Basketball Report: Weekly Update on Active NFL Players Who Were College Hoopsters
September 26th, 2012 - 20:36
The NFL Injury Report comes out in mid-week but it isn't nearly as important to genuine hoop fans as the NFL Basketball Report. Veteran tight end Tony Gonzalez, who excelled in the 1997 NCAA playoffs with California, is off to a splendid start with the Atlanta Falcons. Luminaries Donovan McNabb (Syracuse), Terrell Owens (Chattanooga) and Jason Taylor (Akron) are gone, but the NFL still boasts the following versatile players who previously were college hoopsters:
| Player | Pos. | NFL Team | College(s) | Summary of 2012 NFL Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Barwin | OLB | Houston Texans | Cincinnati | six tackles but no sacks (after 11 1/2 last year) |
| Demetress Bell | OT | Philadelphia Eagles | Northwestern State | newcomer after signing 5-year deal in off-season following 30 starts with Buffalo Bills the previous three seasons |
| Jordan Cameron | TE | Cleveland Browns | Brigham Young/Southern California | five pass receptions for 45 yards |
| Demar Dotson | RT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Southern Mississippi | 6-9 lineman started two of first three games |
| London Fletcher | LB | Washington Redskins | Saint Francis, PA/John Carroll, OH | 22 tackles (14 solo/8 assists) and one interception in 15th season |
| Antonio Gates | TE | San Diego Chargers | Kent State | seven pass receptions for career-low average of 9.3 yards per catch |
| Tony Gonzalez | TE | Atlanta Falcons | California | team-high 21 pass receptions and three touchdowns |
| Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans Saints | Miami, FL | team-high three touchdowns (17 catches for 172 yards with long of 23) |
| Todd Heap | TE | Arizona Cardinals | Arizona State | eight receptions for 94 yards (long of 28 yards) |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Northern Colorado | team highs of 10 receptions and 204 yards with one touchdown |
| Evan Moore | TE | Seattle Seahawks | Stanford | first season in NW after three years with the Cleveland Browns, including four touchdowns in 2011 |
| Julius Peppers | DE | Chicago Bears | North Carolina | seven solo tackles and 2.5 sacks |
| Julius Thomas | TE | Denver Broncos | Portland State | second-year backup hopes to get a start similar to last season |
| Kendall Wright | WR | Tennessee Titans | Baylor | rookie has team-high 14 pass receptions (one for a touchdown) |