The Seahawks Signed A Professional Basketball Player Who Hasn't Played Football In Ten Years

APNormally, signing an undrafted free agent at this time of year wouldn't be worth much mention. But according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com, the Seattle Seahawks have signed tight end Darren Fells, a player with an unusual background.

Fells, a professional basketball player, is 27-years old and hasn't played football since 2003.

After playing football in high school, Fells played basketball for four years (2004-08) at U.C. Irvine, averaging 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. After college, Fells went on to play professional basketball in Belgium, Finland, Mexico, and most recently, Argentina.

It is not unheard of for NFL teams to take a flyer on basketball players that didn't play football in college. Tight end Antonio Gates of the San Diego Chargers did not play football in college. However, Gates was just 22 when he signed with the Chargers.

Fells does have ties to the NFL. His older brother Daniel is a tight end for the New England Patriots.