The No. 1 Hooper is Risking it All to Play Football (and That’s a Good Thing)
Anwar Stetson
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The OG Dual-Sports Star
LeBron James was once a pretty good football player at St. Vincent St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio. But his friends and family had other plans. On his award-winning YouTube show The Shop, LeBron talked about how his teammates and mother essentially bullied him into quitting football and focusing on basketball. Considered the consensus number one overall pick before he was old enough to vote, LeBron James decided not to play football his senior year and focused only on basketball. The rest, they say, is history.
Out west, a young prep standout is bucking that trend no matter what people may say. Tyran Stokes is the nation’s number one basketball player in the Class of 2026. But he made headlines when he made the last-minute decision to join the football team for his senior year.
He caught a touchdown in his debut on Friday, and plans on continuing to light up high school football this season.
But football is a dangerous sport. Is it worth Tyran Stokes risking his basketball career on the gridiron?
Absolutely.
In an interview with reporter Tarek Fattel, Stokes gave a simple reason for playing football: “I had to explain to my Mom and agent that this is my last time I get to actually be a kid,” Stokes said after his first practice. “Once I go to college, everything is looked at as a business.”
A few years ago, it would have been insane for a teenager to have to consult his agent about playing sports in high school. But in this new NIL landscape, high school sports have been streamlined and commercialized. With his decision to play football, Tyran Stokes is bringing it back to its roots.
A Breath of Fresh Air
We’ve talked before about the explosion of NIL in high school sports as well as the problems with Prep Academies and sports specialization. Tyran Stokes’ decision to buck current trends and play multiple sports despite not “benefiting” from it is a fresh breath of air.
It’s great that young players are finally able to profit from their name, image, and likeness for sports. It’s great that sports are giving kids more opportunities for success than ever before. But the commercialized aspect of the high school sports industry can start to make people forget why kids play sports: They’re fun.
Notre Dame’s Big Body
At 6’8” 245 lbs, it’s not like the Louisville native is too small to have a presence on the football field. As a matter of fact, his height allows him to be a dangerous red-zone threat as a wideout. People think of NFL stars as massive bodybuilders. But at the high school level, most players, especially in the secondary, are still average kids. Stokes is a big physical presence. I’d be more worried about him hurting other players than him getting hurt.
No Need to Specialize
Even then, the dangers of playing only one sport could actually lead to more injuries. Sports specialization can lead to overuse injuries that hinder athletes in the prime of their professional careers, or even before they get the chance to go pro. By playing another sport, Stokes gets a chance to literally flex new muscles that he wouldn’t otherwise on a basketball court. The concept is referred to as “cross-training”.
Obviously, football can get you hurt. But the benefit of changing sports for a short time could actually reap benefits for a player’s physical long-term health.
What It’s All About
Stokes moved to the Los Angeles area from his native Kentucky to attend Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. He’s committed to Kansas to play hoops next year for legendary coach Bill Self. The Prep Hoops number one ranked player in the state and the nation will likely be in the conversation as an NBA lottery pick very soon.
In his September 26 debut, Stokes finished with two receptions for 57 yards and one touchdown in a blowout 57-14 victory over Culver City (Calif.). He’ll play again Friday night against Loyola (Calif.). It might be a more competitive matchup for the Notre Dame Knights. But whether they win or lose, we won’t have to wonder whether Tyran Stokes is enjoying himself. He’s taking his last opportunity to be a kid. That’s what sports are all about.