As of late, there has been a "new" form of recruiting in the NFL. And it consists of teams grabbing up and drafting former college basketball players and placing them as tight ends on NFL squads.
Currently, three of the best tight ends in the NFL were once college basketball players -- San Diego's Antonio Gates, Atlanta's Tony Gonzalez and New Orleans' Jimmy Graham.
Gates, a former basketball standout at Kent State, went undrafted in 2003 and was eventually picked up by the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. He somehow latched onto the Chargers and never let go. He debuted with San Diego that very year, starting eleven games and catching 24 passes for 389 yards and two touchdowns in his inaugural season.
Over the next four seasons, Gates eclipsed the 900-yard season mark in each of those campaigns. Combined, Gates registered 316 receptions for 3,973 yards and 41 touchdowns in that span. Included in that magnificent stretch was a 13-touchdown season in 2004, which was the highest season touchdown total, along with Vernon Davis in 2009, for a tight end until New England's Rob Gronkowski broke the record against Washington on Sunday.
In 2008, Gates tallied just 60 receptions for 704 yards and eight touchdowns, the lowest totals across the board since coming into the NFL. However, the following season, Gates caught 79 passes for 1,157 yards (a career-high) and eight touchdowns. In 2010, the former basketball player had his third career ten-touchdown season as he caught 50 receptions for 782 yards and ten touchdowns.Although he has played a lesser role in San Diego's offense this season, he has still caught 53 passes for 601 yards and six touchdowns. He also missed a couple of games earlier in the season due to injury.
Since Gates was picked up by San Diego, they have consistently had one of the league's top offenses. Pairing up with Philip Rivers made Gates an easy target for the young quarterback and has perhaps helped him succeed since arriving in California in 2004.
Although injuries have recently sidelined him somewhat, Gates has still been one of the most dangerous tight ends in NFL history.
Gates' career stats are also better than any tight end that is currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame -- yes, even better than John Mackey, Mike Ditka, Ozzie Newsome and Kellen Winslow. These stats currently rank second all-time only to the next man, who also once played basketball.
Tony Gonzalez, perhaps the player that started this phenomenon, was a first-round pick (13th overall) by Kansas City Chiefs in 1997. Playing collegiately at California, Gonzalez was never thought to become the player that he currently is.
While at California, Gonzalez played both football and basketball and was eventually forced to choose between the two. With his basketball career questionable, Gonzalez ultimately decided to choose football and he forfeited his final year of eligibility to go pro in football.
And apparently, he made the right decision.
A bonafide future Hall-of-Famer, Gonzalez is the all-time leader in receptions (1,142), receiving yards (13,275) and touchdowns (95) for a tight end, which clearly makes him the best tight end in NFL history. He has also made the Pro Bowl an astounding eleven times, currently the most for any tight end in the league's existence.
Over his first two seasons, Gonzalez started 16 total games, while catching 92 passes for 989 yards and four touchdowns. During his third year in the NFL, the former California standout would flourish.
He started 15 games for the Chiefs in 1999 and registered 76 receptions for 849 yards and eleven touchdowns, successfully earning his first or many Pro Bowl appearances. From 2000-06, Gonzalez had a remarkable stretch, as he accumulated 553 receptions for 6,872 yards and 46 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl berths in each of those seasons.
Included in that stretch was a 102-reception campaign in 2004, a single-season record for catches among tight ends. The record still stands and it will be a tough record to break.From 2007-08, Gonzalez had perhaps two of the best seasons of his career, as he caught 99 and 96 passes, respectively. He posted back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons (1,172 and 1,058) and totaled 15 touchdowns over those two campaigns.
The Chiefs sent Gonzalez to Atlanta prior to the 2009 season and he has still been able to put up good numbers. He has caught at least 70 passes in those three seasons and has also registered at least 650 yards and six touchdowns.
Gonzalez is arguably the best tight end in NFL history and it may not have gone that way if he chose basketball over football while attending California. But he made the right decision and chose the pigskin and has been the best tight end over the last decade. He is likely to go down in the history books as one of the best at his respective position.
The newest member to join this group, Jimmy Graham, played collegiately at the University of Miami and only played one year of football before being picked in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. While playing basketball, he was not tabbed as a player that would have an NBA future, so he decided to go the football route.
Although he had rarely played football, he was immediately noted as one of the top tight end prospects in the 2010 draft. And once the draft rolled around, Graham was selected with the 95th overall pick by the New Orleans Saints.
He started five games for the Saints as a rookie last season and accumulated 31 receptions for 356 yards and five touchdowns.
Entering the 2011 season, Graham was expected to be the starter and become one of Drew Brees' favorite targets. And he has become that.
Now twelve games through the season, Graham has looked like Brees' main target, as he has caught 80 passes for 1,101 yards and eight touchdowns. He is currently leading the Saints in all three categories, as he has developed into one of the best up-and-coming tight ends in the NFL.
With his 1,000-yard season, he has become the first Saints tight end ever to reach that plateau and it looks like he could go over that mark over and over again.
Standing at 6'7", Graham is a freakish athlete that also has a great pair of hands, as he is one of the best receiving tight ends in the game right now. He also has extraordinary leaping abilities, which makes him a great vertical threat, especially with his stature. Graham is also one of the scariest players on short-yard and goal-line situations, as he practically towers over every opposing linebacker and cornerback.
Clearly, Graham will flourish in the next few seasons, as he hasn't even reached his full potential. He also has Drew Brees as his quarterback, who is one of the best at his position with majority thanks going to Sean Payton, the team's head coach and offensive mastermind. With the stats he's providing, it also looks like he'll surpass Antonio Gates as the league's best tight end and Tony Gonzalez before him.So, all of this brings me to the point I've been trying to make: Basketball players seem to make exceptional tight ends in the NFL. Basketball players are already very athletic -- and they also seem to have a great height and weight advantage over most defensive players. They are also much faster than linebackers, so they are able to run directly past them and into the third level of defenses. And when they get to that third level, they are able to reach over most cornerbacks and safeties.
When you look at it, these basketball-turned-football athletes are virtually unstoppable most of the time.
As of right now, it seems like a great idea to use a mid-to-late round selection on a former basketball player in hopes that they turn into the next Antonio Gates or Tony Gonzalez or Jimmy Graham. These players have paved the way for future athletes that have never thought of playing professional football
The height and freaky athleticism that these players possess makes them diamonds in the rough, and it seems like they will succeed, if they are given the chance to perform. Once you look at the statistics, these basketball-turned-football athletes are three-for-three when it comes to success. No players that have been continually used or placed in a starting role have been mediocre -- they've been spectacular.
So, it appears to be worth it to use a mid-round selection on a developmental player that could potentially make it as a tight end in the NFL. In the future, you will see more teams go this route in hopes of finding the next diamond in the rough.
