May 01, 2006

Tall SWM seeks NFL franchise to start football career with.: Trying to follow in the footsteps of Antonio Gates, former UConn basketball forward Ed Nelson signed a two-year contract with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent. Proof that if you've got a standout vertical and an inkling of athleticism, the NFL is an option for you too.

posted by YukonGold to football at 02:18 PM - 6 comments

I guess they were wowed by his 4.95 40.

posted by bperk at 02:55 PM on May 01, 2006

Maybe an NFL team should pay the transfer fee for El Hadji Diouf, I can certainly see him as a banging free safety.

posted by billsaysthis at 03:03 PM on May 01, 2006

Or Peter Crouch in the NBA as a 'power forward'? Heh.

posted by owlhouse at 06:06 PM on May 01, 2006

I didn't realize he had a "standout vertical." My sister calls him the "Hatchet Man" from watching UConn games locally. Gates is not the first to be discovered this way. The Cowboys have a history of looking at athletes and not necessarily football players, especially in the Tex Schramm days.

posted by chuck'n'duck at 06:55 PM on May 01, 2006

Now Nelson isn't the only player to jump from NCAA hoops to an NFL team. Jai Lewis from George Mason was signed by the Giants. Based purely on basketball production, Lewis is a better prospect. He had 20/13 vs. UConn and 13/11 vs. Florida in the tournamnet.

posted by YukonGold at 08:53 AM on May 02, 2006

Was Gates as slow as these guys? I thought Gates was considered pretty fast. The NFL is a copycat league. If Gates transitioned from basketball to the NFL relatively easily, then it is worth the effort to find someone else who will.

posted by bperk at 11:31 AM on May 02, 2006

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