Rico Gathers makes one-handed catch ‘only he can get’; Will need more to make team

Tight end Rico Gathers has the right perspective in his third training camp with the Dallas Cowboys after playing basketball in college at Baylor.

At 6-foot-6, 280 pounds, he remains an intriguing prospect because of his physical gifts.

He showed that again on Sunday, going high to make a one-handed catch from quarterback Cooper Rush.

“If the ball is the air, go get it,” Gathers said. “That’s my style right there. If you put it up, hey, only I can get that.”

However, Gathers remains the fourth option on the depth chart at tight end that is long on inexperience and hungry for a playmaker following the retirement of future Hall of Famer.

Geoff Swaim, Blake Jarwin and rookie Dalton Schultz remain ahead because they still have a better understanding of all aspects of the game.

Gathers picked up football 2016 after not playing since eighth grade. He then missed all of last season recovering from a concussion he suffered in training camp.

His blocking needs to improve. He needs to find a role on special teams. He needs to be better mentally.

So Gathers knows one-handed catches in practice alone won’t get him on the final roster.

“Nah, because there is more to this game than making plays like that,” Gathers said. “There’s an every-day aspect of it. Coming in, critiquing the blocking, and just being an every-day guy. You can make that catch one day than, shoot, and you don’t make no more catches for two weeks later like that. Coach doesn’t like flash players.”

This story was originally published August 13, 2018 at 1:18 PM.