Olivier Rioux may be listed as a basketball player, but at 7-foot-9, you'd be forgiven for thinking he's actually a Marvel character disguised in a Florida Gators warmup suit.
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The redshirt freshman — already a viral sensation thanks to his sheer size — tried something a little different this offseason: football. Specifically, Rioux suited up for the Gators football team and gave special teams a go. The thinking was simple: with that kind of reach, surely he could swat away a few kicks, right?
Well, not exactly.
Despite the sky-scraping frame, Rioux was reportedly unable to block any attempts. Florida basketball coach Todd Golden admitted the football coaches were "a little disappointed." Turns out, even when you're nearly eight feet tall, an 11-inch vertical doesn't quite cut it.
"I like the idea," Golden told the Associated Press. "I give them credit for trying it."
Credit, indeed. But it looks like Rioux will stick with his day job — and in that role, he still turns plenty of heads. He didn't play last season, redshirting during the Gators' national title run. But he certainly didn't go unnoticed. After Florida beat Houston, Rioux cut down his piece of the net without the aid of a ladder, drawing laughs and disbelief online.
He also made headlines earlier this month with Canada's U19 national team, where he forced a key turnover just by standing in front of an inbound pass. No need to jump. Just be tall.
Whether he cracks the regular rotation this season remains to be seen — Florida returns its entire frontcourt — but there's already buzz about using Rioux in late-game inbound defense. If nothing else, he's become one of college basketball's most recognizable faces (and tallest bodies). The Guinness World Record holder continues to be a walking meme, a team favorite, and a reminder that, sometimes, being really tall is reason enough to go viral.
And hey, if basketball doesn't work out? Maybe next spring, Florida's baseball team gives him a look in the outfield.
