The Oakland Raiders have signed free-agent tight end Andre Hardy, who played basketball at Cal State Fullerton for the past two years, according to the team's official website.
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Hardy, a San Diego native, transferred to Cal State Fullerton after playing two seasons of basketball at Oral Roberts, but he hasn't played football since high school. His father, Andre, played parts of three seasons in the NFL as a running back with the Philadelphia Eagles, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers.
Hardy (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) earned the Big West Conference Newcomer of the Year award as a junior after averaging 10.6 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game. He played in 16 games as a senior.
Hardy, 25, becomes the fourth tight end on Oakland's roster, joining David Ausberry, Richard Gordon and Brandon Myers.
New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, who played basketball at the University of Miami, had a breakout NFL season in 2011 with 99 receptions for 1,310 yards and 11 touchdowns. Pro Bowl tight ends Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers and Tony Gonzalez of the Atlanta Falcons also played basketball in college.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
