CHARLOTTE, N.C. — “What’s up bro! I am beginning a program the place I am serving to athletic basketball guys transition to the NFL … TE/OL. Principally, I’m going via a database of fellows who match a sure mode that interprets to soccer and I feel you’ve an opportunity of constructing that transition. … If you happen to’re , let me know and we are able to chop it up.”
New Carolina Panthers tight finish Colin Granger thought it was a joke at first.
It was early March and the 6-foot-8, 245-pound heart at Coastal Carolina was ending his fifth season of school basketball at his third faculty when he bought the above message on Instagram from George Fant, an individual he’d by no means heard of, asking if he’d like to present the NFL a strive.
By no means thoughts that Granger hadn’t performed soccer for the reason that eighth grade. Fant was keen to fly him to Kentucky, put him up in his home, feed him together with his private chef and prepare him with the hope that at the least one NFL staff would have an interest.
“I used to be very skeptical,” Granger stated. “However he stated he was an NFL participant. He is bought a verified account. He has a following. So you possibly can clearly see he is an actual individual.
“However at first look of the message, I did suppose it was pretend.”
It was no joke. And fewer than a month later, not one, however 5 groups (the Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Houston Texans and Philadelphia Eagles) got here to Atlanta for Granger’s professional day earlier than the the Panthers signed him a number of days later.
For Granger, 23, it’s the starting of a whirlwind journey he by no means dreamed of.
For Fant, 32, it’s the starting of his dream of serving to different faculty basketball gamers transition to the NFL. Fant by no means performed faculty soccer, however in 2016, the Seahawks took an opportunity on the 6-5, 290-pound basketball participant out of Western Kentucky, including him as an undrafted free agent and creating him into an offensive sort out. He’s at present a free agent and has labored out for a number of groups this offseason.
Fant needs to start an academy for faculty basketball gamers, just like the NFL’s Worldwide Pathway Program that creates alternatives for athletes globally.
“I used to be guys like Jimmy Graham and Antonio Gates that made the leap,” Fant stated of school basketball gamers who turned profitable NFL tight ends. “I used to be one of many first guys to transition to offensive sort out.
“So that is undoubtedly going to be a full-time gig for me after soccer. For it to be our trial 12 months, and for our first and solely athlete to get a contract three days after his professional day, we’re clearly doing one thing proper.”
Fant’s dream started final season when a knee harm landed him on injured reserve in Seattle.
Whereas rehabbing, he put collectively a database of eight to 10 faculty basketball gamers who match the profile he felt might transition to the NFL. He narrowed the listing to 2.
Granger, who averaged 7.2 factors and 4.4 rebounds for the Chanticleers this previous season, caught Fant’s eye partly due to the best way he attacked the boards for offensive rebounds.
“These issues come from leverage,” Fant stated. “That was one in all my niches. In soccer it’s important to play with leverage. And offensive rebounds present you are a very robust participant.”
Panthers’ space scout Adam Maxie noticed that at Granger’s professional day. However what made basic supervisor Dan Morgan and coach Dave Canales snug with signing this venture participant was the historical past that they had with Fant when the three of them had been with the Seahawks.
“For myself, going to Seattle was large due to the tradition that they had,” Fant stated. “If you happen to have a look at Carolina, that is Seattle’s South. Them having the belief and perception in what I stated, which means an entire lot to me and what I convey to the sport.”
Granger is not the primary faculty basketball participant the Panthers took an opportunity on.
Chris Manhertz hadn’t performed a down of soccer earlier than going to the Buffalo Payments in 2015 as an undrafted rookie out of Canisius. He was claimed by Carolina in October of 2016 and began 26 video games in 5 seasons.
He just lately re-signed with the New York Giants after beginning 11 video games for them in 2024. He loves what Fant is doing to encourage extra faculty basketball gamers to present the NFL a shot.
“It will likely be helpful, simply the runway of fellows prior to now and their monitor document,” Manhertz stated. “Guys like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham and myself that made the transition, so it reveals it is not unattainable.”
Gates is probably the most well-known amongst a brief listing of basketball gamers who went to the NFL with no faculty soccer expertise. He turned an eight-time Professional Bowl choice and is part of the 2025 Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame class.
Manhertz, primarily identified for his blocking, stated it takes a singular potential to turn into an elite go catcher as Gates did. He reminded it is not straightforward to go from basketball to going through a charging security on a go over the center.
“The physicality and mentality is completely totally different,” he stated. “Soccer is a violent, collision sport. I sort of simply needed to rewire how I approached my coaching, my approach and even my mindset, figuring out it is a gladiator recreation.”
Granger, who performed working again and tight finish earlier than placing his whole deal with basketball after the eighth grade, cannot watch for his first hit.
“I need to get it out of the best way,” stated Granger, who was listed at Coastal Carolina at 6-9 with sneakers and 225 kilos earlier than including weight with Fant. “It would damage. It may not. I am a reasonably large dude, too, so individuals are going to get hit by me as nicely.”
Fant would not see contact as a difficulty for Granger after the numerous hours of learning him on tape and YouTube movies.
“If you happen to watch, you may see that man’s a banger,” Fant stated. “He isn’t afraid to run into the paint at full velocity. And he isn’t working round folks. He is attempting to run via them.
“These are all issues I am on the lookout for once I’m going via the method. I am not on the lookout for guys that keep away from contact. I am on the lookout for guys who love contact, who can create contact … [things] that present me you are a bodily participant.”
Granger is glad he took Fant’s preliminary message significantly sufficient to comply with up, as a substitute of heading to Europe to pursue taking part in skilled basketball.
He believes Fant will open the door for others like him. He nonetheless cannot imagine 5 groups confirmed up for his professional day.
“George saved explaining to me, ‘Dude, this by no means occurs. Like, it is unimaginable that 5 groups got here out right here to see you,'” Granger stated. “He simply discovered me chilly.
“George is aware of his stuff. So whereas I used to be skeptical at first, you by no means know what is going on to occur now.”
