If I had the option of T&F especially at the level he is competing, i am choosing T&F every time. I am sure a big part of the decision was the ability to stay healthy which is much more difficult if he was playing football.
As good of a football player he is, he is ultimately an even better T&F athlete. He didnt just break the WV record, he beat it by almost 2 feet and it was a 39 year old record.