Panthers sign college hoops player who has never played football before

The newest Carolina Panther isn’t just new to the team — he’s new to the sport almost entirely.

The Panthers are signing Colin Granger after he spent five seasons playing basketball for three different colleges. He did not play football at any of the schools, and reportedly hasn’t in nearly a decade.

The 6-foot-9, 245-pound big man is looking to follow in the footsteps of legendary NFL tight ends such as Antonio Gates, Jimmy Graham and Tony Gonzalez, who all played college basketball before their football careers. 

Gates is the only one of the three, though, who, like Granger, did not play college football, as Graham and Gonzalez played both sports in college.

Current Indianapolis Colts tight end Mo Alie-Cox also notably played college basketball and not football.

While ESPN reported that Granger last played before even reaching high school, the Panthers’ release said “This is Granger’s first foray into football.”

Granger began his college basketball career at Ohio University, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Western Carolina for the next two years. He then finished his career at Coastal Carolina, where he played approximately 18 minutes per game this past season and averaged 7.2 points and 4.4 rebounds.

While the world is stunned by the signing, Coastal Carolina basketball head coach Justin Gray isn’t.

“This isn’t surprising for me knowing Colin,” Gray said in a press release. “He is one of the most committed athletes I’ve ever coached. I told him before he’d be successful in anything because he’s always been disciplined and attacks everything with all he has. Those are the ingredients that bring success, and he possesses those. He knows the work has just begun and we are all here to support him.”

Granger joins five other tight ends on Carolina’s roster, as he competes to become a target for quarterback Bryce Young.

Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, James Mitchell, and Dominique Dafney are the other five players at the position for the Panthers.

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Stephen Collopy

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