Nate Ament shows off athletic skills in video that go far beyond the basketball floor
The Vols’ superstar from last season was in town for an event, and he showed he’s more than just a terrific basketball player.
The Tennessee Vols had a terrific young talent last season in freshman Nate Ament. The five-star recruit lived up to his billing by season’s end, helping the Vols reach the Elite Eight for the third straight season while finishing with 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game last year.
Painfully, for Tennessee’s prospects for next season, Ament ultimately elected to forego a return to Tennessee and declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. It’s certainly a logical and well-earned choice, as Ament should be a lottery pick in June.
However, on Saturday, Ament showed he’s more than just a great basketball player. He attended Dick’s House of Sport in Knoxville as an invitee, and he was captured on video throwing a football 33 yards and into a small target receptacle.
Nate Ament participated in Dick’s House of Sport event, talked about decision to opt for NBA Draft
Ament said that returning to Knoxville was an emotional experience for him, and that seeing campus again struck a chord with him.
“I was even getting a little emotional coming back here and seeing the campus and where I was living and everything,” Ament said. “But it’s great. I’m grateful to be back here and be around the people I love so much.”
However, despite the potential pull of playing one more season in orange and white, Ament felt like making the jump was the right thing to do for him.
“Being welcomed here so much, and having a second home here and having the fans really react well to me coming here and loving me, it was hard to make the decision. But I just felt like it was the right thing to do.”
As far as how his teammate felt about the decision, Ament said they were in favor of his decision to head to the NBA.
“They all wanted me to leave,” Ament said with a chuckle. “They all wanted to see me in an NBA jersey next year, and they were all super proud of me and what we went through and what we’ve gone through this year. So they wanted it to pay off, and they wanted me to go to the NBA for sure.”
We’ll find out Ament’s new basketball home on June 23, when the first round of the draft gets underway.