Anthony Edwards is one of the NBA‘s best and brightest young stars. While his Minnesota Timberwolves have lost in back-to-back seasons in the Western Conference finals in five games, he remains one of a few select men who have the chance to be the next face of the league.
He is one of the game’s most exciting players, and this season, he took a step forward in terms of his outside shooting. He is also one of the few stars or superstars in basketball who also excels on the defensive end.
However, some may not know that Edwards’s first sport as a child was football. That perhaps makes it fitting that Adidas will be releasing an Edwards football cleat not too long from now.
As a young child, Edwards played the running back, quarterback and cornerback positions. His best position was tailback, and he was a handful to deal with in the backfield.
In fact, he was considered one of the nation’s best Pop Warner running backs. But there was a specific reason he switched from the gridiron to the hardwood.
“I could have been a professional football player,” Edwards shared previously. “I was really good. I was the No. 1 running back in the country at 9 or 10. I stopped playing because I seen my brothers playing basketball. I thought it looked more fun.”
It turned out to be a good decision. His profile grew during his high school career, and he became the No. 1 recruit in the nation according to 247 Sports.
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5)
Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
He played one season of college basketball with the Georgia Bulldogs, and although he shot just 40.2% from the field, he was the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
While the Timberwolves have some work to do, Edwards will, perhaps, also look forward to improving. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old guard has already established himself as one of the best and most popular players around, and he is starting to become one of the game’s most marketable players as well.