Stoops: Westbrook would be great cornerback
Bob Stoops was asked to speak to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. During that session, Russell Westbrook asked Stoops if Westbrook would have made a good football player.
You’re not kidding, Stoops said.
Stoops sat courtside and watched the Thunder-Sacramento game last week and came away amazed at Kevin Durant’s development and Westbrook’s physical attributes.
“6-3, long arms, ballhawking skills,” Stoops said of Westbrook. “He’d have made a great cornerback.”
Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (0) shoots over Josh Smith (5) of Atlanta during the NBA basketball game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, February 2, 2010. Photo by Nate Billings, The Oklahoman
All of which reminds me of a radio conversation a month or so ago. I think it was on the Dan Patrick Show. The debate was over who would make the better crossover; NFL players to the NBA or NBA players to the NFL.
The consensus seemed to be that a variety of NFL receivers, particularly, might could play in the NBA. People like Terrell Owens, if not now, then at least in his prime.
To which I said, you’ve got to be kidding. Basketball is a little like golf, in that most every athlete has played it or still does and thinks he could make it big with just a little time and effort, ala Michael Jordan in baseball. Of course, we know how that turned out.
There’s not one NFL player who could make it in the NBA. Pro basketball is a game of supreme athletic ability plus elite basketball skill. You can’t learn to play basketball at the age of 24 or 25. But all kinds of NBA players could play in the NFL. Not dozens, necessarily, but maybe A dozen. Certainly someone like Westbrook, a fast, quick, rugged athlete. Spend a few months teaching him the footwork of defensive back, and Westbrook might be on an NFL roster. The only thing that could keep him off would be utter awful instincts.
All of which reminds me of an old Star Trek episode. “Mirror Mirror.” Four crew members — Capt. Kirk, Lt. Uhura, Scotty and Dr. McCoy — are transported to an alternate universe, switching places with their alter egos. The alternate universe is evil and brutal.
At the end of the episode, the Enterprise quartet makes it safely back to their universe, and Kirk asks Mr. Spock how it went with the barbarians transported to the civilized Enterprise. Spock said it was no problem. While the civilized Kirk and Co. fit in easily with the barbarians — it’s easy to act like a thug — it was much tougher for the barbarians to act civilized. They were easily spotted and detained.
Same with the NBA and NFL. A great NBA athlete could go to football and act wild. Just run and jump and hit and soon enough, you fit in. Put a football player on a basketball court, and he’s exposed in three possessions.
-------------Berry Tramel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4:40-5:20 p.m. on The Sports Animal radio network, including AM-640 and FM-98.1. You can e-mail him here and follow him on Twitter @BerryTramel. Visit Berry's website here.
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Comments
I’ve always thought that Taylor Griffin’s best chance to be a very good pro athlete would be as a tight end in the NFL. I have no idea if he even played high school football but I was always intrigued by the idea of him at least giving it a shot.
[...] Russell Westbrook, the football player: ”Bob Stoops was asked to speak to the Oklahoma City Thunder last season. During that session, Russell Westbrook asked Stoops if Westbrook would have made a good football player. You’re not kidding, Stoops said. Stoops sat courtside and watched the Thunder-Sacramento game last week and came away amazed at Kevin Durant’s development and Westbrook’s physical attributes. “6-3, long arms, ballhawking skills,” Stoops said of Westbrook. “He’d have made a great cornerback.” [...]
Having Thunder players in the NFL would be Dingle’s dream come true! He could call them the Boomers all day long and no one would make fun of him or give him grief!!
Bruce, Taylor Griffin did, in fact, play football at Oklahoma Christian Schools… for one year. He was turning out to be the most dominant small-school tight end you’d ever seen, until he broke his ankle playing football somewhere near the end of his sophomore season. The injury caused him to miss some of basketball season and, from what I heard, caused daddy Griffin to put an end to his grid-iron career.
“The consensus seemed to be that a variety of NFL receivers, particularly, might could play in the NBA. People like Terrell Owens, if not now, then at least in his prime.”
MIGHT COULD PLAY….come on Berry! Journalism is still journalism even if it’s in Oklahoma published in a blog! People expect better writing.
cool article.. i had no idea that Stoops had talked to the Thunder guys or that Westbrook asked him if he’d make a good football player.. fun info! good to see Stoops supporting Thunder ball, too!