It began with an odd request. George Mason center Jai Lewis would repeatedly pester Coach Jim Larranaga for permission to play on the university's club football team.
To Larranaga, the thought of sending out his first-team all-Colonial Athletic Association player to bang heads for something Bo Jackson might have called "a hobby" was not an appealing one.
Junior center Jai Lewis (55) is averaging 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Patriots (16-12, 10-8 CAA), who will compete in the conference tournament in Richmond this weekend.
(Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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However, the idea that Lewis, a junior from Aberdeen, Md., who is conservatively listed at 6 feet 7 and 275 pounds, could have a future playing football was not a stretch for Larranaga. The coach has long been fascinated by Lewis's freaky combination of size, quickness, agility and anticipation.
"I've been coaching for -- what -- over 30 years now?" said Larranaga, who is in his eighth season at George Mason, "and Jai Lewis is the most unique athlete I've ever been around. He can do things for a guy his size that you don't ever see on a basketball court."
Some NFL teams want to find out. The thought of investing a draft pick, signing bonus or even a training camp roster spot on a guy who hasn't pulled on shoulder pads and a helmet since high school would have been absurd just a few years ago, but players such as San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates have changed that.
Gates, who never played a down of college football at Kent State but led the school's basketball team to the 2002 NCAA tournament as a senior, wasn't selected in the NFL draft. Instead, Gates signed a free agent contract with the Chargers after impressing the coaching staff during a workout. He played some as a rookie in 2003 and then burst onto the NFL scene this past season with 81 receptions for 964 yards and 13 touchdowns.
At last month's Pro Bowl, Gates started ahead of Kansas City's Tony Gonzalez, another college basketball player who turned into an NFL tight end. One connection between Gates and Gonzalez is current San Diego and former Kansas City coach Marty Schottenheimer, who attended University of California basketball games when Gonzalez played forward for the Bears.
"Of course you would prefer that a guy played football in college, but if you see a guy with the athletic ability of a Gonzalez or an Antonio Gates, a guy who is big and strong but can also move like they can, you have to look at him," Schottenheimer said. "It's rare that you find a guy like that, but the payoff has been great for us. Now, I'd be lying if I sat here and told you that I knew Antonio would be this good this fast, but it does show what can happen if you're willing to take a chance and develop a guy who displays that kind of athletic talent."
Lewis, who hasn't played football since he was a senior at Aberdeen High School, is trying to put on similar displays. Once Lewis informed Larranaga that he was serious about pursuing a football career, the coach contacted Arkansas basketball coach Stan Heath, who had been an assistant on Larranaga's staff at Bowling Green and who coached Gates at Kent State.
On Heath's advice, Larranaga put together a letter detailing Lewis's skills and sent it to each of the NFL's 32 teams. Several responded, and the Chicago Bears went so far as to send a scout to one of George Mason's basketball games this season.
Lewis, who is averaging 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Patriots (16-12, 10-8 CAA) heading into this weekend's conference tournament in Richmond, plans on returning for his senior season, so little likely will come from his flirtation with football this spring. However, Larranaga's efforts have put Lewis on the radar of the NFL scouting network.
Lewis, who lettered in football twice, lacrosse twice and track once in high school, looks upon Gates and Gonzalez as role models. Lewis showed enough potential while playing defensive end, defensive tackle and tight end in high school that several schools, including Virginia Tech, recruited him.
However, after he didn't post a high enough SAT score, Lewis said the football offers dried up, and he then decided to focus on basketball after enrolling in prep school at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine.
Lewis said he has never regretted his decision to play basketball at George Mason but has remained curious about what might have been.
"You look at some of those guys who played basketball and football and kind of wonder: 'Could I do that?' " said Lewis. "I've always loved football, and it's something I would like to try if I get a chance in the future. Right now basketball is my priority, but football is something I think I could do if I had the opportunity to work at it."
Chiefs director of college scouting Chuck Cook was with the team when it scouted and moved up in the 1997 draft to select Gonzalez in the first round and was recently made aware of Lewis. Cook said the success of players such as Gates has already changed the way NFL scouts will approach those athletes.
"What it's done is created a situation where everyone is going to be looking for that next guy who might come out of nowhere, be given a little time to develop and then maybe become a player for you," Cook said. "That's just the nature of the business. . . . There are a lot of great athletes out there and not all of them are playing football."
