In a YouTube video released this week, former Rainier Beach and University of Washington standout Nate Robinson says he wants to pursue an NFL career.
Nate Robinson, a former multi-sport star at Rainier Beach High School and the University of Washington before playing 11 seasons in the NBA, said in a YouTube video released this week (see below) that he wants to play in the NFL.
Robinson, who turns 32 in May, says in the video, “You ask people around here they’ll know, Nate Robinson, his best sport is football. People tell me all the time, if anybody can do it, go play football, it’s you.”
The elaborately produced video also included testimonials to Robinson’s football and athletic ability from former UW football coach Rick Neuheisel and NBA stars such as Jamal Crawford (also a Rainier Beach alum) and Glen Davis.
Robinson said in the video that he doesn’t think anyone has played in both the NBA and the NFL and added, “Why not me, Nate Robinson, be the first one to do it?”
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Robinson notes he he hasn’t played football in 11 or 12 years but added, “If someone gave me a real opportunity, I know I could play.”
Robinson signed a football letter-of-intent with UW in 2002, at the time also intending to walk-on to the basketball program.
The 5-foot-9 Robinson played in all 13 UW football games as a true freshman in 2002, starting the final six at cornerback, highlighted by a game-turning interception in the Apple Cup, an eventual 29-26 Washington win in triple overtime.
Robinson then turned to basketball and was a member of the All-Pac-10 Freshman team in 2002-03. The following spring he decided to stop playing football and concentrate on basketball, playing two more seasons at UW and then declaring for the NBA draft following the 2004-05 season.
He played 618 NBA games for eight teams, suiting up last for New Orleans, for whom he made two appearances last season before being waived in October. His best season was in 2008-09 when he scored 17.2 points per game for the New York Knicks, and he was a three-time NBA Slam Dunk champion.
In a 2014 interview with the Seattle Times, Robinson talked about his decision to concentrate on basketball but said he also always felt he could go back to football.