UConn basketball player Ed Nelson will get his chance to make it in the NFL as a tight end after signing a two-year free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams on Sunday.
"I didn't think I'd get drafted," Nelson said. "It's risky for a team to draft me, but a lot of teams know my potential."
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His agent, Joe Linta, said it was unusual to make the switch from college basketball to pro football.
"He's excited and we're excited," Linta said. "The Rams were one of the teams that came to his workout and they immediately showed some interest. Everyone knows what this is. It's a chance for Ed to show that he can do it."
The Rams selected two tight ends in the draft Saturday, Colorado's Joe Klopfenstein in the second round (No. 46 overall) and USC's Dominique Byrd in the third (No. 93). On Sunday they traded last season's starter Brandon Manumaleuna to the Chargers.
"The Rams have indicated they'll likely keep three tight ends," Linta said. "Ed's going to have his opportunity to at least make the practice squad."
Nelson, a 6-foot-8, 260-pound power forward at UConn, ran a 4.95 40-yard dash for the scouts after announcing in April his intention to play a sport he hadn't competed in since his freshman year of high school. He will report to the Rams rookie minicamp May 12.
"There were a lot of people in the league that came to the conclusion that they didn't want to take a chance on Ed," Linta said. "But the Rams were very energetic about him."
He played 60 games for the UConn basketball team after transferring from Georgia Tech, where he was the ACC rookie of the year in 2001-02. He averaged 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds in two seasons at Connecticut.
Nelson graduates from UConn this weekend. "It's a pretty big weekend," he said.
Another Linta client, Yale quarterback Jeff Mroz, signed a three-year deal with the Cowboys. Mroz, 6-5 and 230 pounds, was captain of the Bulldogs
