Chad Ochocinco tryout for Sporting Kansas City set up through tweets

KANSAS CITY, Missouri - One of the biggest stars in pro football is coming to Kansas City to try out for the team, but it's not the Chiefs.

Chad Ochocinco is a star wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals. But next week he's switching from football to futbol.

He will have a four day tryout with Kansas City's pro soccer team - Sporting Kansas City.

The cross-sport whirlwind courtship happened in a series of tweets that started Saturday.

Click here to read the tweet history with Ochocinco

Ochocinco is more than just a football star. The six-time pro-bowler has his own cereal, two iPhone apps, a video game, and 1.8 million followers on Twitter.

And Twitter is how Kansas City got him to come for a soccer tryout.

"I was sitting on my couch, looking at Tweet Deck…," explained Kyle Rogers.

He's the Twitter guy for Sporting Kansas City, the soccer team formerly known as the Wizards.

Saturday he tweeted Ochocinco, asking if he was ready to put his soccer shoes on.

Rogers added: "Do you want to come train with Sporting KC?"

About 34 minutes later, Ochocinco tweeted back, "Where and when do I sign a contract?"

"Oh wow, he actually answered," is how Rogers recalled his surprise.

Wednesday Ochocinco spread the news with this tweet: "I'll be playing on the MLS team @sportingkc on march 22."

"It's pretty neat, to be honest. It's definitely one of the coolest things via social media that I’ve ever been able to be a part of," said Rogers, who is the digital strategist for the soccer team.

But on a Kansas City campus during an off-season practice, some Rockhurst University soccer players think it's just a stunt by Ochocinco.

"I kind of think its a little absurd. Because I think he's trying to make a name for himself. He's trying to do something different, kind of like Michael Jordan did with the whole golf thing," said Kevin Wynn, a senior.

Another player pointed out that Ochocinco became a star using his hands as a wide receiver.

But in soccer, it's no hands allowed. It's all about the feet.

"He might have to switch up his routines and get used to playing with the ball with his feet," said Taylor Vinnage.

Ochocinco played soccer as a kid and still uses soccer drills to warm up for football.

It's football's off-season, and with the NFL lockout- the next season is in question anyway.

Vinnage added, "If he takes it seriously, it could be something good. There's always been a football-soccer rivalry."

But these college soccer players will be disappointed if all the attention is on Ochocinco, rather than the sport itself.

Sporting KC says this is a real tryout, not a PR stunt.

After four days, Ochocinco will find out whether he makes the team.

And in other news about Ochocinco, Tuesday an Ohio judge ordered Ochocinco to pay a clothing store $11,717 for clothing he allegedly took on shopping trips and never paid for.