By Pete Pelegrin
Twitter: @Petepelegrin

Ask FIU Coach Butch Davis about new graduate transfer tight end Pharoah McKever and he playfully says, "Oh, the little 5-9 tight end".

Of course, one look at McKever and you know the FIU coach is kidding because the Panthers tight end is a 6-6, 260-pound towering, athletic player with the wingspan of a pterodactyl.

"How about that target," a smiling Davis said of McKever after Sunday morning practice. "You got the wingspan of about 12 feet. It's kind of like trying to throw it out there to [former Houston Rockets center] Akeem Olajuwon. You have a lot of big throwing areas to go to."

One would think with such physical tools that McKever would have been in an NFL camp this summer after graduating from North Carolina State last year. However, that is not the case and one reason is because McKever was bounced around a handful of positions while with the Wolfpack.

At South Columbus High in Tabor City, North Carolina, McKever played quarterback and safety where he earned the overall Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards. McKever compiled career stats of 3,617 passing yards, 2,070 rushing yards and on defense he had 280 tackles and 18 interceptions.

Upon his arrival at N.C. State, McKever was switched to receiver in his freshman season. The following year as a sophomore, Wolfpack coaches moved McKever to defensive end and then in his junior season McKever was moved back to the offense as a tight end.

"It was tough trying to get established," McKever said. "But I looked at the positives of it like when I played tight end, being a former defensive lineman I knew how a defensive end uses his technique against a tight end."

McKever had his moments at N.C. State. As a defensive end, McKever returned an interception 82 yards for a touchdown against Syracuse. In his first game as a tight end, McKever caught an 82-yard touchdown pass against Mississippi State in the Belk Bowl. He also blocked a punt against Notre Dame that was returned for the winning touchdown.

Before the season FIU was in need of a tight end after former Panthers tight end Jonnu Smith was drafted by the Tennessee Titans.

Davis has a friend in North Carolina that put him on to McKever after he graduated from N.C. State.  When McKever thought of possibly joining FIU he asked two friends, Greg Elleby and Ethan Farmer, who played for Davis at North Carolina about the new FIU coach.

"Greg and Ethan had nothing but great things to say about Coach Davis," McKever said. "I know coach created tight end U at Miami. I know about the long list of tight ends that have played for coach and have gone on to play in the NFL. Being from North Carolina I had a chance to practice with Eric Ebron, who played tight end for coach at North Carolina and is now with the Detroit Lions."

Said Davis: "Pharoah wanted to get into a program that featured tight ends and obviously the history and tradition of [former Miami tight ends] Jeremy Shockey, Bubba Franks and [former North Carolina tight end] Eric Ebron he knew that we really focus on using tight ends."

Unlike the monarchs of ancient Egypt, "pharaohs", McKever's first name flips the "o" and the second "a". McKever was named Pharoah because his mother liked a character from a 1993 Oprah Winfrey movie titled "There Are No Children Here".

"Pharoah beat the odds in a bad neighborhood and fortunately I never lived in a bad neighborhood," McKever said. "My mom liked the way the kid kept the family together in the movie."

FIU offensive coordinator Rich Skrosky hopes McKever can help keep the offense together with his athleticism and physical tools.

"Pharoah is a guy that gives us a great catch radius," said Skrosky, who has known McKever since high school. "It helps the quarterback. As a quarterback you don't always have to be on the money with your throws. If you are a little off by a foot, you have this 6-6 guy to help you haul it in. And obviously the matchups, if we can get him matched up on a 5-10, 5-11 safety or linebacker then the matchup looks good for us. There is no question he adds a tremendous value to the offense because of his physical stature."

And that's no small thing.