How a new Charlotte 49ers wideout went from snagging rebounds to catching touchdowns

Isaiah Myers bolted down the sideline, leaped and hauled in a fine catch.

The impressive grab from Myers — a newly minted redshirt sophomore who transferred from junior college — was among the highlights in the Charlotte 49ers’ latest scrimmage Saturday, where the team took the field inside Jerry Richardson Stadium at night for the first time this training camp.

Myers, who grew up in Cincinnati and joins the Niners from Independence Community College in Kansas, was primarily a basketball player until his freshman year of high school. Being 6-foot-5, football coaches took notice of his natural skills after Myers had starred on his school’s varsity basketball team as a freshman.

“It’s just that under the lights, I feel like I play my best,” Myers said. “During these times, I’m more of a gamer. I come to life.

“Really? I looked at it as a rebound. Going up to get that rebound.”

How basketball translates to football

Myers was mainly a basketball player until his freshman year at Colerain High School, a football powerhouse in Cincinnati. He excelled on varsity as a freshman — and the football coaches noticed his size and athleticism.

He decided to take up football, and his first coach told him that going up for a pass resembled the action of trying to snag a rebound on the hardwood. He eventually graduated from Princeton High School, where he was recognized as an all-area player in both sports.

“There are a lot of similarities between basketball and football,” Myers said. “Just with the releases — when you’re releasing off the ball, you gotta work on little crossovers or however it may be. Just stacking and getting vertical.

“Not only just rebounding when the ball is in the air. There’s just a lot of stuff from basketball that I feel translates to the wide receiver position.”

Making a bigger name for the school

Antonio Cotman Jr. , a redshirt freshman defensive back who transferred from Virginia Tech, has been relishing his time in the Queen City.

He did note the city of Charlotte’s food culture — he loves Caribbean, soul food and seafood, and his preferred spot is Homestyle Kitchn . But Cotman Jr. knew this was the program for which he wanted to play after getting to know head coach Biff Poggi and realizing how much he cared about each individual player.

“One of the things that excites me most is what I can bring around the area of Charlotte,” Cotman Jr. said. “It’s a big city. I love this city; I love the food; I love when people come up to me and ask me: ‘You play football for Charlotte?’

“Just putting a bigger name for the school means a lot to me.”