Pete Carroll: Nate Robinson NFL conversion ‘all but impossible’

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll acknowledge the long road Nate Robinson has ahead of him if he wants to make it in the NFL.

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Former NBA player Nate Robinson did well at his tryout with the Seattle Seahawks this week, but head coach Pete Carroll acknowledge the long road Robinson has ahead of him if he wants to make it in the NFL.

“I think it’s all but impossible,” Carroll said, according to ESPN. “It’s as hard as you could possibly get. He’s 32 as well. I don’t know if anybody could do it. But if anybody could, it might be Nate. He’s that versatile an athlete and that great a competitor.”

Robinson tried out as a defensive back, according to a Washington Postreport. Robinson played one college season at Washington as a cornerback in 2002 before turning his attention to basketball.

“He looked really quick, caught the ball really well,” Carroll said of Robinson’s tryout. “He’s an amazing athlete.”

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Robinson has most recently been playing professional basketball in Israel after spending 11 seasons in the NBA with the Knicks, Bulls, Celtics, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Thunger and Pelicans.

"He's got a lot of work to do,” Carroll said. “He’s getting ready for whatever comes next and hoops as well. He’s trying to figure out what he's going to do—whether he’s going to be in the NBA or overseas playing or whatever. And so football’s an option that he wants to investigate. He’s a great kid. I’ve known him for a long time, way back when, and always loved the kid. Excited to give him a chance to see where this all fits together for him. We’ll find out down the road.”