Now, for today's feature presentation.
Alright, everyone mark your calendars for next Tuesday. That's when Tim Tebow will be working out for MLB teams in Los Angeles. He's been working out for quite some time, and has gotten some pretty nice endorsements from guys like Gary Sheffield.
I know what you're thinking: "Here we go again, another Tim Tebow story." That's actually the last thing I wanted to do. So, with Tebow's workout officially scheduled, It made me wonder: Who are the best players to play both MLB and NFL? Yeah we all know Bo Jackson (although he's not #1 on my list, I'll explain that later) and Deion Sanders and legend Jim Thorpe, but who else has made the jump, successful or otherwise? Over 70 men have been known to play at the highest level in both sports. Some with more distinction in one than another, and some with little to no distinction in either. But let's take a look at who I think the top 5 overall cross-sport athletes are.
NOTE: Russell Wilson is NOT included because he has not made it to the Majors yet. Who knows, maybe he never will. But I'd say, at least so far that the NFL thing is working out for him.
5. Ernie Nevers (MLB 1926-1928, NFL 1926-1931). Nevers is one of those guys who was WAY better in one sport than another, but hey, he still made it to the top level in both. As a NFL superstar, Nevers is still the only player in NFL history to score 40 points in a single game. He spent his first 2 NFL seasons with the now-defunct Duluth Eskimos, before playing his final 3 years with the Chicago Cardinals, where he scored 12 touchdowns in his first year in the Windy City. Nevers was named 1st Team All-Pro in all 5 of his NFL seasons and was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963 and is also a member of the College Football Hall of Fame (he was a star at Stanford). His baseball career was much less storied. Nevers pitched parts of 3 seasons for the St. Louis Browns, compiling a 6-12 record and a 4.64 ERA. In 1927, he went 3-8 with a 4.94 ERA in 94 innings, and gave up 2 of Babe Ruth's then-record 60 home runs.
(Bleacher Report)4. Brian Jordan- (MLB 1992-2006, NFL 1989-1991). Jordan was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and the St. Louis Cardinals out of the University of Richmond. While he spent time in the Cardinals' farm system, he played in 4 games as a rookie for the Falcons, recovering two fumbles. In 1990, he recorded 3 interceptions and added 2 more the following year while starting 30 of a possible 32 games. He also recorded two safeties in 1991. In the 1991 playoffs, Jordan recorded his lone postseason interception. His big league baseball career began in 1992 and he played parts of the next 3 seasons. His first full season, 1995 served as his breakout campaign, as he hit .296 with 22 homers and 24 stolen bases. The following year, Jordan was 8th in MVP voting thanks to his .310/17/104 line, as well as 22 steals. He made his only All-Star appearance in 1999 as a member of the Atlanta Braves and also saw his only World Series action that year as the Braves were swept by the Yankees. Overall, Jordan slashed .282/184/821 in his 15 year career with 119 steals to go with it.
(likesuccess.com)2. Jim Thorpe (MLB 1913-1919, NFL 1920-1928). Widely considered one of the greatest and most hallowed athletes of all time, Jim Thorpe could do it all. Playing competitive sports well into his 40s, his accomplishments and achievements have stood the test of time to the point where he is still revered to this day. Thorpe's football career actually began in 1915 as a member of the Canton Bulldogs, but in 1920, the Bulldogs were granted entry into the NFL Thorpe bounced around the league, playing for 6 teams in 8 years. In those very early days of football, statistics were few and far between, and when they were kept, they were not very thorough, so little is actually known about Thorpe's NFL career. We do know he was voted All-Pro in 1923 and was selected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963, joining Ernie Nevers and 15 others as the very first class inducted. As a baseball player, Thorpe was never more than a part-time player, but managed to hit .327 in his final season, the only time he eclipsed the .300 mark. He was hitless in his lone postseason at-bat, coming as a member of the New York Giants in 1917. Oh, did we mention he was a basketball player as well, and also won multiple Olympic gold medals and held his share of Olympic records?
(wikipedia.com)3. Bo Jackson (MLB 1986-1991, 1993-1994, NFL 1987-1990). Two things kept Bo from being number 1 on this list. One of those things was out of his control, Yes, we all know about the gruesome hip injury that ended his NFL career and interrupted his baseball one. But, the positive side of that story is his triumphant return to baseball afterwards (29 of his 141 home runs came post-surgery). Many who saw him play say Bo was, without question, the greatest athlete of all time and could have been a Hall of Famer in both sports. Whoa, now, don't get TOO carried away. I do agree, that had he been able to stay healthy, Bo would have been in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never started more than 9 games in a season due to injuries, but somehow still retired with a career mark of 5.4 yards per carry. He scored 16 TDs in four years, and lead the league 3 times in longest rush of the year, with runs of 91, 92, and 88 yards. In his lone playoff game in 1990, he carried 6 times for 77 yards. On the baseball field, Bo was a fantastic defender and a great power hitter, amassing 20+ home runs four times as a member of the Royals. But here is why he was no HOFer: Only once did he drive in 100 runs (105 in 1989), he never hit above .280, and struck out more times than games played every year. So while he had the talent to be a star in both sports, and I think was a Hall of Famer in football for sure (again, if he had been healthy), I think his baseball career, had it been a full one, would be remembered more like Dave Kingman or Adam Dunn. Which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of.
(topdrawersoccer.com)1. Deion Sanders (MLB 1989-2001, NFL 1989-2000, 2004-2005). "Prime Time" certainly showed up when it mattered. Sanders lived for the big stage, thrived in the big moment, excelled when every eye was on him. There are two big reasons why Sanders is my #1 on this list. The first reason, is not only did he play both sports incredibly well, but he also played both sports at a high level for such an extended period of time. Secondly, at the time of this blog posting, he is the only man to have played in a Super Bowl AND a World Series. Stats and achievements are great but at the end of the day, its about championships and even though Deion didn't win the World Series, he more than gave the Braves a chance to win it. A career .263 hitter, Sanders' best season came as a member of the Braves in 1992, where he hit .304, 8 homers, 28 RBI, and stole 26 bases. Two years later, while splitting time between the Braves and Cincinnati Reds, he stole a career high 38 bags. In his only World Series in 1992, he batted .533 and stole 5 bases in 4 games, but the Braves ultimately lost to the Blue Jays. In the NFL, Sanders compiled a Hall of Fame career, won two Super Bowls, and was named to eight Pro Bowls. He intercepted 53 passes in his career and is ranked 4th all-time in career pick-sixes. His speed also made him an explosive weapon returning kicks and punts, as he added another nine touchdowns on returns and three additional scores running out of the backfield. Regardless of where he played, regardless of what sport or how big the stage, the setting was never to big for Prime Time, the number one MLB-NFL athlete of all time.
(totalprosports.com)
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