From the Kent Athletic site

KENT, Ohio --- Two former Kent State University football players and a former KSU basketball All-American have signed free-agent contracts with National Football League teams.


Football co-captains ROY ATTIEH (Boonton, N.J./Hargrave [Va.] Academy) and NASHVILLE DYER (Riviera Beach, Fla./Suncoast) will join the Pittsburgh Steelers, while ANTONIO GATES (Detroit, Mich./Central), an honorable mention basketball All-American, signed a two-year contract with the San Diego Chargers.

Good for him! :bluethumb:

Will the NFL allow Gates to continue to wear those orthopedic hose to hide his vericose veins?

Has a college basketball player who never played a down of football in college ever been drafted, or at least made an NFL team?

There are a lot of examples of athletes who played both professional football and baseball (think Deon Sanders or Brian Jordan), and Danny Ainge played in both the AL (Toronto Blue Jays) and NBA (Celtics).

Players like Julius Peppers could play some basketball, but were primarily football players. Charlie Ward quarterbacked and point guarded Florida State, then chose to play for the Knicks.

But all those guys played football in college. Gates hasn't played since high school.

I've got to give him credit, but I'd be looking for some nice European country in which to play some hoops for pay.

I don't remember BOB HAYES of the Dallas Cowboys ever playing a down of college football.

In baseball, I definitely remember track star HERB WASHINGTON being a "designated runner" for the Oakland A's. I'm almost sure he did not play baseball at Michigan State.

Any others?

The Niners had Renaldo Nehemiah (former world record holder in the 110 hurdles) at WR for several years. He was never as good as Bob Hayes, though.

Klingon288,

I agree, Gates is a long shot for the Chargers. But, it's a shot and the Chargers must see something. Plus, he can probably find that nice Eurpoean country to play hoops in after he tests the NFL. Those are two choices lots of folks would like to have.

Give it your best shot, 'Tone.

I should have thought of Bob Hayes and Renaldo Nehemiah.

FWIW, I actually saw Nehemiah run when I was an undergrad in Chapel Hill and he was running for Maryland at the ACC track meet. It was like a man against boys.