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Before he was the most talented (and most hated) man in the NBA, LeBron James used to play a little wide receiver.

That was back when James was a superstar at St. Vincent-St. Mary's high school in Akron, Ohio. He was pretty good too, earning first-team all-state honors as a sophomore.

On Tuesday, King James made a surprise return to his old stomping grounds. As a report from the Chicago Tribune tells the story, James showed up at the St. Vincent-St. Mary's football team's practice, and proceeded to put on a clinic in full pads. He supposedly caught everything thrown in his direction, and he definitely made an impression on starting quarterback Kevin Besser.

"He caught everything, he didn't drop a pass," said Besser. "I probably threw six or seven passes his way and he went up and got everything."

James also had fun, and he hinted on Twitter that the practice may have given him an interesting idea:

Should he? Should he what? Take up a career in football?

Wait a second... is King James considering trying out for the NFL?

That would appear to be the indication. At the very least, it's the most intriguing indication.

The funny part is that it's not as crazy as it sounds. We all know LeBron has athleticism to spare, and he certainly wouldn't be the first player to make it as both a basketball player and as a football player. Tony Gonzalez and Antonio Gates come to mind.

Moreover, LeBron would be unlike any other wide receiver in the league. At 6'8" and 250 pounds, his size would be unparalleled. And as one of the better rebounders in the NBA, one assumes LeBron would be dynamite in jump-ball situations. He might even be able to out-jump Calvin Johnson.

So yeah, I totally think LeBron would be able to cut it as a wide receiver in the NFL. He would need some polishing, no doubt about that, but the tools are there.

Thanks to the lockout, the odds of this pipe dream actually coming to fruition are better than you think. LeBron may find himself in need of work very soon, and he just doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would take his talents overseas. Even if he tends to wilt in their shine, LeBron has shown that he's attracted to the bright lights. He would find plenty of those waiting in the NFL.

He would also likely find out that fourth quarters are much tougher in football than they are in basketball.