Chad Ochocinco played some football Wednesday. No, not that football — players are locked out, remember? He played football, rest-of-the- world style. You know, the sport with the round ball you can’t touch with your hands.
Sure, it might seem odd for an athlete who makes millions using his hands as a wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals to be playing a sport where he can’t use them.
But Ochocinco doesn’t see it that way.
Wearing, of course, No. 85, Ochocinco opened a four-day tryout with Sporting Kansas City. He said his motivation is love for a sport that was actually his first choice until his grandmother persuaded him to focus on football after the 10th grade.
“Exactly what I expected,” the six-time Pro Bowler explained to what The Associated Press said were more than 40 media representatives.
Ochocinco plans to go through with the tryout, and, if possible, join the MLS team.
“I would play for free,” he said.
His athleticism was obvious, and so was his soccer rust.
“The time I’ve had off from the game of this football has been a very long time,” he said. “There’s no way I can make up that ground, the years I’ve been away from the game. But I do have a love for it.”
Sporting Kansas City coach Peter Vermes said he tried to use the practice to help Ochocinco get acclimated.
“He was a little bit hesitant early on, a little bit tentative,” Vermes said. “But I think now he’s got a good feel for what a day goes like for us. You can see he’s very coachable.”
