Former Rams go pro

Photo by Eric Marquez

The former Black and Gold hoops stars have stayed busy since leaving the VCU court — recent 2017 graduates JeQuan Lewis, Mo Alie-Cox, Doug Brooks and Jordan Burgess all signed professional contracts as they continue their athletic careers.

After ending his collegiate career at VCU with 1,444 points, 54 assists, 259 rebounds and 205 steals, Lewis — an undrafted rookie — signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in July. Lewis spent four years as a Ram and went to the NCAA tournament each season, including a trip to the round of 32 in the 2016 NCAA Tournament.

Photo by Erin Edgerton.

Former 6-foot-7-inch forward Mo Alie-Cox traded the court for the gridiron after signing a NFL contract with the Indianapolis Colts in April. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport reported in April Alie-Cox was eligible for the 2016 draft, making him a free agent and immediately eligible to be signed by one of the league’s 32 teams.

Alie-Cox was waived/injured by the Colts on Aug. 5 and placed on Injured Reserve after clearing waivers. The VCU hoops star turned tight end was signed to the team’s practice squad in October.

After participating with team Ram Nation, VCU’s alumni team, in their second consecutive year at The Basketball Tournament, or TBT, over the summer, Burgess signed his first professional deal with the top Romanian league, Baschet Club Timisoara. Burgess became the third Ram from last seasons graduating class to sign a professional sports contract.

Former 6-foot-4-inch guard Brooks landed his first professional basketball gig after agreeing to terms with MBK Handlova of the Slovak Extraliga.

Former Rams point guard Briante Weber latched on with the Los Angeles Lakers last NBA season after being waived by the Charlotte Hornets. The Vertical’s Shams Charina reported in August Weber agreed to a partially guaranteed contract with the Lakers.

Weber joined the Lakers for training camp and earned a roster spot in preseason. Weber was eventually waived by the Lakers after the training camp invite and now has a two-way deal with the Houston Rockets. Weber will report to the Rockets’ G League affiliate, Rio Grande, but could be called to Houston soon as the team looks to temporarily replace injured Chris Paul, who will miss a few weeks.

Jessica Wetzler

Contributing Writer