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AG's Wildcat Report - Dispatches on the Wildcats, from Anthony Gimino

Posts Tagged ‘Fendi Onobun’

Ex-Cats in the NFL: Where are they now?

Monday, July 30th, 2012
Rob Gronkowski

Rob Gronkowski had a good time on the ESPYs red carpet with tennis player Daniela Hantuchova. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

NFL camps have started … do you know where your former Arizona Wildcats are?

Offseason news has been dominated by ex-UA tight end Rob Gronkowski, who followed up his record-setting second season with the New England Patriots with what is widely referred to as the “Summer of Gronk.”

Let the Boston Globe describe it:

“Gronkowski, in no particular order, won a celebrity home run derby at the Triple-A All-Star Game (reportedly hitting one 325 feet), appeared on The Choice, a dating show, co-hosted Access Hollywood Live, judged a celebrity bikini contest in Las Vegas and walked the ESPY’s red carpet. He also attended the premier of the movie “Ted,” hung out with Kim Kardashian, was one of the naked cover boys for ESPN The Magazine, and ran a viral video campaign trying to land on the cover of the Madden video game.

Oh, and he also signed a six-year contract extension worth $54 million – the richest deal ever given to a tight end. It includes $18.17 million in guaranteed money.”

Oh, to be Gronk.

Gronk is the headliner among the former Arizona Wildcats in the NFL, with 22 players on camp rosters.

Here is a look at who is where:

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Ex-Cats in NFL: Comings and goings in Jacksonville

Tuesday, November 15th, 2011

Eben Britton is done for the season after being place on injured reserve. Photo by Fernando Medina-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats offensive lineman Eben Britton is off the Jacksonville Jaguars active roster, and ex-UA basketball player Fendi Onobun is on.

Britton, a third-year player, has been bothered by injuries the past two seasons. After starting 15 games as a rookie in 2009, he missed the final nine games of last season with a shoulder injury. He had back problems in camp this year, and, according to an AP story, developed an infection following back surgery.

Britton, an offensive tackle who had started some games at guard this season, was placed on injured reserve Monday.

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Ex-Cats in the NFL: Onobun signs; Grant on Foles

Friday, November 11th, 2011
Fendi Onobun

Fendi Onobun with the Rams in the 2011 preseason. Photo by Denny Medley-US PRESSWIRE

Former Arizona Wildcats basketball player Fendi Onobun has a new home — the Washington Redskins.

Washington signed Onobun to its practice squad earlier this week, which will his third team this season.

Onobun, a raw talent who played tight end for one year at the University of Houston after his basketball eligibility was exhausted, spent last season with the St. Louis Rams after being drafted in the sixth round. He had two catches for 15 yards.

The Rams released him at the end of training camp this year. Onobun signed with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad before being released in early October with an injury settlement.

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Former Arizona hoops player Onobun drafted by Rams

Saturday, April 24th, 2010
Fendi Onobun

Fendi Onobun

You wonder what Fendi Onobun could have done had he played four years of college football rather than college basketball.

Onobun, the former backup Arizona power forward with the rock-solid body, was selected by the St. Louis Rams with the first pick of the sixth round in Saturday’s NFL Draft. Onobun transferred to his hometown University of Houston after the 2008-09 school year in order to use his one remaining year of eligibility in football.

He didn’t play all that much, limited by a preseason ankle sprain while he learned the position, but his potential and athleticism were never in question. Late in the season, he ever earned Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he blocked two extra points, including one that was returned 100 yards for two points for the Cougars.

Late last month at Houston’s Pro Day, Onobun dazzled scouts by running a time of 4.48 seconds for 40 yards and posting a 37 1/2-inch vertical jump. With those kind of measurables, plenty of NFL teams figured it was worth the investment to try to coach him up. The Rams beat everyone to the punch.

After his basketball career ended in April 2009 in the Sweet 16 in Indianapolis, Onobun talked to the Citizen’s Steve Rivera about trying football.

“It would be a challenge,” he said. “It’s worth giving it a shot if the opportunity is there.”

Nice call.

Onobun was a basketball fan favorite at Arizona and his positive attitude has served him well in his transition to football. As far as late-round picks, there won’t be many players who have as much upside.

Here’s a nice story on Onobun from SI.com.

Fendi Onobun: From UA hoops to C-USA football Player of the Week

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

In a different world — one in which he wasn’t pulled out of his redshirt halfway through his freshman year — maybe Fendi Onobun would be putting on an Arizona basketball jersey tonight for Arizona’s first exhibition game under coach Sean Miller.

Fendi Onobun

Fendi Onobun

Instead, he’s having a grand time back in his hometown, playing one season of football as a walk-on for the Houston Cougars.

Onobun, who never really found his niche as a UA power forward, finished his Arizona basketball eligibility last season and then did some workouts for NFL scouts. Hey, everyone always said the guy was built like a tight end.

Turns out, he has become a tight end for a high-powered Houston offense — the Cougars are 7-1 and are second nationally in scoring at 41.6 points per game — although Onobun hasn’t been much of a factor there. He had a bum ankle through the early part of the season and has one catch.

He’s still a bundle of raw, inexperienced talent in football, but he put his athleticism to good use last week in a 50-43 win over Southern Miss. He blocked two extra points, including one that was returned 100 yards for two points for the Cougars.

Onobun was selected the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Week.

“It was awesome,” Onobun told the Houston Chronicle. “To be able to do something like that, I was just happy to be able to help the team. I just want to help the team win any way I can.”

Onobun is tying learn football — a sport he hadn’t played since middle school — and increase his visibility to the NFL scouts. At 6-6 and a rock solid 250 pounds, no doubt he has some physical tools.

“From the time he got here, he was on the right track,” Houston coach Kevin Sumlin said at his weekly press conference Tuesday.

“He was making progress coming from basketball. He had a high-ankle sprain on the first or second day we were in pads, which set him back by four or five weeks. It hasn’t been a matter of whether he was talented enough or progressing enough to play for us. It was a matter of his injury.

“He missed a month a couple of weeks before the first game and the first two or three games completely. He had to get back into the swing of things. You’ll see him getting better and contributing every week.

“He was an early signee in basketball and, at that time, Arizona was the one of the top-eight programs in the country. That makes him one of the better athletes in the nation. It’s not often that you have an athlete who is 6-6 and 250 pounds walk in the door, so we were more than willing to give him a chance, and he was more than willing to give us a chance. It’s worked out.

“He’s a Houston native, and he’s back closer to his family. It’s an investment on his part both financially and physically to do what he’s doing. There is still time for him to get better and he’s working on it.”

Anthony Gimino can be reached at anthonygimino (at) gmail.com