News
Cleveland Browns hoping Jordan Cameron will be a slam-dunk TE
01 May 11
BEREA, Ohio -- The Browns let Pro Bowl tight end Antonio Gates slip right out of their backyard in 2003, but they took a chance Saturday on another converted basketball star with potential at the position.
With their first pick in the fourth round, the Browns drafted USC tight end Jordan Cameron -- who played only one year at tight end and caught just 16 passes.
But that's 16 more than Gates had at Kent State, where he starred in basketball and never saw the football field. Gates, who was signed by the Chargers in 2003 as an undrafted free agent right out from under the Browns' noses, has gone to seven Pro Bowls.
"We're really excited about this kid," said Browns General Manager Tom Heckert of Cameron. "Obviously, you've seen that he hasn't played a whole lot of tight end, or football for that matter, but he's big, he's super athletic, he's got really good hands. I know his production wasn't great, but when he did play, he played very well.
"He played well at the All-Star game and he performed well at the combine. We thought this kid was a top athlete and we're excited about him."
Cameron (6-5, 244) began his college year on a basketball scholarship at Brigham Young in 2006. But he missed playing football and committed to USC. Unfortunately, not all of his Brigham Young credits transferred, so he played a year at Ventura Junior College before heading off to Southern California.
A receiver his first two seasons, Cameron played sparingly and never caught a pass. He even flirted with basketball again, walking onto the USC team in 2008 and playing briefly in three games. But heading into his senior season, Cameron moved to tight end and found a new home. Playing as a backup in 12 games, he finished second among tight ends with 16 catches for 126 yards and one touchdown.
"He had only 16 catches, but he played a lot," said Heckert. "He obviously doesn't catch the ball every time he's on the field, but we [broke down film on him]. There were like 500 plays. We saw him run 40, 50 routes a game. This guy plays."
A glimpse into Cameron's athletic ability can be found on You Tube, where his good friend and Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin hypes him in a video, showcasing his dunking ability and receiving prowess.
"The guy is a special athlete, isn't he?" said Browns President Mike Holmgren. "Wow. His best years are clearly ahead of him. The guy was a basketball player, and a very good one. He adapted to football, which isn't always easy for a basketball player, and at a very difficult position. You have to have the skill of a pass receiver and the toughness of a lineman.
"There's tremendous upside here for a young man who started off thinking he was probably going to play basketball."
Cameron has also drawn comparisons to Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, a converted hoops stars who played only one year at tight end at Miami. Graham, who's similar in size (6-6, 260) and college production (17 catches for 213 yards and five TDs), was drafted in the third round by the Saints last year and went on to catch 31 passes for 356 yards and five TDs as a rookie.
"It didn't hurt how well he did," Cameron told the New Orleans Times-Picayune last week. "I get a lot of comparisons to him. So, obviously, it helps me for a guy like that to show that guys like us can make the transition and succeed early in the NFL."
Cameron is confident he'll be a success.
"I'll be a good football player for you guys," he said. "I'm excited about this. I feel like I'm a tip-of-the-iceberg guy and I've got a lot to learn. But I'm willing to do so and I'm excited about my future in this league."
