Through the years, Baylor has put plenty of talent into the NFL. Robert Griffin III, Terrence Williams and Josh Gordon are all former Bears who have big moments in the league (although Gordon's time there appears to be ticking) and those guys could be joined by Corey Coleman and Andrew Billings, both potential first round picks this year as well.
However, there hasn't been a more intriguing Baylor prospect in years than one who will be on full display Monday: Rico Gathers, a former star for the Bears' on the basketball team, who is trying to make the transition to football.
And after a few short weeks training, Gathers will have a big-time workout on Monday afternoon, according to NFL.com:
Twenty-four teams will send representatives to the Saints' facility on Monday to witness the pro day for former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers, one the more intriguing prospects of the year. The list of attendees includes several offensive coordinators, a handful of tight end coaches, executives and many scouts.
As Gathers proved on the court these past few years, he will give whichever NFL team ends up drafting or signing him, plenty to work with. Gathers is a legitimate 6'8, and as we saw on the hardwood, is nimble, with quick feet, and isn't afraid to mix it up. He averaged a team-high nine rebounds this year, and was one of the nation's leaders in the same category two seasons ago when he averaged close to 12 a game. Also, as the author of the piece Ian Rapoport mentions, he has no bad habits NFL teams will need to break.
Not to mention that there is a strong track record of turning former collegiate basketball stars into productive NFL tight ends. We all know the names, but they're worth repeating here: Tony Gonzalez, Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham all took a route to the gridiron straight from the hardwood.
So will Gathers be next on that list? Only time will tell.
But it seems like it will be worth the gamble for one NFL team.
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