Caleb Lohner is making a bold move by trading in his basketball shorts for football pads.
After four seasons on the court between BYU and Baylor — where he averaged 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and made three trips to the NCAA Tournament — the Wasatch Academy product is transferring to Utah to see what he can do at tight end for Kyle Whittingham's program.
Luckily for Lohner, he isn't the first to ever make such a switch, as plenty of others in similar spots have enjoyed subsequent success. Here are four former basketball talents who found further fame with football.
In this Oct. 14, 2007, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez celebrates his second touchdown catch of the game during game against the Cincinnati Bengals, in Kansas City, Mo. | Charlie Riedel
Before Travis Kelce , Kansas City had Tony Gonzalez, and before Gonzalez was a record-breaking Hall of Fame tight end, he was a solid basketball player at Cal.
Gonzalez played three years of both football and basketball for the Golden Bears, even reaching the Sweet 16 as a junior and averaging 6.4 points and 4.3 rebounds for his career.
Finally needing to choose between the two sports, he continued with football, where the Chiefs drafted him with the 13th overall selection in 1997.
Gonzalez went on to play 17 seasons in the NFL, making 14 Pro Bowl appearances and ranking first in league history for both catches (1,315) and receiving yards (15,127) among all tight ends.
Back in 2021, Gonzalez revisited his basketball glory days in an episode of Peyton Manning 's ESPN series "Peyton's Places."
Los Angeles Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (85) catches a touchdown reception in a game, Sunday, Nov 18, 2018, in Carson, Calif. | Peter B Joneleit
Antonio Gates didn't just enter the NFL as an undrafted free agent — he came into the league as a March Madness hero.
Despite standing just 6-foot-4, Gates proved dominant as a power forward at Kent State, leading the Golden Flashes to the Elite Eight as a junior and earning an All-American honorable mention nod as a senior after posting 20.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
Gates' size was troubling to NBA scouts, leading him to pursue a career in football despite not having played the sport in college. The San Diego Chargers took a chance on the intriguing prospect and were rewarded handsomely for their faith.
Gates went on to play 16 seasons with the franchise, being named an All-Pro six times and catching a tight end record 116 touchdowns.
New Orleans Saints' Jimmy Graham leaps to dunkthe ball over the goal post after scoring a touchdown in the Pro Bowl Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015, in Glendale, Ariz. | Charlie Riedel
Much like Lohner, Jimmy Graham played four years of college basketball prior to giving football a try.
Graham appeared in 120 games for the Miami Hurricanes, averaging 4.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and nearly a block per game as a forward. He then joined the school's football program as a graduate student, showing enough potential in 13 collegiate contests to convince the New Orleans Saints to select him in the third round of the 2010 NFL draft.
In 13 seasons with the Saints, Seahawks , Packers and Bears, Graham has grabbed 719 receptions for 8,545 yards and 89 touchdowns, including four scores this past campaign.
Miami Dolphins tight end Jordan Cameron runs against the New England Patriots during a NFL football game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016. | Winslow Townson
Both Lohner and Jordan Cameron were viewed as major recruiting wins for BYU basketball at one point. However, Cameron never ended up taking the court as a Cougar.
A McDonald's High School All-American nominee, Cameron spent a season redshirting at BYU before transferring to USC to realize his football destiny. Though only a key contributor for the Trojans as a senior, the tight end's NFL combine performance dramatically increased his professional stock to be drafted as a fourth round pick.
In six seasons between the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins , Cameron caught 173 passes for 2,046 yards and 14 touchdowns, earning Pro Bowl recognition in 2013.
USU's Jarrett Bush tries to tackle Utah's John Madsen as he runs for a touchdown in Utah's win over Utah State on Saturday. | Bob Plumb, Deseret Morning News
Thanks to John Madsen, Lohner won't be the first former hooper to attempt to catch passes for the Utes.
Madsen never played a down of high school football, instead excelling at both baseball and basketball for Hunter High in West Valley City. He finally ended up on the gridiron at Snow College before ultimately walking on for Urban Meyer at Utah, catching 85 passes for 1,146 yards and 12 touchdowns at wide receiver over three seasons.
Switching to tight end professionally, Madsen played four years in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders and Cleveland Browns, while also winning a UFL championship with the Las Vegas Locomotives in 2009.
