While many people disregard the NFL Preseason, there are many young players who have been waiting for this day for a lifetime. One such player will be making his debut on the gridiron tonight for the New York Jets. Many Cleveland sports fans will remember J'Nathan Bullock for his standout play with the Cleveland State Vikings on the basketball court. While he will be still wearing the color green, that is the only thing that will remain the same for the 6' 4'' forward turned NFL tight end.

Bullock was a standout in high school on the football field, getting offers from powerhouse schools such as Notre Dame and Michigan, but decided he loved the hardwood. It paid off in a big way for Bullock who will be forever remembered by loyal Vikings fans for bringing a team from worst in the Horizon League to the league's champs who won a game in the NCAA Tournament last year, upsetting ACC titan Wake Forest.

Now the task gets even tougher for Bullock who is playing against the best football players in the world after an absence of 4 seasons. Dan Leberfeld, who covers the Jets and publishes "Jets Confidential" at nyj.scout.com and is a host on Sirius NFL Radio, remarked on his 2009 training camp in an exchange:

" He has very quiet camp. He's not getting a lot of reps. He has so much to learn, he's probably a practice squad candidate."

Bullock is trying to follow in the footsteps of fellow Gary Waters product Antonio Gates who starred at Kent State and then became the top NFL tight end. A very tough act to follow indeed.

Whatever happens on the gridiron, Bullock is well set for a great future. He is undoubtedly a great prospect to play basketball in Europe if his stint doesn't work out and has the impressive degree in Mechanical Engineering he earned from CSU if he feels that athletics aren't for him anymore.

You can follow the first part of his NFL journey on NFL Network tonight when the Jets kickoff their preseason against the St Louis Rams at 7 pm.

Special thanks to The Orange and Brown Report who helped compile the update on Bullock's training camp via our Twitter accounts.