Jermaine Kearse wants Seahawks to give NBA vet Nate Robinson a shot

Now that wide receiver Jermaine Kearse is back under contract with the Seahawks, he has a suggestion for his team: Give Nate Robinson a look.

Robinson, the former UW star basketball and an 11-year NBA veteran, announced his intention to make the switch to the NFL in a video earlier this week. The 31-year-old Seattle native and Rainier Beach High School alum wants to become the first person to regularly play in both the NBA and NFL.

O’Neil: Nate Robinson’s intention to make the NFL isn’t ridiculous, it’s possible

Kearse, a fellow former Washington Husky, is all for the hometown NFL team giving him an opportunity.

“You know what? I want Seattle to give him a chance,” Kearse told 710 ESPN Seattle’s “Danny, Dave and Moore” on Friday. “So if he would come into the league, he would be considered what, a rookie, right? … He’d be a rookie, so give him a shot at rookie minicamp.”

There’s reason to believe the 5-foot-9, 180-pound Robinson could be more than just a way to get publicity for the Seahawks. He played one season as a cornerback for the Husky football team as a freshman, and even made a pair of interceptions in the 2002 Apple Cup.

“I watched a couple games when he was at UW, and he was a baller. He was an athletic guy,” said Kearse, who also grew up in the Puget Sound area.

Of course, if the Seahawks do bring Robinson aboard, he’d likely find himself matched up against Kearse on the practice field. “Danny, Dave and Moore” co-host Dave Wyman wondered if that could end up spelling disaster for Robinson.

“What if you end up burning (Robinson) and it’s the reason he ends up getting cut?” Wyman asked.

Kearse’s response: “I mean, then I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”