Head coach Craig Esherick often looked to the Georgetown football team for walk-on candidates, and one of the best may well have been reserve guard Gharun Hester.

"Gharun is the only I-A scholarship player playing I-AA non-scholarship football. He is undoubtedly one of the reasons Georgetown is moving on to the Patriot League," said football coach Bob Benson to The HOYA in 2000. But Hester wasn't even thinking about basketball when it came to Georgetown.

"I didn't play basketball or baseball my senior year [of high school]," he said. "I thought maybe sports in college isn't something that's going to be in the future for me, so I started to put a little more effort into my schoolwork."

Hester saw spot duty over the next two seasons, but was called to greatness at the Hoyas 2000 NIT game versus Virginia. In a game that went three overtimes, had three players foul out, and three more in serious foul trouble, Hester steadied the ship. He played for 32 minutes and scored nine points, with a late game three pointer that led Georgetown to the win.

In his senior season, Hester noted that "There are a lot of expectations for basketball, because we have a good team. Once football is over and I can play basketball, I hope I can contribute in some form or fashion. I just want to be along for the ride and see what happens." Hester, one of four football walk-ons on the 2001 NCAA Sweet 16 team, saw action in just five games that season.