing football.
While Day is accustomed to coaching elite athletes like C.J. Stroud and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, he acknowledged that LeBron James holds a unique status as a basketball icon. However, Day firmly stated that the NBA superstar would not receive any special treatment.
“LeBron is a great supporter. That said, he’d have to start with the freshmen in the back of the room and work his way up,” Day explained.
James has shown interest in football at both the collegiate and professional levels over the years.
While he is celebrated for his basketball talent, James was also a standout wide receiver in high school at St. Vincent–St. Mary in Akron, Ohio. He even caught the attention of Ohio State, then coached by Jim Tressel. More recently, James shared with NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce that he contemplated joining the NFL during the NBA’s lockout-shortened season.
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