RELATED LINKS:
--Redskins Add To Defensive Line, Sign Knighton
--Baker, Knighton Make Pact
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Terrance Knighton, the Redskins newly-signed defensive lineman, gave up football midway through high school. He went to play basketball instead.
It was short-lived.
"It was a more appealing sport obviously growing up in the northern area [Hartford, Conn.]," Knighton told Larry Michael on "Redskins Nation." "But my mom dragged me back out on to the field, and I realized I was good enough to play in college and in college I was thinking I was good enough to play in the NFL. I'm living my dream right now."
That being said, Knighton wasn't shy to admit his basketball skills were pretty good back in school.
"I had a little game," Knighton said. "I could play No. 3 or No. 4 depending on what the matchups were. I had a little trey-ball [three-point shot]. I could throw it down a little bit. I still can dunk now so… I'm 6'3", my arms are long. I have to jump pretty high."
After getting back to the field in high school and re-dedicating himself to football, Knighton then made sure to persuade his long-time friend and teammate once again, Chris Baker, to stop believing he was the next Shaquille O'Neal and transition into becoming a football player.
"In high school I was like, 'Bro, you're still 6'2" so I think you might want to play football," Knighton said he told Baker. "He peaked at like fifth grade. I said, 'You might as well play football.' He was like, 'All right, I'll give it a try.' Now look at him. We always talked about playing on the same team, and you know we didn't go to the same college, and we talked about maybe one day in the NFL. Now that dream has come true."
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