The Dolphins are rolling the dice on raw talent.
Miami recently signed 24-year-old tight end Les Brown despite him having not played football since high school, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Brown, a former college basketball player at NAIA Westminster College in Utah, last played football six years ago and has been pursuing a career in finance. However, Brown’s two younger brothers — who play football at BYU — introduced him to a personal trainer, and he’s since decided to give football a whirl.
Brown signed a three-year contract with the Dolphins, although the team promised him nothing more than a chance to compete for a spot on the 53-man roster.
“I had a lot of people saying, ‘Man, what are you doing?'” Brown said, according to The Palm Beach Post. “You’re just chasing a dream. You have a better chance of hitting the lottery.”
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound tight end opened eyes at BYU’s Pro Day, running a 4.43 40-yard dash and demonstrating a vertical leap of 39 inches. Those numbers are comparable to Robert Griffin III, who ran a 4.41 40 and also had a 39-inch vertical.
Brown will join his new Miami teammates for the start of minicamp on Monday, and he’s excited to give his all in order to crack the Dolphins roster.
“It was all kind of surreal and then it just hit me; wow, this is really happening,” Brown reportedly said. “So here I am today. I’m very proud to be a Miami Dolphin and very honored. I just can’t wait for the next step.”
Only time will tell if Brown made the right move, but you have to admire his decision to follow his heart.
Check out the video below to see Brown’s workout.
