'I am going to play football': Anthony Edwards reaffirms his ambitions of playing in the NFL

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards reaffirmed his ambitions to play in the NFL at his and Justin Jefferson's photoshoot for ESPN.

In a sit-down interview with Edwards and the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, Edwards laid down his plan for being a two-sport athlete in the major leagues.

According to the Sporting News, Edwards said: "If I win a ring in the next 3-4 years, I am going to play football." This isn't the first time Edwards has talked about a career in the NFL.

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In November 2023, during an appearance on the 'Open Thoughts' YouTube channel hosted by comedian Marco Summers, Edwards said: "I might be the first one," when asked about playing NBA and NFL.

Picture – YouTube @OpenThoughts

The guard drafted out of Georgia said he is 'going to try' to be the first to crossover into both sports but made it clear that his intentions sit with the Timberwolves.

As the interview continued, Edwards said he has to "handle his business in the NBA." For Edwards, handling business means winning the greatest thing of all.

"As a team, [the] Minnesota [Timberwolves] organization, we want to win a championship. After that, we'll figure that out."

So far, Edwards is doing everything right in Minnesota to deliver the promise of bringing a championship, reaching the Western Conference Finals last season.

'Ant-Man' was the shining star in helping Minnesota win 56 of their 82 games, averaging 25.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.

Since being drafted as the number one overall pick in 2020, Edwards has been the catalyst for change in Minnesota, helping them make the playoffs in the last three seasons.

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The two-time NBA All-Star seems to have made a decisive decision to choose basketball over football, but when you consider where he came from, you can see why Edwards believes he can play both sports professionally.

For much of his childhood, Edwards focused on football rather than basketball, playing as a running back, quarterback, and cornerback as a kid.

Picture – Instagram @theanthonyedwards_

Edwards played football for the Atlanta Vikings and became one of the best Pop Warner Little Scholar running backs in the country by the age of ten.

Despite his success at an early age in football, Edwards switched to focus on basketball because he thought 'it looked more fun' when he watched his brothers play the game.

Edwards certainly has the pedigree to potentially play both sports, but in American history, only a select few have managed to play two of America's major sporting leagues.

Two notable players to have success in two of America's major leagues are Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, who played in the NFL and the MLB during their careers.

Jackson is the only player in history to become an all-star in the MLB and NFL (Pro Bowl 1990 and MLB All-Star 1989), and Sanders is the only player to play in a World Series and a Super Bowl.

Edwards knows there is a blueprint for success in two professional sports, but are the physical demands too great to play in the NFL and NBA in one career?

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