Rajon Rondo Watched Packers, Always Had Dreams of Being NFL Quarterback Before Focusing on Basketball

by Ricky Doyle on Tue, Sep 4, 2012 at 9:58AM

Rajon Rondo‘s priorities have certainly shifted over the years. Long before he aspired to be the greatest point guard in Celtics history, Rondo longed to follow in Brett Favre‘s footsteps.

Rondo, who has been in Hong Kong while serving as the official ambassador for the Red Bull King of the Rock finals, recently sat down with the South China Morning Post to discuss his past, present and future, and he revealed that he had NFL aspirations before he turned his focus to basketball.

“I didn’t watch a lot of NBA games growing up,” Rondo reportedly said. “I watched the Green Bay Packers. I always had dreams of being an NFL player. I was a high school quarterback and I really think that has helped me become a leader on the basketball court. They are pretty much the same position.

“The quarterback is the guy who calls all the plays and gets all the attention and the same with the point guard in basketball. You have to hit the open man.”

Rondo said he also played baseball growing up, but ultimately opted for basketball after his freshman year of high school, when he realized he had a chance to reach the NBA.

“I was starting to dominate and I don’t want it to sound like I’ve got a big head but the competition around me was easy,” Rondo said. “At Oak Hill Academy, Josh Smith went straight to the NBA out of high school so I knew then that if I worked on my game I could make the NBA myself.”

Rondo not only made the NBA, but he’s taken it by storm, continuing to develop each year as the Celtics’ floor general. The 26-year-old already has a championship ring and has been selected to three All-Star Games, but he’s still thinking big.

Given Rondo’s success, Celtics fans are probably pretty happy his passes are landing in the hands of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, rather than Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Then again, Packers fans are probably OK with how everything turned out as well.

Photo of the Day

Quick, first person to balance a ball on his pen gets a statue in his honor.

Quote of the Day

I snuck into the players’ lounge without a credential. I saw Pete [Sampras]. He was playing video games. I’m pretty sure I beat him at like Mortal Kombat or something. That was fun.
–Andy Roddick, recalling the 1990 U.S. Open, which he attended as a 9-year-old

Tweet of the Day

Hang in there, Betsy.

Wearing on me, too RT @nesn: Physical, Mental Fatigue From Losing Beginning to Wear on Red Sox’ Play During Road Trip bit.ly/TbOqjp

— Betsy G (@baglen) September 4, 2012