Baylor basketball star Rico Gathers just got drafted by the Cowboys

Who said playing football was a prerequisite to getting drafted?

The Dallas Cowboys took an unconventional route with their NFL Draft's sixth-round selection of Rico Gathers, a standout on Baylor's ... basketball team.

Despite not having played a lick of football in college, the 6-foot-8, 275-pound Gathers' ability to move and willingness to put in the work drew interest from a number of NFL teams.

#Cowboys couldn't make it to Rico Gathers' Pro Day at #Saints facility. They sent TE coach Mike Pope to work him out privately. Loved him.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2016

And Gathers has said football is his main passion, never mind the fact that he hasn't played since he was 13. The former Baylor power forward, who averaged a team-high nine rebounds this year, has said he chose basketball over football in school to preserve the wear and tear on his body.

#FromRebounds2Touchdowns begins. From #Waco2Dallas. I'll take it. Just call me a proud Cowboy ! Can't wait to touchdown !
— Rico Gathers (@kinggatz2) April 30, 2016

Dallas has reportedly added Gathers to their roster with an eye toward making him Jason Witten's successor.