Donald Penn Says He Can Play In The NBA
October 17th, 2009Listed at 6-5, 305 lbs., on the Bucs roster (he’s probably more like 325), Donald Penn is hardly a symbol of fitness.
He’s a tough, gifted, smooth-footed left tackle, but he hardly looks capable of running the floor in NBA.
Penn, however, disagrees.
A former All-State high school basketball player in California, Penn said he could score a long term contract in the NBA right now. He made this ridiculous proclamation on Thursday’s edition of Total Access, a Buccaneers Radio Network show on 620 WDAE-AM.
Penn spoke of how he credits his basketball footwork and skills for preparing him for a football career and he grew up believing he was an NBA star in the making.
Apparently, that dream hasn’t died.
“I played power forward, center, but I was always one of those power forward/centers that liked to get the ball at the top of the key and take somebody to the hole. I think that if I got a 10-day NBA contract, it would turn into a long term deal. I think so,” Penn said. “I had two schools come to my high school [basketball games] and after the game they both offered me scholarships to play football.”
Joe will take the bait, considering the NBA preseason is in full swing.
- Donald Penn thinks he’s NBA material. For Joe, that immediately conjured memories of another 300+ pounder: fan favorite Robert “Tractor” Traylor.
“I think you have to play everything with confidence,” Penn said Thursday. “That’s one of the things that makes me as good as a player as I am. Because I go in every game with a big swagger, and I think nobody’s going to be able to beat me even though it does happen sometimes. I do get beat sometimes but I still, if somebody beats me one play they ain’t going to beat me again. I go back and forth. I just have that confidence about myself. And it’s been like that forever. A lot of people told me I couldn’t do things growing up and, you know, I overcame a lot. I lot of people didn’t think I was going to make it to the NFL. Because growing up I always thought NBA. But it’s just been a confidence thing that I go with.”
Joe is glad Penn has no prayer of sniffing the NBA. The Bucs need him here too badly. It’s time to give the man six-year deal.
October 17th, 2009 at 8:47 am
His Dad was an NBA prospect but wound up taking a different, non-sports, path.