“This is for everyone–no football questions. Football is not an option.” Charlie Ward delivered that message in 1994 after going unselected in the NFL Draft and following his first-round draft selection in the NBA. His remarkable college career had given him a rare luxury: the opportunity to choose between professional football and basketball. Ward excelled in both sports, making him one of the most unique athletes of his era.

He wasn’t a star from the moment he arrived on campus, but by the end of his collegiate career, Ward had established himself as a legitimate prospect in both the NFL and NBA. Ultimately, his decision came down to where an NFL team was willing to draft him. When that opportunity never materialized, it gave rise to one of the biggest “what if” scenarios in sports history.

For a broader context, by the end of the 1993 college football season, Ward had accomplished almost everything a college quarterback could. He won the Heisman Trophy and led Florida State to its first national championship, while throwing for over 3,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. He completed nearly 70% of his passes, while also winning numerous national player of the year awards, including Unanimous All-American.

At the same time, however, Charlie Ward was committed to basketball too. In fact, he skipped the NFL combine that year to finish the basketball season. And considering he excelled in both sports, Ward told the NFL that he would only play in the league if he were drafted in the first round. Then the 1994 NFL draft rolled in, and things took a different turn.

Ward measured roughly 6-foot-2 and around 190 pounds. Today, those measurements wouldn’t eliminate a quarterback from first-round consideration. In 1994, however, the NFL looked very different. While Ward believed that he was a first-round calibre quarterback, many around the league projected him as a second or third-round pick because of his size. But at the same time, his commitment to basketball also played a key role.

“My thought process was, I’m a senior leader on the basketball team, and I wanted to keep my options open for the NBA,” Ward said. “I tell people all the time – when you make decisions in life, you have to live with the consequences. I knew making that decision would probably put me out from making the NFL because I was not 100 percent committed.”

As a result, Charlie Ward went undrafted in the 1994 NFL draft, and no team bothered to sign him as an undrafted free agent. Ultimately, the New York Knicks picked him in the first round of the 1994 NBA draft with the 26th overall pick. From there, Ward went on to spend 11 seasons in the NBA, playing for three teams and making an NBA Finals appearance in 1999.

Fast-forward to now: Ward has become a basketball coach. The 55-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner and NBA legend is currently serving as the head coach of the Florida A&B Rattlers. And when he looks back at his professional career, one thing is clear: Ward has no regrets about not playing in the NFL.