Summer is on its way out, which means football season is here. High schools and colleges across the country officially begin their seasons this week if they haven’t started already, and the NFL isn’t far behind them with their season-opening game kicking off a week from Thursday.
You might be wondering why Ballislife, a basketball-focused media company, is presenting you with this information. That’s because basketball and football have a deep tie that bonds them, as many NFL stars had hoop dreams before they hit the gridiron and several NBA players were legitimate football talents themselves.
In the first part of a multi-part series exploring the connection between football and basketball over the next few weeks, we examine the college basketball-to-NFL pipeline, which has been somewhat rich throughout history. From a specific position on the field that has been historically defined by ex-hoopers who brought their hardwood skills to the turf, to some players you never would have guessed got some run with their respective college hoops teams, the connection between college hoops and the NFL has been a noteworthy one for quite some time now.
In fact, we’ve been following “Grid-Hoopers” for decades and each year name a special high school athlete our annual Grid-Hoop Player of the Year. Who is the greatest Grid-Hooper of all-time?
College Hoops To The NFL
From The Hardwood To The Hall
Just last month, former Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates was inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame despite never playing a down of college football. The reason? He was a stand-out basketball player at Kent State University who passed on playing for Nick Saban at Michigan State when he was told he had to give up hoop.
When Gates’ options in basketball dried up after his run at Kent State, he organized an NFL tryout. He received substantial feedback, eventually signing with the San Diego Chargers and immortalizing himself as one of the great tight ends in the history of the sport. Gates was a three-time NFL first-team All-Pro and a two-time second-teamer, in addition to earning eight consecutive Pro Bowl nods and a spot on the NFL 2000s All Decade List.
Tight End Connection
Gates was a trailblazer of sorts, revolutionizing a basketball-to-tight end pipeline that saw another college hooper become an NFL star with little college football experience. Former New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler Jimmy Graham played just one season of football at the University of Miami but played four seasons for the Hurricanes’ basketball team, starting 40 games in 120 appearances during his time in Coral Gables.
Graham emerged as a second-team All-Pro during his second NFL season in 2011, racking up career-highs with 99 receptions and 1,310 yards. Graham eventually earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2013, posting a stat line that included a career-high 16 touchdowns. Had Graham not had to compete with a record-breaking season from Rob Gronkowski in 2011, he’d likely be a two-time first-team All-Pro.
Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez is also another example of the historically prominent connection between college basketball and the tight end position. Gonzalez played three seasons of college basketball at Cal while also excelling on the football field, helping the Bears reach the 1996 Sweet Sixteen before falling to North Carolina.
The college hoops-to-tight end connection continues in the NFL to this day with Mo Alie-Cox of the Indianapolis Colts. Alie-Cox was a star power forward for the VCU Rams from 2013-14 to 2016-17, earning third-team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a senior and earning three straight A10 All-Defensive teams nods during his sophomore, junior, and senior seasons. Alie-Cox made his debut with the Colts in 2018 and has remained a steady fixture with the franchise since, catching 114 passes for 1,433 yards and 15 touchdowns throughout his first seven NFL seasons.
Other Players With Hoop Dreams
Former Carolina Panthers star defensive end Julius Peppers is an example of a guy who tried to play both basketball and football in college, but eventually chose to focus his efforts fully on football before making it to the NFL. Peppers wasn’t quite a star on the hardwood at North Carolina, but he did record 21 points and 10 rebounds in an NCAA Tournament Round of 32 loss to Penn State in the last organized basketball game he ever played in March 2001.
Amazingly, Peppers had another teammate at North Carolina with more than just hoop dreams in Ronald Curry, who was gifted enough to be considered a high school National Player of the Year level athlete in both sports at Hampton (Va.). Many still feel Curry is the best high school football player they’ve ever seen, better than his contemporary Michael Vick, who was playing at Ferguson High School in Newport News, Virginia, at that same time.
An easy choice for 1997-98 Grid-Hoop Player of the Year, Curry was also named Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year in hoops. He eventually chose North Carolina over Virginia, where he played quarterback for four years and was a member of the basketball team for two seasons. Even though he never developed into a top-flight quarterback, he still made it to the NFL as a wide receiver, catching 193 passes and 13 touchdowns throughout his career.
Former Indiana quarterback Antwaan Randel-El, who was a Heisman contender for a few seasons in the early 2000s, played both basketball and baseball for the Hoosiers before becoming a Super Bowl-winning wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers (who ironically threw for a touchdown in that Super Bowl 40 win over the Seattle Seahawks).
Then you have former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, who spent two seasons playing as a walk-on for coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse University while making his way as an NFL prospect at the Carrier Dome as well. McNabb didn’t make any meaningful contributions, but he was along for the ride on Cuse’s 1996 NCAA Tournament run that ended with a loss to Rick Pitino and Kentucky in the national championship game.
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