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So this is cool: Penn State's Ross Travis has declared for the 2015 Draft. Of course, Travis -- who played basketball for the Nittany Lions for four years and is third in school history in rebounding -- isn't much of an NBA Draft prospect, because he's a bit undersized for a power forward and only averaged 5.5 points and 6.3 rebounds a game last year.
Instead, it was announced today that Travis has declared for the 2015 NFL Draft. The announcement came from the official Penn State basketball Twitter account, while basketball coach Pat Chambers tweeted out a picture of Travis working out.
Ross Travis has officially entered his name in the 2015 draft … the NFL draft that is. pic.twitter.com/8tq3vj5tL2
— Penn State Hoops (@PennStateMBB) April 14, 2015
Goodluck to Ross Travis in preparation for @nfl draft - enjoyed watching workout today! pic.twitter.com/ChvaUiywwh
— Patrick Chambers (@Coach_Chambers) April 14, 2015
According to BTN.com, a Penn State spokesperson said that Travis is 10 years old in that picture, and he hasn't played football since he was a freshman in high school.
There is plenty of precedent for this: guys like San Diego tight end Antonio Gates, Seattle tight end Jimmy Graham, Green Bay defensive end Julius Peppers and former Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb all played basketball in college. However, Travis hasn't played football in years, while all of the aforementioned players played football in college, save for Gates, who gave up football after his senior year of high school.
Fortunately for Travis, he does have the size and athleticism to be a solid NFL tight end. We all know that he's a crazy athlete (sup, A.J. Hammons?), but his size (6'7") could make him a matchup nightmare, especially if he adds some weight to his 225-pound frame and can learn how to catch/block/run routes/do all the little things that tight ends do. Of course, he could play somewhere else on the field, but based on the report that he has worked with Christian Hackenberg, it's safe to assume that he wants to be a pass catcher at the next level.
All of us wish you the best of luck, Ross. We can't wait to buy your Pro Bowl jersey in five years.