Former NFL star believes LeBron James would have won 3 Heisman Trophies if he had picked football over basketball

LeBron James has a case for being the best basketball player of all time. Before he emerged on the hardwood, though, he was a standout football player for two seasons at Ohio's St. Vincent-St. Mary High School. Had he continued down that gridiron road, some think that he would've excelled.

Gerald Dixon, who played linebacker for the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Diego Chargers during an NFL career that lasted from 1993-2001, is among those believers.

"LeBron would win anything," Dixon said Monday on 247 Sports' "Ultimate College Football Show." "I think LeBron would certainly, easily — you know what — I would go on deck and say LeBron would probably be the first three-time winner in terms of the Heisman."

Former Ohio State running back Archie Griffin is the only player to ever win more than one Heisman, taking home the honor in 1974 and 1975.

James was thought of as the No. 1 football recruit in the Buckeye State. One scouting report said that he was "a taller, slower version of Randy Moss." That same analysis said he was already fit for the NFL, with "huge hands, runs tremendous routes, can out leap every defender and shows surprising speed for such a big guy."

Wideout was an obvious position for LeBron James, but when Dixon was asked at which spot James could have earned three stiff-arming statues, Dixon didn't limit him to being a pass-catcher.

"Pick one," Dixon said. "6-(foot)-9, 260 pounds. You can say tight end, defensive end, or modern-day receiver. ... One thing that we don't give LeBron a lot of credit for? His mind. The ability to play the game before the game is being played. Three times. Three. Give it to him."

Dixon also compared LeBron James to Pro Football Hall of Famer Harry Carmichael, who stood at 6-foot-8 and weighed 225 pounds. Carmichael had three 1,000-yard receiving seasons at the professional level, spending almost all of his 14-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Why didn't LeBron James pursue football?

LeBron James' combined stats as a sophomore and junior were 103 receptions for 2,065 yards and 23 touchdowns, video game numbers even at the prep level. James didn't play as a senior and hasn't suited up in shoulder pads and a helmet since. He explained why during an appearance on the "Manningcast."

"If I would've had a better quarterback in high school, I might've continued to play football," James said. "I took way too many hits and that led me to the basketball court."

A broken wrist also kept James off the field as a senior. He was recruited by Ohio State and Notre Dame to play football regardless. His hoops coach, Jay Brophy once told Bleacher Report James never considered football instead.

"I went over to him and he was in the library and I said, 'LeBron, hey, let me ask you, are you really interested in playing college football? I've got a ton of schools asking about you playing that have called me,'" Brophy said. "He said, 'Well coach, I'm 99% sure I'm probably going to the NBA. But I wouldn’t rule it out.'

"He started laughing and he said, 'No coach, I'm kidding. I'm gonna play basketball.' I said, 'All right, I just wanted to know.'"

LeBron James doesn't have three Heismans, but the Los Angeles Lakers star does have four NBA MVPs.