George Fant (American football)

As a freshman in 2011–2012, he appeared in 31 games with 24 starts. He averaged 26.4 minutes-per-game. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and had a total of 37 blocks and 29 steals. He also led the team in field goal percentage (.476). His 321 points scored ranked seventh all-time for a freshman in school history. As a sophomore in 2012–2013 he averaged 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds-per-game. He shot 48.2% from the field going 163-for-338. After averaging 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds-per-game he was named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Tournament team. He was named All-Sun Belt third team. In 2013–2014 as a junior, he averaged 13.3 points and 6.6 rebounds-per-game. He finished second on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding for the second straight season. He finished seventh in the conference in rebounding. He led the team in field goal percentage with (.530), which was good for fifth in the conference. He was named to the All-Sun Belt third team. As a senior in 2014–2015, he led the team in rebounding with 8.4 rebounds-per-game which was good for third in conference. He averaged 13.8 points-per-game, a career high. He recorded 12 double-doubles, second most in Conference USA. He was named All-Conference for the third consecutive season with second-team honors.[1]

Throughout his first four years at Western Kentucky, friends and coaches urged Fant to join the Hilltoppers football team but he refused. He received letters from multiple NFL teams in spring 2015 asking if he were interested in giving professional football a chance but disregarded the letters and threw them away.[2] Fant decided to transition to football after weighing his options of either playing basketball overseas in Poland or attempting a football career. With a wife and child to care for, he chose to play football. Western Kentucky tight ends Tyler Higbee and Devin Scott helped him learn the tight end position and tight ends coach Ryan Wallace also worked with him. He bulked up from 250 lbs to 296 lbs for football.[3] Fant also said that he studied many tapes of another basketball-to-football convert, tight end Jimmy Graham.[2]

Fant used his fifth year of eligibility to join the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football team as a tight end.[4] For the season, he appeared in two games, recording one reception for seven yards, as well as two tackles.[5]

Fant signed with the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent on May 6, 2016.[9]

Throughout training camp he learned the offensive tackle position quickly and did well enough to win the backup left tackle job behind Bradley Sowell to begin the regular season. He made his professional regular-season debut on October 23, 2016, and played 24 snaps after Sowell sprained his knee during the 6–6 tie with the Arizona Cardinals. He made his first career start during Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints after Sowell was still unable to play due to injury.[7][10] Fant committed two clipping penalties in his first two starts and also committed a false start.

He is the third player that Tom Cable has successfully transitioned into an offensive lineman with little or no collegiate experience at the position. The Seahawks' starting right tackle, Garry Gilliam, was undrafted with only a single year of collegiate experience as a lineman and started in seven months. The first player was J. R. Sweezy, who had no experience, playing only defensive end in college. He transitioned to guard successfully in five months. Fant is the most dramatic change, earning the starting left tackle position in less than 20 months.[3]

On November 13, 2016, he made his third career start against the New England Patriots and was credited with not committing a single assignment error in the Seahawks' 31–24 victory. He ultimately did well enough in his first four career starts that he remained the starter at left tackle once Sowell returned from his injury.[3] He played the last ten consecutive games of the season as the Seattle Seahawks' starting left tackle and finished his rookie season appearing in 14 games with ten starts.[11]

In the second game of the 2017 preseason, Fant tore his ACL and was ruled out for the season.[12] He was placed on injured reserve on September 2, 2017.[13]

After rookie tight end Will Dissly got injured in a week 4 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals, Fant started to play an offensive tackle/tight end hybrid role. He would line up as a sixth offensive lineman, either on the line itself or outside, and declare himself an eligible receiver. Fant had great success in this new role and helped the 2018 Seahawks achieve the number one ranked rushing offense in the league.

On December 10, 2018, in a week 13 Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Fant recorded his first career reception, a 9-yard pass from quarterback Russell Wilson.[14]

Fant continued to function as a hybrid lineman for the Seahawks in 2019. He also functioned as the primary backup offensive tackle, filling in for an injured Duane Brown during parts of the season.[15]

On December 2, 2019, in a Monday Night Football matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, Fant garnered attention for helping the Seahawks rush for a season-high 218 yards in a 37-30 win. He reported as an eligible receiver on 42 plays during the game and lined up at multiple positions along the line.[16]

On April 23, 2020, Fant signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the New York Jets.[17][18]