With their final pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys took a chance on a former basketball player. The 217th overall selection, Baylor All-American power forward Rico Gathers is trying to make the difficult transition from basketball to playing professional football as a tight end. It’s similar path that other success stories like San Diego’s Antonio Gates or Seattle’s Jimmy Graham have blazed before him.
Gathers hasn’t played organized football since the eighth grade. That was nine years ago. So, at this point, him making the Cowboys roster at the end of the preseason is not a certainty.