Colin Granger finished his five-year college basketball career at Coastal Carolina. He’ll now try his hand at pro football.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β Sometimes you have to think outside the box to find greatness. At least that’s what Carolina Panthers fans are hoping, as the team announced Monday that it signed former college basketball player Colin Granger.Β
Granger, who played as a center for five seasons at Ohio, Western Kentucky and Coastal Carolina, has never actually played football. But he was a Division I athlete, so there’s at least enough there that the team figured it’s worth a shot to see what he can do in camp.Β
Granger, who stands 6-foot-9, would be the tallest player on the Panthers roster. He’s a 52% shooter and picked up 322 rebounds over his career, including 137 in his final season at Coastal Carolina. He joins fellow tight ends Tommy Tremble, Jordan Matthews, Ja’Tavion Sanders, James Mitchell and Dominique Dafney on Carolina’s current roster.Β
It’s not unheard of for a college basketball player to give pro football a chance. Hall of Fame tight end Antonio Gates gave up college football when former Michigan State coach Nick Saban wanted him to quit basketball. Instead, he wound up leading Kent State to the Elite Eight before signing with the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent.Β
Jimmy Graham, another star NFL tight end, only played one season of college football before he was drafted by the Saints in 2010.Β
Of course, it’s unrealistic to expect that kind of career from Granger, but an athlete changing sports at this stage of their career isn’t new.Β
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