In honor of Football Playoffs, let’s check out football players who also could have been
Major League Baseball stars.
Russell Wilson
Quarterback Russell Wilson started his career on completely different turf. Wilson was a multi-sport athlete, drafted twice into the MLB as a middle infielder and initially out of high school. He was ultimately chosen by the Rockies in the fourth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. The 2010 draft class is one for baseball fans to remember, including current major leaguers such as Jacob Degrom, Kevin Gausman, and Eddie Roasario—who were all picked after Wilson.
After spending two minor league seasons with the Rockies (all while being the star QB of the Seattle Seahawks), Wilson was selected by the Rangers in the 2013 Rule 5 Draft. Wilson was then traded to the Yankees for cash considerations in 2014. His latest action on the diamond was a pinch-hit appearance in a 2018 Spring Training game, but he has not revisited baseball since.
Tom Brady
Professional football would be drastically different if QB Tom Brady had pursued a career in baseball instead. Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos right out of high school in the 1995 MLB Draft as a lefty hitting catcher with power.
Instead of setting several records on the gridiron, Brady could have done the same on the diamond. Perhaps seven Super Bowl championships could have been seven World Series rings. Nearly 650 touchdowns would be 650 homeruns. However, Brady left baseball after high school to play football at The University of Michigan. He was a sixth-round pick in the 2000 NFL draft by the New England Patriots, where he spent the bulk of his career and made a great impact on the league.
Deion Sanders
Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was another football player drafted twice into the MLB and out of high school. He was a sixth-round pick by Kansas City in the 1985 MLB draft and a 30th-round pick by the New York Yankees in 1988.
“Neon Deion” is one of the best Cornerbacks in the NFL and is the only player in history to play in both a World Series and a Super Bowl.
Sanders was the fifth pick of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons and had an incredible career in the league. That same year, he became the only player to hit a homerun in the MLB and score a touchdown in the NFL in the same week. In 1992, the Braves were on a playoff run, which overlapped with the beginning of the football season. Sanders did the impossible, playing in an NFL game in the afternoon and in an MLB playoff game that same night.
Bo Jackson
Two-sport legend Bo Jackson is the first and only professional athlete to be named an All-Star in both the NFL and MLB. Jackson was drafted into the MLB as an outfielder and fourth round pick out of college by the Kansas City Royals in 1986. He was then the No. 1 overall pick of the
NFL draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that same year.
Jackson did not sign with the Bucs in 1986 but went on to play four seasons with the Las Vegas Raiders in 1987. Between his college and professional football careers, Jackson collected many awards including 1985 Heisman winner, SEC Player of the Year, and multiple All-Americans. He spent eight seasons in the MLB as an outfielder and was named an all star his fourth season, becoming all star game MVP. Although Jackson’s career was short, it was remarkable.
Fans recognize these athletes for their accomplishments in the NFL, but it is astonishing how few players (less than 70) were able to pull off playing both football and baseball at such high levels. As we look toward the NFL playoffs, these are just some stories of players who display unmatched versatility. From Russell Wilson's MLB Draft days to Bo Jackson's All-Star legacy, there is no doubt that these multi-sport athletes possess incredible talents.
Edited by Taylor N. Hall
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