TAMPA, Fla. — The football career of Buccaneers rookie Payne Durham almost never happened.
Durham was a star lacrosse player at Peachtree Ridge High School in Georgia. He was on his way to playing at the division one level when his future football coach saw his basketball skills.
After a winter sports pep rally during his junior year, former Peachtree Ridge head coach Reggie Stancil saw Durham dunk a basketball. He knew he had a high-level tight end in the making.
"I’ve never had a shot in this gym in my life," Stancil said via video chat. "I said, 'If I hit a three-pointer, you come tryout for spring. If I miss, I’ll never talk to you again about football,'" Stancil smiled. "I was fortunate enough to make the shot."
"So, he made a bunch of those in a row. Now I’m here," Durham joked after practice. "He made, like, eight in a row and just kept scooting back and kept looking at me saying, 'You’re going to play football, now.'”
Stancil's three-point barrage meant Durham would join the football team for workouts—after his lacrosse season was over. Payne, a senior, hadn't played football since middle school. Stancil remembers Durham being a very quick study upon his return.
"He was such a smart kid. He kind of figured the game out really, really fast. He understood what were trying to do," Stancil explained. "The physical part was just about him wanting to. Wanting to be physical and wanting to be a guy who wanted to punish the person he was going against."
Durham wore the number 87 in high school and as a standout with Purdue University. He said he would've chosen the same number no matter where he played in the NFL. He just happens to be wearing it in the wake of future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski.
"It’s an honor. The greatest tight end of all time. I’m wearing his jersey from two years ago. Definitely an honor. Definitely a privilege," the Bucs fifth-round pick continued. "Looking forward to kinda trying to fill those shoes slowly."
"He’s going to do everything he can to live up to that number and also continue to make his family and friends proud because that’s just how he is," Stancil added.
Durham said he talks to Stancil about once a week, and he remembers thanking him for being so good at basketball and putting him on the path to the NFL.
"I [thank coach Stancil] like once a week," Payne joked. "But yeah, it’s an awesome experience, and I hope it’s nowhere near over yet."
