KU Aaron Rodgers Might have Jump-started NFL Career of Kansas Basketball Player

rico · 05-02-2014, 01:19 PM

Thought this was interesting.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/packers...34994-nfl.html

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers might have jump-started NFL career of Kansas basketball player Tarik BlackIt started at the airport.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran into Kansas basketball coach Bill Self last year and got himself invited to a game.

Rodgers came to Lawrence in January, gave a pep talk to the Jayhawks, and met the players.

Tarik Black, a forward in his senior season, picks up the tale from there:

.
Tarik Black threw his weight around in the paint as a player at Kansas. (AP)

"Green Bay is my favorite team. I told him, 'Hey, I understand you're hurt; we need you healthy. We need a championship.' Then he says, 'You should help me win it. Come play some tight end.' So I say, 'Give me a contract and make it happen.' "

Black thought the whole interchange was a joke.

Apparently Rodgers did not.

The Packers passer went to Self and said, "I want to throw balls at him and see what he can do." And considering Black is 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, and had more than one foul for every two points last season, that made sense. (The Kansas bio calls him "a bruising forward.")

It all just shocked Black.

"One of the guys in our media department said, 'Aaron Rodgers likes you. Likes you a lot,'" he recalls.

Black laughed it off. Then he heard this:

"No, he really likes you. He wants you to try out for Green Bay."

It still didn't register. Even when Black was handed Rodgers' cell phone number, he refused to text the former MVP for a month. "I didn't know what to say," he explains. Black's roommate had to nudge him into it. Finally he composed a message:

"Just wanted to see if you were serious," Black wrote.

"I'm definitely interested," Rodgers wrote back. "If there's something I can do, let me know."

Soon, Black was on the phone with a Packers scout, and still bewildered by the whole episode.

Adding to the bewilderment was this little factoid about Tarik Black: he has no football experience.

"Zero," says his new agent, Chad Wiestling.

Black gets the slightest bit defensive when asked about his football background.

"I plead the Fifth," he says.

He did play some growing up in Memphis, but never in pads.

"I know what an out route is," Black says. "But certain terms I'd be like, 'Huh?'"

That hasn't stopped the intrigue. There has been an intense pursuit of converted basketball players ever since Antonio Gates became one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Jimmy Graham has emerged as a star for the Saints and Julius Thomas played in the Super Bowl in February. Now Black has been scouted by Aaron Rodgers.

Both Black and Wiestling say three NFL teams have expressed interest. One unnamed team, in fact, showed its zeal by asking the NBA team in the city it shares to reach out to Wiestling for Black's number. His agency actually got a call from an NBA team on behalf of an NFL team.

"Pretty cool, pretty cool," says Black.

So what does this mean? It's unlikely Black gets drafted next week but it is possible he gets invited to a rookie minicamp. If that happens, Black says he would lean toward going. There is, however, another sport with a draft this summer.

"Basketball is my love," Black says. "I'm definitely going to put effort into making basketball my life. But an opportunity presented itself and I want that opportunity to hold."

Even if he has to settle for chasing only one of his one-in-a-million dreams, Black still has the phone number of his favorite player on his favorite team. That's something.

"It'll be cool to text Aaron Rodgers," he says.

**RealSNR** · 05-02-2014, 01:27 PM

Honestly, he probably has a better shot of catching on with football than he does basketball as a professional career.

rico · 05-02-2014, 01:36 PM

I always wonder about how well someone like Lebron James could do in the NFL. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure he was a badass WR in HS.

Why Not? · 05-02-2014, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico

I always wonder about how well someone like Lebron James could do in the NFL. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure he was a badass WR in HS.

Lebron's a freak athlete. He would take maybe a season to get the play book and idiosyncrasies down and then I bet he would rape face in the NFL

Halfcan · 05-02-2014, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico

I always wonder about how well someone like Lebron James could do in the NFL. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure he was a badass WR in HS.

Pretty sure he would push his self to be the best at whatever he chose to do.

**Fire Me Boy!** · 05-02-2014, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico

That hasn't stopped the intrigue. There has been an intense pursuit of converted basketball players ever since Antonio Gates became one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Jimmy Graham has emerged as a star for the Saints and Julius Thomas played in the Super Bowl in February. Now Black has been scouted by Aaron Rodgers.

Here I always thought Tony G. was the beginning of that new breed of TE......

Deberg_1990 · 05-02-2014, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rico

I always wonder about how well someone like Lebron James could do in the NFL. If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure he was a badass WR in HS.

Randy Moss could ball!

Valiant · 05-02-2014, 02:06 PM

I bet tonyG is pissed he did not get mentioned in the article above. HOF Gates got it. lol.

See, I think there comes a point when someone is too tall for offense, some of the hits that Lebrons legs would take. I think he would do great as a LB though. I think 6'5 or 6'6 would be tops imo. Well, unless lebron had olympic track speed at his size.

DeepSouth · 05-02-2014, 02:07 PM

Didn't Peyton Manning catch some grief for visiting The Crimson Tide in the off season? How can Rogers do it without catching the same grief?

**RealSNR** · 05-02-2014, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

Here I always thought Tony G. was the beginning of that new breed of TE......

I ****ing hate Antonio Gates. I really ****ing do.

You're right. He WASN'T the first. Gonzalez was.

It's Gonzalez that still holds all those future HOF records for a TE. Is Gates even close in a few categories? Plus that soft bitch is breaking down like an 80-year old hooker. I imagine that dude will have to call it quits pretty soon and be short of all of those Gonzalez records.

Jimmy Graham's got a VERY good shot at claiming the spot of best HOF TE in history one day. But Gates does not.

