Bringing in athletes from the professional ranks to give motivational speeches has been a trend among college football teams in recent years, so it’s no surprise that the Ohio State Buckeyes plan to adopt that tactic this weekend.
What may surprise you is that, according to Ben Axelrod of Scout.com, the No. 3 Buckeyes have asked NBA superstar LeBron James, who enraged many Cleveland fans when he left the Cavaliers in 2010, to give a pregame speech prior to the upcoming matchup with No. 23 Wisconsin. He will also remain on the sideline for the duration of the contest, which takes place Saturday night at Ohio Stadium.
King James is an Akron, Ohio, native, but he never attended college. He jumped straight into the pros after an impressive high school career at St. Vincent-St. Mary but has always remained a fan of OSU athletics.
Axelrod noted that James has close ties to current Buckeyes head coach Urban Meyer, stemming to his days with Notre Dame. The then-wide receivers coach attempted to convince LBJ to put on the pads at South Bend, but was clearly unsuccessful in his efforts.
James was also given a commemorative locker in the Ohio State men’s basketball team’s locker room earlier this year.
The four-time NBA MVP hasn’t played in an official football game since his All-State high school career with the St. Vincent-St. Mary ended, but he does know a little something about winning. James’ Miami Heat squad is coming off back-to-back championships, in which he was…
Continue Reading: LeBron James to Deliver Pregame Speech for Ohio State’s Clash with Wisconsin
