Former Packers WR becomes the first NFL player to sign with a pro basketball league

After a solid eight-year NFL career, Funchess' sports career (and his life in general) took a surprising turn. He went to Colombia, in South America, to become the former NFL player to sign a contract with a professional basketball league.

"I told my grandfather, I said, man, I'm going to go win the Super Bowl and then I'm going straight to basketball," Funchess told the Carolina Panthers official website.

When younger, Devin promised to his grandfather that he'd win a Super Bowl, play professional basketball and become a farmer. As a rookie, he played in the big football game for the Panthers, even though they lost to the Denver Broncos. The idea to go to Colombia was another step to keep his promises.

"I just started dribbling and once you start dribbling, you just get addicted to it," Funchess mentioned about his return to basketball. "That's what all the greats in that sport say, like you got to do it every day, you got to do it every day and make sure you fall in love with that."

After a short stint with the Statham Academy of the AsiaBasket league, he has signed a deal with the Caribbean Storm Llaneros, who play the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano (which means Colombian Professional Basketball in Spanish).

Funchess still wants to play professionally in the United States, but the experience abroad has been valuable.

"I've been able to engulf myself in a couple of different countries, a couple of different cultures and trying to establish some of that right now," he said. "I want to utilize the aspect of seasonal sports and me doing football, flag football and then the basketball journey."

In high school, Devin Funchess was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball and track. In the NFL, he spent time with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and Detroit Lions. He had four seasons as a starter for the Panthers, but then played only one regular season game after that, for the Colts, before multiple injuries shortened his career.

NFL and NBA

The discussion about football and basketball players switching sports was a hot topic because Austin Reaves said on the Pat McAfee Show that it's more realistic for NBA players to play football.

"I can take 30 players right now from the NBA and throw them in the NFL," Rivers said. "You cannot take 30 NFL players and put them in the NBA."

JJ Watt answered with a valid point.

In history, just one person has been drafted both in the NBA and in the NFL. Bud Grant was a fourth round pick in the NBA and played from 1949 to 1951 for the Minneapolis Lakers. Then, he was a first round pick in the NFL, playing two seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles before moving to the CFL.

Grant returned to the NFL as the Minnesota Vikings head coach, a job he held from 1967 to 1983, and then again in 1985, becoming a football Hall of Famer.

The difference for Devin Funchess is that he was an NFL player before signing a professional basketball contract.