Former Panthers TE makes history going from the gridiron to the hardwood
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A former Panthers player has made history by taking his talents from the gridiron to the hardwood.
Former Panthers tight end Devin Funchess is currently on an international contract with a team in Columbia on the heels of a deal with an Asian team, making him the first former NFL player to sign a professional basketball contract.
“I told my grandfather, I said, man, I’m going to go win the Super Bowl and then I’m going straight to basketball,” Funchess told Panthers.com.
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Funchess played for Statham Academy of the AsianBasket League before signing on with the Caribbean Storm Llaneros of the Colombia Basketball League.
The Michigan native and former Wolverine joined the Panthers from 2015 through 2018 during his ten-year NFL career that also included stints with the Lions, Packers, Colts, and 49ers.
Funchess was drafted by Carolina in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft and accumulated 22 TDs and over 2,400 receiving yards in four years in Charlotte.
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