Former Panther Harris Earns Roster Spot with Kansas City Chiefs

MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Former Milwaukee basketball player Demetrius Harris is now identfied as professional in a different sport: football. Harris made the Kansas City Chiefs' 53-man roster on Saturday and is listed as the third tight end on the depth chart.

After playing two seasons of collegiate basketball at Milwaukee from 2011-13, Harris caught on with Kansas City as an undrafted free agent, spending the year on the team's practice squad.

This preseason, Harris appeared in all four games for Kansas City, catching two passes for a total of 40 yards. His final preseason tuneup came in Green Bay, where several members of the Milwaukee basketball program -- including head coach Rob Jeter -- had a chance to see him play. In a twist, Jeter's father, Bob, is a member of the Packers Hall of Fame.

Harris was a highly-touted football player in high school and originally signed to play the sport at Arkansas State before matriculating to Mineral Area Community College and Milwaukee. The 6-foot-7 Harris was a standout on the basketball court for the Panthers in 2012-13, averaging 9.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest while making 28 starts. Harris had a career-best 21 points on Feb. 21, 2013, before embarking on his football career.

He joins the ranks of NFL tight ends who did not play football in college, a list that includes Antonio Gates, Julius Thomas and Jimmy Graham. Should Harris play in an NFL game, he would become the first Panther to do so since 1983, when Mike Reinfeldt finished off his eight-year pro career.