NFL Basketball Report: Summary of 2012 Active Players Who Were College Hoopsters
The NFL Injury Report is distributed in mid-week although it isn't nearly as important to genuine hoop fans as this NFL Basketball Report. Six ex-college hoopsters will participate in the NFL playoffs, including ageless wonders London Fletcher (15-year linebacker led Washington Redskins in tackles) and Tony Gonzalez (16-year tight end paced Atlanta Falcons in pass receptions).
Gonzalez, who excelled in 1997 NCAA playoffs with California before becoming the first tight end with 100 touchdowns, went on to secure his first NFL playoff victory. But perhaps culturally most important was Cleveland Browns TE Jordan Cameron hooking up with Erin Heatherton, a Victoria's Secret model who had been dating actor Leo DiCaprio. The NFL featured the following versatile players who previously were college hoopsters:
| Player | Pos. | NFL Team | College(s) | Summary of 2012 NFL Regular Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Barwin | OLB | Houston Texans | Cincinnati | 44 tackles (35 solo/9 assists) in fourth season but only three sacks (after 11 1/2 in 2011) |
| Demetress Bell | LOT | Philadelphia Eagles | Northwestern State | newcomer this season after signing 5-year deal following 30 starts with Buffalo Bills the previous three seasons |
| Jordan Cameron | TE | Cleveland Browns | Brigham Young/Southern California | second-stringer had 20 pass receptions for 226 yards (long of 28) and one TD in second campaign |
| Demar Dotson | RT | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Southern Mississippi | 6-9 lineman was a starter in fourth season |
| London Fletcher | ILB | Washington Redskins | Saint Francis, PA/John Carroll, OH | team-high 139 tackles (78 solo/61 assists) plus one fumble recovery, three sacks and five interceptions in 15th season |
| Antonio Gates | TE | San Diego Chargers | Kent State | 49 pass receptions for 538 yards (long of 34) and team-high seven touchdown catches in 10th year |
| Tony Gonzalez | TE | Atlanta Falcons | California | team-high 93 pass receptions for 930 yards (long of 25) and eight touchdowns in 16th campaign |
| Jimmy Graham | TE | New Orleans Saints | Miami (Fla.) | third-year pro had team-high 85 pass receptions for 982 yards (long of 46) and nine touchdowns |
| Todd Heap | TE | Arizona Cardinals | Arizona State | long-time Baltimore Raven had eight receptions for 94 yards (long of 28) in 12th season amid questions about why he didn't return from a knee injury |
| Vincent Jackson | WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Northern Colorado | league leader in yards per catch (19.2) posted team highs of 72 receptions, 1,384 yards (long of 95) and eight touchdowns in eighth campaign |
| Evan Moore | TE | Seattle Seahawks | Stanford | first season in NW for third-stringer (1 catch for six yards) after three years with the Cleveland Browns, including four touchdowns in 2011 |
| Julius Peppers | RDE | Chicago Bears | North Carolina | six-time Pro Bowler had 39 tackles (32 solo/7 assists) and team-high 11.5 sacks in 11th season (ranks fourth among active players in sacks) |
| Joe Reitz | LOG | Indianapolis Colts | Western Michigan | starter last two years has been hampered by concussions after stint on practice squad |
| Julius Thomas | TE | Denver Broncos | Portland State | second-year backup appeared in four contests and failed to get a start similar to rookie debut game last season |
| Kendall Wright | WR | Tennessee Titans | Baylor | rookie had team-high 64 pass receptions (for 626 yards and team-high four touchdowns/long of 38 yards) |