Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Former Michigan WR Devin Funchess discusses his dunk gone viral

INDIANAPOLIS -- Devin Funchess doesn’t want to be described as a particular position player, either wide receiver or tight end.

The former Michigan tight end turned receiver just wants to be known as a ballplayer. He almost became known as a multi-sport player as well.

Funchess recently posted on Instagram a video of himself dunking – a video that has now been liked over 1,800 times. So how did it happen?

“It was Glenn Robinson, he used to go to Michigan, he always joked that he was more athletic and all that,” Funchess said. “Then his boy, Zach LaVine, he won the dunk contest and I felt like I could have been in the dunk contest.

“And I did that dunk like a week before the dunk contest. I just wanted to put it up and I put it up.”

Funchess’ vertical has always been apparent from how he jumped playing football for Michigan, but he said Thursday that Michigan basketball coach John Beilein once approached Funchess to see if he wanted to try out for the Wolverines.

“I think he was serious,” Funchess said. “I think he was.”

The 6-foot-5 Funchess said he knew then-Michigan football coach Brady Hoke would not have let him play both sports, though, so he stuck with football. Funchess played basketball at Harrison High School in Farmington Hills, Michigan, until his sophomore year as a small forward.

Had he been allowed to, he said he would have considered it because he also loves basketball and “just to compete on the collegiate level.”

Instead, he’ll potentially be a first-round pick in this spring’s NFL draft.

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