Report: Miami Dolphins sign former college basketball player

The Miami Dolphins have signed Jibri Blount, who actually played college basketball and is the son of the Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Blount.

The younger Blount first played basketball at the collegiate level for Cleveland State University from 2015 to 2017 before sitting out a year to transfer to North Carolina Central University. There, he played from 2018 to 2020 and started all 31 of the games he played in during the 2019-20 campaign.

The idea of signing a player who played another sport in college is not a unique scouting approach, with legendary tight end Antonio Gates one of the more prominent examples of a player who went on to a prominent NFL career.

Like Gates, the younger Blount will be playing at the tight end position and with his 6-foot-7 frame should provide an inviting target for Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

The fact that the younger Blount’s bloodline includes such a legendary player should make him an intriguing prospect to watch as the Dolphins’ camp progresses this summer.

In addition to the family connection, the younger Blount also graduated from Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary High School, the same school that LeBron James graduated from in 2003.