CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — The Panthers made a big splash by signing a player show has never played organized football to its training camp roster.
The team reported Monday that it signed Colin Granger, who at 6-foot-8, 245 pounds, played center for several college basketball teams over the last five years, as a tight end. Granger started his career at Ohio University, playing two years for the Bobcats, before playing two years at Western Carolina, then finishing his career at Coastal Carolina this past season.
At Coastal, he averaged 7.2 points per game, 4.4 rebounds and shot 58 percent from the field, with a season-high 20 points and 12 rebounds against NAIA school Warner University. Over his five-year career, he amassed 322 rebounds.
Granger would be the tallest player on the Panthers’ roster.
“This isn’t surprising for me knowing Colin,” CCU men’s basketball coach Justin Gray said in a 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.”
The Panthers tight end room now sits at six. Granger will join Tommy Tremble, Ja’Tavion Sanders, Jordan Matthews, James Mitchell and Dominique Dafney.
Granger has the chance to follow in the footsteps of other NFL tight ends who had little to no football experience. Goldsboro native Jimmy Graham went to the University of Miami to play basketball, and didn’t play football until his senior season in 2009. But he was drafted in the third round and was a five-time Pro Bowler between stints with the Saints and Seahawks.
The most successful person in this camp is Antonio Gates, who only played college basketball at Kent State, then after going undrafted, became a first-ballot Hall of Famer from his illustrious career with the Chargers.