Yet all ****faces can talk about is, "Buhr Antonio Gates was like the forefather of the new position"

**RealSNR** · 05-02-2014, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

Didn't Peyton Manning catch some grief for visiting The Crimson Tide in the off season? How can Rogers do it without catching the same grief?

Because Manning is a ****faced piece of shit douchebag. That's why.

DeepSouth · 05-02-2014, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Because Manning is a ****faced piece of shit douchebag. That's why.

SNR, have you ever considered "Anger Management"? You might not be as riled up as you sound but, it sounds like you take things a little too seriously.

Valiant · 05-02-2014, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

Didn't Peyton Manning catch some grief for visiting The Crimson Tide in the off season? How can Rogers do it without catching the same grief?

Actually I thought about reading the article.

Outside of the 1.1 team drafting who they think they are going to draft I didn't think it was ok.

hopefully they lose a pick.

**RealSNR** · 05-02-2014, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeepSouth

SNR, have you ever considered "Anger Management"? You might not be as riled up as you sound but, it sounds like you take things a little too seriously.

Nah. I'm not a fan of Adam Sandler movies.

DeepSouth · 05-02-2014, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SNR

Nah. I'm not a fan of Adam Sandler movies.

Hah !! That's funny..........

05-02-2014, 01:19 PM
rico ON CP YOU’RE SOMEBODY’S BITCH! Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Da SEI Casino cash: $4654809	Aaron Rodgers Might have Jump-started NFL Career of Kansas Basketball Player Thought this was interesting. http://sports.yahoo.com/news/packers...34994-nfl.html Packers QB Aaron Rodgers might have jump-started NFL career of Kansas basketball player Tarik BlackIt started at the airport. Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ran into Kansas basketball coach Bill Self last year and got himself invited to a game. Rodgers came to Lawrence in January, gave a pep talk to the Jayhawks, and met the players. Tarik Black, a forward in his senior season, picks up the tale from there: . Tarik Black threw his weight around in the paint as a player at Kansas. (AP) "Green Bay is my favorite team. I told him, 'Hey, I understand you're hurt; we need you healthy. We need a championship.' Then he says, 'You should help me win it. Come play some tight end.' So I say, 'Give me a contract and make it happen.' " Black thought the whole interchange was a joke. Apparently Rodgers did not. The Packers passer went to Self and said, "I want to throw balls at him and see what he can do." And considering Black is 6-foot-9, 260 pounds, and had more than one foul for every two points last season, that made sense. (The Kansas bio calls him "a bruising forward.") It all just shocked Black. "One of the guys in our media department said, 'Aaron Rodgers likes you. Likes you a lot,'" he recalls. Black laughed it off. Then he heard this: "No, he really likes you. He wants you to try out for Green Bay." It still didn't register. Even when Black was handed Rodgers' cell phone number, he refused to text the former MVP for a month. "I didn't know what to say," he explains. Black's roommate had to nudge him into it. Finally he composed a message: "Just wanted to see if you were serious," Black wrote. "I'm definitely interested," Rodgers wrote back. "If there's something I can do, let me know." Soon, Black was on the phone with a Packers scout, and still bewildered by the whole episode. Adding to the bewilderment was this little factoid about Tarik Black: he has no football experience. "Zero," says his new agent, Chad Wiestling. Black gets the slightest bit defensive when asked about his football background. "I plead the Fifth," he says. He did play some growing up in Memphis, but never in pads. "I know what an out route is," Black says. "But certain terms I'd be like, 'Huh?'" That hasn't stopped the intrigue. There has been an intense pursuit of converted basketball players ever since Antonio Gates became one of the best tight ends in NFL history. Jimmy Graham has emerged as a star for the Saints and Julius Thomas played in the Super Bowl in February. Now Black has been scouted by Aaron Rodgers. Both Black and Wiestling say three NFL teams have expressed interest. One unnamed team, in fact, showed its zeal by asking the NBA team in the city it shares to reach out to Wiestling for Black's number. His agency actually got a call from an NBA team on behalf of an NFL team. "Pretty cool, pretty cool," says Black. So what does this mean? It's unlikely Black gets drafted next week but it is possible he gets invited to a rookie minicamp. If that happens, Black says he would lean toward going. There is, however, another sport with a draft this summer. "Basketball is my love," Black says. "I'm definitely going to put effort into making basketball my life. But an opportunity presented itself and I want that opportunity to hold." Even if he has to settle for chasing only one of his one-in-a-million dreams, Black still has the phone number of his favorite player on his favorite team. That's something. "It'll be cool to text Aaron Rodgers," he says.
Posts: 13,257

05-02-2014, 01:27 PM	#2
RealSNR Special Teams ACE!!! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Where the hell is SNR Casino cash: $2350208	Honestly, he probably has a better shot of catching on with football than he does basketball as a professional career.
Posts: 90,450

05-02-2014, 02:06 PM	#8
Valiant Valiant 'The Thread Killer' Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Kansas City Casino cash: $6402380	I bet tonyG is pissed he did not get mentioned in the article above. HOF Gates got it. lol. See, I think there comes a point when someone is too tall for offense, some of the hits that Lebrons legs would take. I think he would do great as a LB though. I think 6'5 or 6'6 would be tops imo. Well, unless lebron had olympic track speed at his size.
Posts: 18,354

05-02-2014, 02:07 PM	#9
DeepSouth War Eagle !!! Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Mobile, AL 36608 Casino cash: $9919387	Didn't Peyton Manning catch some grief for visiting The Crimson Tide in the off season? How can Rogers do it without catching the same grief?
Posts: 2,178