Texas Tech's Marcus Santos-Silva 'Ready For New Journey' in NFL
Marcus Santos-Silva has quickly become one of the stories of the offseason for Texas Tech basketball after the former Red Raiders forward struck an undrafted free agent deal with the Cleveland Browns on May 2.
The 6-6, 261-pound Taunton, Mass. native is set to suit up at tight end for the Browns during their rookie minicamp this weekend as he looks to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Santos-Silva spoke to the media Friday about what it's been like stepping away from basketball.
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"People hit me up like 'Why'd you just leave and be done with basketball?' And I wasn't ready yet because I still had that dream of NBA and everything like that," Santos-Silva said. "I saw that no NBA agents were hitting me up, it was all overseas and I didn't really want to go overseas, I wanted to stay home. So I was like 'you know what? Let me do the NFL route.'"
Skipping out on professional opportunities overseas is certainly a risky move without any guarantee that the Browns will sign him for the regular season. But Santos-Silva made the decision he felt was right and seems ready to move on from basketball.
"The main thing was I didn't want to have any regret. I've been grateful for what basketball has done for me. It brought me to this opportunity and now I'm ready for a new journey."
Santos-Silva likely won’t see much playing time next season, but could serve as a primary developmental project for the Browns should he make the 53-man roster. His unprecedented size and build makes him a scary sight for opposing defensive linemen. Once he gains more experience through time on the Cleveland practice squad, Santos-Silva could become a key depth piece for coach Kevin Stefanski.
Last season on the hardwood, Santos-Silva averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 57.8 percent from the floor. He appeared in all 37 games and made one start.
Santos-Silva’s highest-scoring game of the season came in the season-opener against North Florida. He had 13 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.
Now, he’ll follow the trend made famous by legendary Chargers tight end and former Kent State basketball standout Antonio Gates.
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