Former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers is traveling an unorthodox path in an effort to claim an NFL roster spot, but not too unorthodox for the Dallas Cowboys to at least give him a look.
Gathers will work out for the club on Wednesday, according to ESPN's Mike Triplett.
Gathers (6-foot-8, 275 pounds) was a standout power forward for a Bears basketball team that reached the NCAA Tournament in March. He wants a pro career on the gridiron, as a tight end trying to follow the trail blazed by basketball-turned-NFL players such as Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham. He's a longshot to get drafted, but after attending the New Orleans Saints' pro day for local prospects, he now has the attention of the Cowboys. Gathers announced last week that he'll have a pro day at the Saints' practice facility on April 25.
The 2016 NFL Draft will be held April 28-30 in Chicago. For hopefuls like Gathers, being chosen on the final day of the seven-round draft is a best-case scenario, and the more likely one is a training camp invitation as an undrafted free agent.
He's also not the only athlete trying to get a training-camp opportunity without the college football background typically required. Former NBA basketball star Nate Robinson wants to try his hand as a cornerback, and Terron Beckham, the cousin of New York Giants star Odell Beckham, Jr., is trying to go from personal trainer and fitness model to NFL player. Beckham put on quite a show at a recent pro-day workout for NFL scouts.
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