Jay Bilas reveals NFL tryout opportunity from 1980s
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 17, 2026, 7:25 PM
Last updated Jun 17, 2026
Jay Bilas, renowned ESPN college basketball analyst, disclosed he received a tryout invitation from the NFL in the 1980s. The Washington Redskins, under Bobby Beathard, reached out to him after his senior season at Duke. However, Bilas, who never played football, decided against it, opting to pursue professional basketball instead. Reflecting on the experience, he noted the NFL's willingness to consider athletes from different sports during that era.
- •Jay Bilas received an NFL training camp invitation in the 1980s.
- •The invitation came from Bobby Beathard of the Washington Redskins.
- •Bilas had never played football before that point.
- •He chose to pursue professional basketball instead.
- 7:25 PMYahoo Sports — Jay Bilas could've gone pro in something other than basketball
"ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas is intimately linked with college hoops and basketball in general, but could've tried to play another sport.
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