Blazers’ Pat Connaughton Throws Football 80 Yards, Calls Out Patriots

Had Pat Connaughton not chosen to enter the NBA draft last year, he likely would be spending this summer slinging 96 mph fastballs at some level of the Baltimore Orioles organization.

And as he showed this past weekend, the Portland Trail Blazers guard isn’t too shabby with a pigskin, either.

A former three-sport star at St. John’s Prep in Danvers, Mass., and two-sport standout at Notre Dame, Connaughton tweeted a video Sunday of himself casually chucking an 80-yard spiral — and calling out his hometown NFL team in the process.

Connaughton played quarterback in high school, but he was known far more for his exploits on the hardwood and the diamond. He was drafted by the Orioles in 2014 and spent a summer with their short-season Single-A affiliate before returning to Notre Dame, leading the Irish hoops squad to the Elite Eight and earning a selection in the second round of the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Arlington, Mass., native didn’t see the floor much as an NBA rookie, averaging just 4.2 minutes and 1.1 points per game for the Blazers. But we’re going to go ahead and guess his athleticism wasn’t the issue.

Thumbnail photo via Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports Images