Photo Credit: AP Photo
In the sixth round of the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers. The 22-year-old will play tight end. The 6’7, 290 lbs Gathers played power forward for Baylor for all four years. Initial reports suggested he would spend his last year of college eligibility playing football under Baylor head coach Art Briles, but Gathers announced his decision to declare for the NFL Draft in March.
The move may seem surprising to some considering Gathers hasn’t played football since middle school. However, throughout his career at Baylor, many mentions were made of a potential NFL career, often from commentators. He did not hold a pro day for scouts until last week, much later than most draftees. Gathers was spotted working with NFL quarterback Matt Flynn. Joining the Cowboys is a great fit because he will not be expected to be a starter anytime soon and he can watch one of the best to ever play the position, Jason Witten.
“He’s a guy who came on the radar here recently,” Dallas coach Jason Garrett said. “He’s just very impressive physically. Clearly he is determined to do this. At the bottom of our draft, we felt this was a worthwhile opportunity for use to take a shot at somebody.”
Gathers joins many other former basketball players in the NFL. Several other players have made the transition from college basketball to NFL tight end successfully, including Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham, and Julius Thomas. Gathers led the Big 12 in rebounding his junior season and averaged 11.2 points and 8.97 rebounds his senior season.
