Mark Vital is trading in his basketball for the pigskin as he signs with the Seahawks to join their practice squad.
The 24-year-old helped lead Baylor men's basketball to a national title earlier this year, beating top-ranked Gonzaga by 16 points. Vital, who is 6-foot-5, 250 pounds, has not played football since middle school, but will compete at tight end.
“I’ve worked out for a couple of teams and they liked the way I looked," Vital recently told KPLC in Louisiana. "They said I had great hands and I was fast and big. I can do a lot of things that can help teams. It’s a learning experience because it’s something different.”
Vital was a third-team All-Big 12 selection in 2020 and a three-time Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection. Additionally, he is a two-time semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
He's coming off a stint in the NBA summer league with Portland, where he averaged 1.3 points and four rebounds in the span of three games.
The signing comes several weeks after second-year Seahawks tight end Colby Parkinson broke his foot in practice. Gerald Everrett and Will Dissly are the other two tight ends on Seattle's active roster.
