“I was a QB and wide receiver”: UNC's RJ Davis shares his interest in football before playing basketball

RJ Davis was an active dual-sport athlete, playing both basketball and football. However, he had to fully commit to one after a certain event.

Davis appeared as a special guest on Tuesday's episode of the "Run Your Race." He talked about his start in basketball and collegiate career with the North Carolina Tar Heels, developing into one of the best players in the country.

One of the first sections covered his initial love for football, as he played quarterback and wide receiver before switching to basketball.

"I really started playing ball around like seven or eight," Davis said (Timestamp 3:12). "I was kind of battling back and forth between basketball and football at that time. ... I was a QB and wide receiver.

"I stopped in seventh grade. Like, what happened was, bro, I'll play on defense. I was playing DB, yeah. So, like, I'm thinking, like, uh, the running back is about to, he's running out to the corner, so I'm chasing after him. Next thing I know, I get blindsided. No more after that. I told my pops I'm like, 'yep, I'm not playing football no more.'"

How RJ Davis played throughout college career

RJ Davis arguably made the right decision to fully commit to basketball, especially given the outcome of his collegiate career at North Carolina from 2020 to 2025. He earned multiple awards, winning ACC Player of the Year and the Jerry West Award in 2024. In 175 appearances, he put up 15.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.2 apg and one spg.

As a sophomore, he helped the Tar Heels reach the 2022 national championship game. Even though they lost to Kansas, it marked North Carolina's best NCAA Tournament run since 2017. He returned for the 2024-25 season to use his remaining year of eligibility. He averaged 17.2 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 37 games.

RJ Davis is eligible to declare for the 2025 NBA draft in June. However, he has yet to announce his decision.