Season 22 of "Dancing with the Stars" is still a few months away, yet speculation about who's joining the upcoming season started as early as the season 21 finale.
While it is unclear at this time whether the ABC show has locked in any celebrities for the spring premiere, there are rumors that a football player might be taking his turn on the dance floor for the much-coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.
Wetpaint reports that NFL star Rashad Jennings has said in the past that he is interested in joining the show. Earlier this month, TMZ caught up with the New York Giants running back, and Jennings said that he has been in talks with the ABC show.
"Yes we've had a conversation," said the 30-year-old to TMZ. "I think it's going to end up happening. We're going to hold off a couple more days, because I'm going to have a conversation shortly, but we'll see."
If Jennings does join the season 22 cast, he will be following in the footsteps of other athletes who have strapped on their dancing shoes for the show, including fellow NFL stars Emmitt Smith, Hines Ward, and Donald Driver. Smith won the competition back in season 3 with Cheryl Burke, while Ward won the season 12 trophy with Kym Johnson. Driver won season 14 with Peta Murgatroyd.
Athletes, with their training, stamina, and discipline, appear to be a very good fit for the show as many of them who joined in previous seasons advanced to the finals, and some ended up winning the Mirror Ball Trophy. Among the athletes who won the trophy throughout "DWTS'" run are Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno (season 4 with Julianne Hough), Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi (season 6 with Mark Ballas), Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson (season 8 with Ballas), and Olympic ice dancer Meryl Davis (season 18 with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.)
"Dancing with the Stars" premieres on March 21 on ABC.
