Miami Dolphins

From 'Canes' court to Dolphins' field, Akpejiori embraces transition

Published May. 12, 2015 1:00 p.m. ET

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Tony Gonzalez. Antonio Gates. Jimmy Graham.

What do these names mean to Raphael Akpejiori?

"Legends," said Akpejiori, a basketball player turned tight end hoping to follow in the footsteps of those players who succeed in making the difficult transition. "To me they're, I wouldn't say big brothers, but they're legends. They've come and they've done it and they've proved that guys like me could come and survive."

Akpejiori, who started 10 of 85 games for the University of Miami basketball team from 2010-14, was one of 26 tryout players invited to the Miami Dolphins rookie camp this past weekend after piquing the team's interest at UM's pro day in April.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Akpejiori admittedly didn't know much about the sport until coming to the United States in 2009, and it wasn't until his final year at UM that he even began to play organized football.

The decision to finally pick up the pigskin, however, wasn't entirely his own.

"It's not an idea that you have, it's something that people tell you," he said. "You don't really know what you have until someone makes you see it for yourself."

Hounded since his sophomore year by both his basketball teammates and friends on the Hurricanes football team to become a two-sport athlete, it wasn't until Hall of Fame wide receiver Cris Carter stepped in that Akpejiori decided to take the leap.

Carter, who received Division I offers to play basketball before sticking with football, needed only an hour to convince the 24-year-old that his talents could transition nicely from the hardwood to the gridiron.

"When a Hall of Fame player tells you to try something, you've got to give it a shot," Akpejiori said with grin. "That's when I really solidified it in my mind that I was going to do this."

Although he was ineligible to play for the Hurricanes last season for undisclosed reasons, Akpejiori has made strides in both his footwork and understanding of the game over the past several months.

He's surrounded himself with a large support group of current and former Hurricanes, including Santana Moss, Clive Walford and Graham, who all want to see him succeed and make it to the NFL.

"They expect a lot from me," said Akpejiori. "They expect me to be the best I can be and represent not just myself, but the University of Miami. ...They're happy for me and they want me to really do well and hopefully live up to what they've done in the league."

As for the similarities between he and Graham, who has become arguably the best tight end in the NFL after transitioning from basketball to football while at UM, Akpejiori doesn't believe the comparisons should extend any further than their alma mater.

"I'm not Jimmy Graham, but I'm going to be the best Raphael Akpejiori I can be," he said. "It's good to have someone like Jimmy on my side to tell me the tricks. I can always watch him on film and try to make my organization better. Hopefully when we meet, it's going to be on."

While his 6-foot-9, 241-pound frame has the potential to someday be molded into a dangerous red-zone threat, Akpejiori still has a long way to go before he can hope to be working on Sundays. His hands remain and issue -- an area he spent extra time working on during Miami's two-day camp -- and it'll take time to adjust to the physicality of the game.

The transition won't be easy, but the Dolphins plan to take their time.

"You don't want to put too much on their plate. You want to check out their athletic ability, how quickly they can adapt to a different sport," said head coach Joe Philbin. "You're not expecting them to understand the whole gamut of schemes and techniques and fundamentals. We've got good exposure to them and we've got one more opportunity to evaluate those guys."

On the final day of rookie camp, Akpejiori was one of the last players to head off the field and into the locker room, taking extra time to savor the moment and catch a few more balls.

Once hesitant to even pick up a football, he now has trouble putting it down.

"Coach Philbin has given me this opportunity. He doesn't owe me anything, but he believes in me and thinks I can be the best Miami Dolphin I can be," Akpejiori said.

"Now, I just have to prove him right."

You can follow Jameson Olive on Twitter @JamesonCoop or email him at JamesonOlive@gmail.com.