Why Alabama football players say high school athletes should play multiple sports

Want to play football at Alabama someday? It might help to spend some time away from the football field.

At least, that’s the experience of Alabama offensive lineman Jackson Lloyd and tight end Kaleb Edwards, two Crimson Tide players who competed in multiple sports throughout high school.

Lloyd played football, basketball and baseball at Carmel High School in California, and he said the benefits outweighed merely staying active.

"I played basketball, baseball and football pretty much my whole life," Lloyd said at Alabama football's fall camp media day on Saturday, Aug. 8. "I think one of the things that’s really beneficial about it is just the competitive spirit. I was, back in high school, competing year-round, whatever the sport was.”

The 6-foot-7 offensive lineman was also a standout on the court, averaging 15 points and 8.4 rebounds per basketball game as a junior. Lloyd said the movement required in his other sports has carried over to football.

"Obviously basketball, I think footwork translates very, very well to offensive line," Lloyd said. "Baseball, there’s also a lot of footwork that goes into it."

Edwards had a similar path. Before becoming an Alabama tight end and earning Freshman All-SEC honors in 2025, he played multiple sports at Oak Ridge High School in California, including basketball and baseball.

"Growing up, I played since I was 4 to my senior year of high school," Edwards said. "I think those skill sets — conditioning, footwork — it all kind of translates. I think every sport I played growing up has got me to where I am today."

His experience is why Edwards believes young football players can benefit from resisting the urge to specialize too early.

"I think multi-sport kids always have a little bit of an edge," Edwards said, "just because they can be put in those different situations, and they always know how to thrive."

Alabama will open the 2026 season against East Carolina at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, Sept. 5, at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Amelia Hurley covers high school and college sports for The Tuscaloosa News and USA TODAY Network. You can find her on X at  ameliahurley_  or reach her at [email protected] .

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Why Alabama football players say high school athletes should play multiple sports

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