Jamie Skeen was named NCAA Southwest Regional MVP during VCU’s march to the Final Four in 2011.
I had a chance to talk to former Ram Jamie Skeen last week. He’s playing professionally in Israel, and it’s been a difficult year over there for Skeen, one of the heroes of VCU’s Final Four run. You can read more about that by picking up a game program at the Longwood or Fairleigh Dickinson games later this month.
But I saved one tidbit for the blog because I was short on space and it didn’t necessarily fit with the tone of the program piece. At some point in our conversation, he told me he planned on trying out for the NFL this summer. I chuckled at first, not sure if he was being facetious. I mean, Jamie can be pretty funny when he wants, and I already knew he was a huge Carolina Panthers fan. But Skeen insisted he was 100 percent serious.
After a minute or so, I thought, well, why not?
Skeen measured 6-foot-8 (in shoes) and 242 pounds at the NBA Draft combine last year, which means he’s got the size of an NFL tight end. Coupled with his athleticism and soft hands, he has many of the necessary skills. Of course, Jamie didn’t play football in high school or college, so that’s going to be a big problem.
However, this situation is not unprecedented. Antonio Gates played basketball, not football at Kent State, but became an All-Pro tight end for the San Diego Chargers. Earlier this year, Les Brown, an accountant who played Division III basketball, earned a contract as a tight end with the Miami Dolphins, but was cut in training camp. Tony Gonzalez, who will be in the Hall of Fame the minute he’s eligible, was a football and basketball star at California.
VCU fans will no doubt remember when former Ram Jesse Pellot-Rosa was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets in 2007. Pellot-Rosa, hampered by a hand injury for much of training camp, played in one preseason game before he was cut by the team. Before choosing basketball, Pellot-Rosa was a star wide receiver in high school.
Whatever his chances, Skeen believes he has the connections to get himself a tryout this summer. He says he’s eying Carolina and the Atlanta Falcons. We will be watching closely.
Dec 17, 2012 @ 17:40:33
Come tryout for the BROWNS they drafted John Havlicek out o Ohio St. He gave it a try but choose Basketball and the Celtics, the rest is history.
Dec 17, 2012 @ 17:45:37
Well, you guys could use a decent tight end.
Dec 18, 2012 @ 17:49:06
I guarded Jamie Skeen in intramural flag football in the fall before the Final Four Run. I remember getting set in the line and asking him how the team was gonna do, he said that ‘everyone is sleeping on VCU’. Just a few short months later he was able to prove it against Kansas.
Easily one of my favorite memories from VCU.
Dec 18, 2012 @ 18:41:42
That’s a great story. Love it.
Dec 20, 2012 @ 04:17:38
I love Jamie but didnt he have knee problems at one point in his early career at Wake? The NFL is not for the faint of heart and most big guys play basketball because they dont like the contact of football, and prefer the glamour of roundball.
Jamies most likely down because he is having a tough year. One thing for certain he is a very good basketball player and I am of the belief that if he works through this adversity he is having on the court it could reap NBA dividends down the road.
Look ex Hermitage/Colorado player Chris Copeland just made the Knicks this year at age 28 and he has already gotten a start plus had a 28 point game.
Hang in there Jamie stick with basketball unless some scout has told you, you have better than a 50% chance of sticking with and NFL team. You have the talent, now is the time to push through with hard work and desire.
Go Jamie Go. Go Rams Go!