Could LeBron play in the NFL?

ESPN.com has an article discussing whether LeBron James could play football in the NFL some day.  We've all seen the commercials where LeBron said he was going to suit up for the Browns, but the idea isn't that farfetched.  LeBron was an all-state receiver in high school and he certainly posses an NFL body.  He may be too slow for receiver but he's certainly big enough for tight end.  The most obvious comparison is Antonio Gates, a Pro Bowl tight end who played basketball at Kent St.  He didn't play football in college but a team liked his size and took a chance on him, and he developed in to one of the best tight ends in the game.

In the article, the author talks to Bill Parcells, Mark Murphy (a former Green Bay Packer who was defensive coordinator at SVSM), Akron football coach J.D. Brookhart, and other NFL coaches and scouts.  They all agreed that teams would be lining up to sign LeBron just because of his potential.  Some said it might take a couple years for him to learn the receiving skills necessary to play in the NFL, but once he learned those he'd be dominating. 

He played football in high school until his senior year, when he didn't want to risk an injury that would jeoparize his basketball career.  He tried quitting before his junior year but he missed playing so much that he joined the team again after the first game.  He was being recruited by Ohio State and Notre Dame until it became evident that he was going to the NBA, and he still holds many SVSM receiving records. 

They also have a video with clips from LeBron's high school football career here.