WATCH: Draymond Green Briefly Played Football at Michigan State And It Wasn’t Pretty
When you watch Draymond Green play basketball, you can’t help but think how he’d perform on the football field. His build, his athleticism, his demeanor—they all seem like they could translate well to the gridiron. A bunch of NFL stars have strong basketball backgrounds, such as Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas and Antonio Gates. If Draymond really wanted to make the jump to the NFL, could he do it?
In short—probably not. How do I know? Because the thickly built Golden State Warriors star did indeed try his hand at football back in college. He played a few plays in the 2011 Michigan State spring game, and it wasn’t a pretty sight:
2011: @Money23Green said, “I like my future in basketball a little better.”
2016: We agree, as will @warriors fans. https://t.co/gyKjggOMR7
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) June 14, 2016
We can’t really blame Green for that false start—in basketball, you cut when you see an opening in the defense. He must’ve forgotten he wasn’t playing basketball, despite the fact that he was wearing a full football uniform and standing inside Spartan Stadium. It happens.
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That second play was . . . interesting. Let’s start off with Draymond’s stance. Though it’s technically not terrible, he looks tight and uncomfortable.
When the ball is snapped, it’s clear he has no plan to get off the line of scrimmage—a big mistake against press coverage. He false-steps with his front foot and then tries to simply run around the cornerback. The cornerback is no slouch, either—that’s Johnny Adams, a three-time All-Big Ten selection who now plays in the CFL. Adams gets all up in Draymond’s grill with a nasty jam, which throws off the timing of his route. However, Adams (who is eight inches shorter than Green) gets a little too rough, earning a penalty.
And that was Draymond Green’s entire football career. He was penalized once and drew a penalty once, so I guess he broke even, but it wasn’t exactly the dazzling debut some of his fans might have expected.
To his credit, Green admitted football was tougher than he expected. “I thought I knew what I was doing, until I got jammed at the line of scrimmage. It’s not easy. It’s like basketball. It looks easy, but it’s not,” Green told MLive.com after the game. “I like my future in basketball a little better.”
Good call, Draymond. Good call.
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WATCH: Draymond Green Briefly Played Football at Michigan State And It Wasn’t Pretty
When you watch Draymond Green play basketball, you can’t help but think how he’d perform on the football field. His build, his athleticism, his demeanor—they all seem like they could translate well to the gridiron. A bunch of NFL stars have strong basketball backgrounds, such as Jimmy Graham, Julius Thomas and Antonio Gates. If Draymond really wanted to make the jump to the NFL, could he do it?
In short—probably not. How do I know? Because the thickly built Golden State Warriors star did indeed try his hand at football back in college. He played a few plays in the 2011 Michigan State spring game, and it wasn’t a pretty sight:
2011: @Money23Green said, “I like my future in basketball a little better.”
2016: We agree, as will @warriors fans. https://t.co/gyKjggOMR7
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) June 14, 2016
We can’t really blame Green for that false start—in basketball, you cut when you see an opening in the defense. He must’ve forgotten he wasn’t playing basketball, despite the fact that he was wearing a full football uniform and standing inside Spartan Stadium. It happens.
RELATED: Could LeBron James Really Be a Star Tight End?
That second play was . . . interesting. Let’s start off with Draymond’s stance. Though it’s technically not terrible, he looks tight and uncomfortable.
When the ball is snapped, it’s clear he has no plan to get off the line of scrimmage—a big mistake against press coverage. He false-steps with his front foot and then tries to simply run around the cornerback. The cornerback is no slouch, either—that’s Johnny Adams, a three-time All-Big Ten selection who now plays in the CFL. Adams gets all up in Draymond’s grill with a nasty jam, which throws off the timing of his route. However, Adams (who is eight inches shorter than Green) gets a little too rough, earning a penalty.
And that was Draymond Green’s entire football career. He was penalized once and drew a penalty once, so I guess he broke even, but it wasn’t exactly the dazzling debut some of his fans might have expected.
To his credit, Green admitted football was tougher than he expected. “I thought I knew what I was doing, until I got jammed at the line of scrimmage. It’s not easy. It’s like basketball. It looks easy, but it’s not,” Green told MLive.com after the game. “I like my future in basketball a little better.”
Good call, Draymond. Good call.
RELATED: These 3 Route-Running Drills Will Help You Get Open