5 Raiders who also were known for playing basketball

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is part of an occasional series acquainting fans with the Raiders’ illustrious 60-year history as the team moves to Las Vegas for the 2020 season.

Although March Madness won’t be happening this year, it doesn’t alter that the Raiders have had a fascination with prospects with basketball in their background in the NFL draft.

Here’s a list of five Raiders who, in the parlance of NCAA basketball broadcaster Gus Johnson, know what it is to rise and fire:

1. Ronald Curry was MVP of the 1998 Las Vegas Bowl as North Carolina’s quarterback and also was MVP of the 1997 McDonald’s All-American game for high school basketball players. Curry played in 54 basketball games for the Tar Heels, starting 26, before the Raiders selected him in the seventh round of the 1997 draft. Curry played seven seasons for the Raiders, catching 193 passes for 2,347 yards and 13 touchdowns.

2. During the 2012 draft, new Raiders GM Reggie McKenzie took converted basketball players with two of the team’s first five picks. Defensive end Jack Crawford of Penn State was a basketball star in England who came to the U.S. to pursue a career on the hardwood; defensive lineman Christo Bilukidi didn’t start playing football until his senior year in high school. Crawford played two of his eight NFL seasons for the Raiders. Bilukidi played in 18 games.

3. Shortly before the 2012 draft, the Raiders signed Cal State Fullerton power forward Andre Hardy to a free-agent contract, thinking he might make a fine NFL tight end. “We’re close to having a starting five,” Raiders coach Dennis Allen said at the time. Hardy never played for the Raiders.

4. Matt Trannon, who played football and basketball at Michigan State, was a member of the Raiders’ practice squad in 2007. He was a bigger factor during March Madness, having played in the 2005 Final Four for Tom Izzo’s Spartans. Trannon made 22 of 32 shots (68.8 percent) from the field in limited playing time his junior year.

5. Derek Carr. No, the Raiders’ starting quarterback did not play basketball for his alma mater Fresno State. But during an outing with the Raiders’ offensive line at a Golden State Warriors’ game in 2016, Carr was the only one to sink a basket from 3-point distance during a shootaround. After he rose and fired and tickled the twine, Carr was given a huge ovation by the crowd.

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.