Cowboys see big improvement in ex-basketball player Rico Gathers

[Stash]

The Cowboys took former Baylor basketball player Rico Gathers in the sixth round of last year’s draft even though he hadn’t played football in college, or even in high school. And even though Gathers never got on the field as a rookie, they think that gamble is going to pay off.

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett says a year on the practice squad did Gathers a world of good, and he now appears to be ready to play tight end in the NFL.

“You think about where he was, coming from last year,” Garrett said, via the Star-Telegram. “He hadn’t played football since junior high, and he had done a really good job working out, trying to understand and get better at the fundamentals of the game away from here, but once he got here, it’s a different story. He came to work every day, and you saw him get better. He’s a very different player in all ways. He’s grown up in a lot of different ways that will help him become a better player this year.”

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.co...ovement-in-ex-basketball-player-rico-gathers/

I love what it says at the end. "If Smith and Gathers are able to live up to their promise, that Cowboys 2016 draft class could be legendary."

And that's not even mentioning Charles Tapper.

 

[jobberone]

Round 1, pick No. 4: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Round 2, pick No. 34: Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame
Round 3, pick No. 34: Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska
Round 4, pick No. 101: Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma|
Round 4, pick No. 135: Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Round 6, pick No. 189: Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue
Round 6, pick No.212: Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan
Round 6, pick No. 216: Darius Jackson, RB, Eastern Michigan
Round 6, pick No. 217: Rico Gathers, TE, Baylor

Great haul and still waiting on Smith, Tapper and Gathers to show.

 

[Texas_Pete]

 

[manster4ever]

Round 1, pick No. 4: Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
Round 2, pick No. 34: Jaylon Smith, OLB, Notre Dame
Round 3, pick No. 34: Maliek Collins, DT, Nebraska
Round 4, pick No. 101: Charles Tapper, DE, Oklahoma|
Round 4, pick No. 135: Dak Prescott, QB, Mississippi State
Round 6, pick No. 189: Anthony Brown, CB, Purdue
Round 6, pick No.212: Kavon Frazier, S, Central Michigan
Round 6, pick No. 216: Darius Jackson, RB, Eastern Michigan
Round 6, pick No. 217: Rico Gathers, TE, Baylor

Great haul and still waiting on Smith, Tapper and Gathers to show.

Man...if you think about it, we could hit on ALL of them. Sure, Jackson is gone but he's still in the league the last I knew. Unreal.

 

[CCBoy]

...,

 

[Macnalty]

Man...if you think about it, we could hit on ALL of them. Sure, Jackson is gone but he's still in the league the last I knew. Unreal.

I still hear regret when the FO mentions Jackson playing for the Browns.

 

[lostar2009]

I still hear regret when the FO mentions Jackson playing for the Browns.

I don't know why they got cute with him and try to ps him.

 

[Setackin]

I don't know why they got cute with him and try to ps him.

Seriously... he had nice upside. I still think he could/will make have a decent career in the nfl

 

[TheCount]

I don't know why they got cute with him and try to ps him.

True and even beyond that, why carry him for so long and then try to do that? That whole situation was a real head scratcher for me.

They probably just got cocky with Zeke on the roster.

 

[Alexander]

There are more than a few teams who have tried the basketball player to TE thing. Both KC and Indianapolis have their own versions in Demetrius Harris and Tyrone Swoopes.

This is not a new thing we are attempting. Judging by the progress by the other two, that is what you can expect with Gathers.

 

[Bleu Star]

I still hear regret when the FO mentions Jackson playing for the Browns.

We should have never let that dude slip away.

 

[FaSho]

I bet Jackson is cut by the Browns after training camp. People make a big deal over losing a 6th round pick who showed nothing in preseason.

 

[jazzcat22]

And the legend of Darius Jackson lives on....if he was really that good and the FO thought so, they would have found a way to keep him on the roster.
And I never heard anyone in the FO mention his name since he was released and claimed by the Browns.

People...let it go....

 

[SilverStarCowboy]

Darius Jackson is a bad man.

 

[MrMom]

https://sportsday.***BANNED-URL***/...mes-better-start-year-2-transition-basketball

"Honestly, I feel like I'm a thousand times better than what I was," Gathers said. "That was like a baby walking into a business office, trying to run a business."

Before retiring in the offseason, former tight ends coach Mike Pope told Gathers that his work ethic would lead to him one day becoming a Pro Bowl tight end.

Pope was one of many who saw what Gathers is capable of during practices last season, specifically when Tony Romo was working with the scout team.

"Having a guy like Tony Romo in your corner, believing in you, seeing your potential and maximizing it during that time we had, that was a surreal moment," Gathers said. "He'd keep me after practice and have me work on certain routes and stuff like that. I couldn't ask for a better situation than having him work with me and just taking the time out to really mold me [and] just getting the basics down for me."
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"This dude here," Irvin said during the broadcast, "he looks like Zeus."

Gathers said that ever since Irvin made that comment, Zeus has been his weight room nickname among teammates.

"When you get people like Michael Irvin saying that, that's how you get things going," Gathers said. "Hopefully that's what people will be saying, whenever I make plays, 'Zeuuussssss!'

"It would be cool to hear that. Bring back that Zeus moment."

 

[LocimusPrime]

I bet Jackson is cut by the Browns after training camp. People make a big deal over losing a 6th round pick who showed nothing in preseason.

Yeah I visited a Browns forum and they didn't seem so excited about him. Couldn't find any mention of him on the first 8 pages of threads

 

[NotForLong]

Yeah I visited a Browns forum and they didn't seem so excited about him. Couldn't find any mention of him on the first 8 pages of threads

For many years people from Cleveland were unable to judge football talent

(This year may have changed all that)

Cheers to The New Staff

 

[Deep_Freeze]

With all this arrogant talk, I'm wondering who will get in the HOF first, Rico or Jaylon.

 

[PJTHEDOORS]

I still hear regret when the FO mentions Jackson playing for the Browns.

Regret what? That he didn't show anything special to be on the 53.

 

[Macnalty]

Regret what? That he didn't show anything special to be on the 53.

More like when they released Matt Moore the QB, in 2007 he was a UDFA they were hoping to slip through waivers and got picked up by the Panthers. Sometimes they get too cute. I think Jackson was one of those cute times. I agree he looked like chopped liver compared to the leading rusher in the league as rookie.