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[Saba Sports News] Devin Funchess is a name Carolina Panthers fans will remember, especially from their Super Bowl 50 run in 2016. NBA fans might not know him yet, but that could soon change. Funchess is on a mission to make history as the first NFL player to go pro in basketball.
Standing 6’4″, Funchess played tight end at Michigan before being drafted by the Panthers in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft.
They saw wide receiver potential, and he made an immediate impact, catching five TDs as a rookie and two more in the Super Bowl, becoming a favorite target for MVP Cam Newton. Over his NFL career, Funchess scored 21 times, spending over four years in the league, followed by stints on practice squads.
But basketball was always his first love, and now, at 30, Funchess believes it’s time for another pivot. After training with six-time All-Star Amar’e Stoudemire and playing overseas, he made history as the first NFL player to sign a professional basketball contract.
Currently playing in the Colombian league, Funchess is chasing a G League tryout, with his crossover attempt being the most significant since Charlie Ward’s.
Ward, a Heisman winner at FSU, chose basketball over football and became a reliable point guard for the New York Knicks, even starting in the 1999 NBA Finals. But unlike Ward, Funchess has already done the Super Bowl thing and is now ready to make waves in basketball.
Though the G League is a step below the NBA, Funchess is determined to shatter expectations, so fans of both sports should keep an eye on his journey.