Warriors’ Klay Thompson gives funny QB self-evaluation on ‘ManningCast’ – NBC Sports Bay Area & California

Before Klay Thompson made a name for himself in the NBA, the Golden State Warriors star turned heads in high school football in Southern California.

Now, nearly 15 years later, Thompson found himself once again connected to the football field, in a way. During ESPN’s “ManningCast” broadcast of the San Francisco 49ers vs. Minnesota Vikings matchup on “Monday Night Football” in Week 7 of the NFL, the 33-year-old guard joined Peyton and Eli Manning.

Thompson’s brother, Trayce, shared an impressive scouting report on Klay’s high school football career, expressing his belief that Klay could have pursued professional football instead of basketball. However, Klay’s self-evaluation was not as promising.

“I’m really glad you brought that up, Peyton. I was a two-way player,” Thompson shared. “I played as a free safety and quarterback. I was on the field at all times. I threw the most interceptions, but I also caught the most interceptions. I had great range and elusiveness when scrambling out of the pocket. I could read my progressions well. However, as soon as I got hit blindsided, my basketball instincts kicked in.”

“I still occasionally throw the football around in the facility and run routes with my friends. It takes a certain level of toughness. I consider myself tough until I go up against these D1 athletes.”

Recently, Thompson shared a throwback photo of himself on his Instagram page with the hashtag #KlaytonManning, his apparent nickname from his days as a quarterback.

And yes, the nickname stuck all these years.

“It stuck because I was known for breaking the play off and not following my offensive coordinator’s instructions,” Thompson said. “I called my own audibles. Most of the time, I audibled into a fade route. I wasn’t really into throwing those short slant passes that Peyton loved. I was always looking to go deep.”

“I mean, remember the saying in baseball? ‘Chicks dig the long ball.’ I was always aiming high in my freshman year. It was fun.”

In the end, it’s clear that Thompson, a four-time NBA champion and five-time All-Star, chose the right path.

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