College football and March Madness might be thought of as opposite ends of the college sports spectrum, but there are plenty of two-sport stars who can prove that it just isn’t true. Here’s a rundown of five college football stars who also managed to play in the NCAA Tournament.
Julius Thomas, Portland State
Thomas is an unusual case as he didn’t play both sports at the same time. He started in hoops, The 6’5″ forward from Portland State played in 121 college basketball games, averaging 6.8 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He played in the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Tournaments, scoring four points against Kansas in ’08, but seeing his team lose both games.
Thomas then played football in 2010 and caught 29 passes for 453 yards and showed enough skill to get picked by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the NFL Draft. A two-time Pro Bowl pick in the NFL, Thomas knows ball.
Jimmy Graham, Miami
Another two-sport tight end, Graham also started in basketball, playing four years at the U and averaging 4.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 120 contests. The 6’7″ Graham played in two NCAA Tournament games in 2008, scoring nine points in a win over St. Mary’s and then six more in a second-round loss to Texas.
He played one college football season, catching 17 passes for 213 yards and five scores. Those red-zone skills got him a shot with the New Orleans Saints as a third-round pick and a two-time All-Pro career followed with 719 catches for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns.
Julius Peppers, North Carolina