Path for Jets’ Conklin went from hoop dreams to NFL catches

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Tyler Conklin had childhood dreams of the NBA hardwood, shooting jumpers and dunking at arenas around the country.

His journey took a few twists and dribbles — and he ended up catching passes in NFL stadiums instead.

“I mean, I really believe everything happens for a reason,” the New York Jets tight end said Friday.

Conklin, in his first season with New York after four with the Minnesota Vikings, has 18 catches — the most by a Jets tight end through three games since the NFL merger in 1970.

“Wow,” Conklin said when told of the mark. “That’s pretty crazy.”

But not totally unexpected.

When Conklin signed a three-year, $21 million contract in March, he was brought in with fellow free agent signing C.J. Uzomah to give New York a solid pass-catching tight end duo. While that hasn’t come to fruition yet — Uzomah has one catch in two games — Conklin has shown signs of being productive in Mike LaFleur’s offense.

“It’s nice to get catches, but a lot of that stuff is just getting to our checkdowns, late in games when we’re behind and running 2-minute and that sort of thing,” Conklin said. “I think the catches will feel a lot better when we start winning and stacking these wins.

“But it’s definitely a cool stat. And hopefully the ball keeps rolling that way.”

With Zach Wilson set to make his season debut Sunday at Pittsburgh, he and Conklin could re-establish the chemistry they had in training camp before the quarterback injured his knee in the preseason opener.

“What’s cool about him, he’s a team guy,” LaFleur said of Conklin. “He’s going to do whatever’s asked of him and you just know he’s going to come through.”

That’s despite the two fumbles Conklin has — one in each of the first two games, both recovered by the Jets.

“It bugs him more than anyone else, trust me,” LaFleur said. “Because that’s not the player he wants to put out there.”

Not when Conklin’s path — much of it memorialized on his body by what he estimates is 150 hours of tattoo work — has been filled with doubters.

And constantly proving them wrong.

“I just realized how much for me,” he said, “every opportunity, every rep matters.”

Conklin was a standout guard in basketball and wide receiver in football at L’Anse Creuse High School-North in Macomb Township, Michigan. The basketball squad was outstanding, but the football team was lousy — “We were like 0-27 going into my senior year” —…