Jake Paul says he’s conquered the boxing world and is now eyeing a career in the NFL.
The YouTube sensation has been adamant about wanting to play in the NFL and posted a video from a “visit” to the Dallas Cowboys’ facility on Friday.
“Amazing visit today with the Dallas Cowboys,” Paul said, attaching a video of himself catching a touchdown pass unguarded. “Excited for my road to the NFL.”
Amazing visit today with the @dallascowboys
Excited for my road to the NFL pic.twitter.com/tU4RRhy6TM
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 1, 2022
So was it just an April Fools’ joke? No dice — Paul is serious, which he clarified in a tweet.
“Wait… remember when people said I couldn’t box?” Paul said. “Then become highest paid boxer, undefeated, and knocked out everyone I fought. Now y’all saying I can’t go to the NFL? Honey hold my beer…”
Wait… remember when people said I couldn’t box? Then become highest paid boxer, undefeated, and knocked out everyone I fought.
now y’all saying I can’t go to the NFL?☺️😏
Honey hold my beer…
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 2, 2022
Paul also posted his measurables, saying he can run a 40-yard dash in an elite 4.37 seconds and has a vertical jump of 33 inches. He also listed his knockout power as “a lot” and hand fighting as “incredible.”
Paul previously talked about his NFL plans with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
“You don’t think the Browns would draft me? Come on now, I can play free safety!” Paul said. “If you get me some of those sticky Nike gloves, I’ll be up in there scoring touchdowns. You’ll see me on SportsCenter highlight reels.”
While the NFL is on Paul’s radar, he’s not done with boxing. The Problem Child wants to rack up a 10-0 record before he hangs up the gloves. He’s currently 5-0 with four knockouts, most recently knocking out former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in December of 2021.
“The sky is the limit for me right now and if I want to accomplish something it’s all about me being able to do that and me making the commitment and putting in the work required to do that.
“But I think right now, going to 10-0, being undefeated, fighting some big names, making history and maybe taking a world championship belt from somebody just to say I did it, and retiring at 10-0.”
The NFL is not the only new endeavor Paul has been eyeing. He’s also been calling out some UFC fighters like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal.
“Fighting Conor is what I want most, but would fight Masvidal as well,” Paul told ESPN last month. “I know it might seem impossible to beat these guys in MMA, but when you believe, you can achieve anything. I would ask for six months to train.”
Paul has repeatedly called out the UFC for the way they pay fighters. He proposed to UFC president Dana White that if he fought and won, the promotion would have to pay fighters 50% of company revenue and give fighters full health care. If he lost, he said he would donate his entire purse to UFC fighters making less than $50,000 per fight “will never mention the UFC again.”
“There are no losers in this proposal,” Paul said. “UFC has a massive revenue generating event. If I win, Dana will change the future of UFC fighters forever. If I lose there will be a one-time bonus to a lot of fighters, MMA doesn’t have to hear from me again and Conor [or] Jorge win again and get to shut up Jake Paul.”
Paul has predicted that he’d knockout McGregor — who has won just once in the UFC since 2016 — in the first round.
