It’s not that unusual for basketball players to make the jump to football. (See: Gonzalez, Tony, and Gates, Antonio.) People may also argue for Julius Peppers as well, but I see him more as a football player who happened to have dabbled in basketball.

And now the CARROLL COUNTY (MD) TIMES shoots up news of the latest hoopster trying to make the same transition to the gridiron: Joe Reitz (not seen to the left).

The difference between Jonathan Ogden, a sure-fire Hall of Fame mauling road-grader of a left tackle, and Reitz, a guy who hasn’t played football since high school? Likely negligible.

Surely, though, he’s been in rec leagues … or something football related within the past few years, just to stay sharp for the NF-Freaking-L, right?

‘After the season I got an agent and things started coming along,’ Reitz said. ‘It’s really exciting for me not having played football in five years. I’m trying to take it one day at a time and keep getting as good as I can be.’

Oh. Well, then best of luck to you, sir. And because he wants to be an offensive lineman, as opposed to a tight end, where basketball skills actually help, a little more pessimism is probably warranted. But not from grizzled head coach vet John Harbaugh:

‘He’s athletic for an offensive tackle,’ Harbaugh said then. ‘He does have to gain a lot of weight and become a lot stronger. Joe looks more natural at tackle than he did at tight end … he’s a smooth, fluid guy.’

Sure, the whole “footwork” thing certainly applies here, but I have to think that getting out of camp without Ray Lewis munching on his (not even yet?) first-born has to be considered a win.

UPDATE: Dan Cash of ESPN 1660 KALAMAZOO shares an interview he did with Reitz about the player’s road to the Ravens.