It’s not unusual to find out some of the greatest professional athletes played multiple sports at one point, usually back in High School or sometimes even in College. The greatest athletes in the world having the ability to play multiple sports at a high level isn’t surprising, but many of these athletes were so good they had the opportunity to choose which sport they would play at the professional level. Today, we’ll be ranking the Top 20 professional athletes in sports other than baseball – in this case mostly football but there are a couple NBA players as well who were actually drafted by a Major League Baseball team, but either decided not to sign or they only played in the minors before making it big in another sport. So, I won’t include the obvious guys who actually played both at the highest level – i.e. Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. These are guys primarily known for their career in another sport besides baseball. But before getting to the main guys, let’s do a few honorable mentions.
Colin Kaepernick (AV 49)
One of the most famous NFL players for more reasons than one, Colin Kaepernick was an intriguing High School baseball prospect who could light up the radar gun as a pitcher and the Chicago Cubs drafted him in the 43rd Round of the 2009 MLB Draft while he was playing football at the University of Nevada. He decided to continue college instead and was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the 49ers and went on to play in the NFL for 6 years.
Jameis Winston (AV 67)
Another Heisman Trophy Winner, Jameis Winston, was a two-way baseball player in High School who could pitch and hit at a high level. The Texas Rangers drafted him in 2012 in the 15th Round, but Winston decided to go to college, and at Florida State, he continued to look like he could have a future in baseball, especially on the mound, where he had a 1.94 ERA coming out of the bullpen for the Seminoles, striking out 8.4 batters per 9 in 2014. But he was even better at football and was taken 1st overall by the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Brandon Weeden (AV 14)
At Edmond Santa Fe High School in Oklahoma, Brandon Weeden was a star player for both the football and baseball teams and had the opportunity to go to college to play D1 football or enter professional baseball after he was drafted in the 2nd Round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Yankees. He decided to go pro, signing for a $565,000 bonus and entered the Yankees minor league system as a pitcher. He struggled through 5 seasons in the minors, getting traded to the Dodgers and taken in the Rule 5 by the Angels along the way. He had a great arm, but injuries and under performance let him to retire from baseball and enroll at Oklahoma State in 2009, where he joined the football team as a backup quarterback . By 2010, at 27 years old, he became the starter and in 2011, broke all types of school records, leading the Cowboys to an 11-1 record and Big 12 Championship. He was drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns and did not have a great NFL career, but did play in parts of 5 seasons, mostly as a backup QB for the Cowboys and Texans.
Matt Cassel (AV 51)
Cassel was a great baseball player going back to Little League, when his team made it to the finals of the Little League World Series in 1994. He attended Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles and was a standout in all three major sports. He decided to attend college at USC, but he was mostly a backup quarterback and didn’t throw a single touchdown pass. He only made 8 appearances as a pitcher for the baseball team. He was taken in the 7th round by the New England Patriots and the 36th Round by the Oakland A’s. With a slightly brighter future in football, he signed with the Pats and slowly moved up the depth chart. After Tom Brady tore an ACL in 2008, he took over the as the starter and had a phenomenal breakout season, leading the team to an 11-5 record. Cassel was traded to Kansas City, and went on have a great 14 year NFL career.
Scott Burrell Bur-EL (WS 16.4)
In high school, Scott Burrell was the star player on the basketball team, quarterback of the football team and flamethrowing ace pitcher for the baseball team. He became a top baseball prospect, and after was taken 26th overall in the MLB Draft by the Seattle Mariners. He decided not to sign and instead went to Uconn to play basketball, but baseball teams weren’t giving up. In the 1990 MLB Draft, his name was called again, this time by the Blue Jays in the 5th round. He signed with the agreement that he could continue playing college basketball. He pitched for 2 seasons in the Blue Jays system, going 2-6 with a 3.71 ERA and an impressive 8.9 per 9 strikeout ratio. He decided to quit baseball, focus on basketball ,and was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets 20th overall in 1993. Burrell went on to play for 8 years in the NBA.
Kyler Murray (AV 62)
An active NFL player currently in his 6th season as the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, Kyler Murray was drafted by the Oakland A’s in the first round of the 2018 MLB Draft and is the only athlete to be drafted in the 1st Round of both the NFL and MLB Drafts. He hit .296 with 10 homers for Oklahoma, and signed with the A’s to play professional baseball, planning to attend Spring Training in 2019. However, after winning the Heisman Trophy with the Sooners, he decided to enter the NFL Draft, got picked first overall and forfeited his $4.6 Millon signing bonus to play football instead.
Golden Tate (AV 72)
Golden Tate was a phenomenal athlete at High School in Henderson, Tennesee and a star player on the diamond and gridiron. He was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 42nd round of the 2007 MLB Draft, but decided not to sign and instead went to Notre Dame where he continued to play both baseball and football. He hit .329 in 2009 with an OPS over .800 and was drafted again, this time in the 2010 MLB Draft by the San Francisco Giants, but not until the 50th Round. With a brighter looking career in football, he signed with the Seahawks, who took him in the 2nd round and went on to have a productive 11-year career, winning a Superbowl with the Eagles in 2018.
Now, let’s get into the Top 20.
#20. Charlie Ward (WS 33)
When it comes to mutli-sport talent, not many were better than Charlie Ward, who was excellent at baseball, basketball, football, tennis and track in High School. He eventually became a solid NBA point-guard who spent 11 years in the league. Before that, he was a star basketball player and Heisman-Trophy winning quarterback for the Florida State Seminoles. He could’ve gone on to have a great NFL career, but stated that he wouldn’t play football unless he was drafted in the first round. So, NFL teams decided not to draft him at all. However, the same can’t be said for MLB teams as he was drafted twice just on the off chance he might sign – by the Brewers in the 59th round of the ‘93 draft and shockingly again by the Yankees in the 18th round of the ‘94 draft. They did this despite the fact Ward wasn’t even playing baseball in college. He obviously did not sign. He remains the player in the history of the NBA to have won the Heismann Trophy.
#19. Ricky Williams (AV 91)
Speedster Ricky Williams was drafted out of Patrick Henry High School in San Diego back in 1995 and decided to sign and enter the minor leagues. He was an impressive base-stealer with explosive speed, but hit just .211 with 4 home runs over 4 seasons. During this time, he still found time to play football at the University of Texas and after winning the Heisman Trophy in 1998, it was clear which path made more sense. He was taken 5th overall by the Saints and went on to play 11 years in the National Football League.
#18. Archie Manning (AV 94)
College Football Hall-of-Famer and 2-time Pro Bowler Archie Manning was drafted in the MLB Draft not once, not twice, not three times, but four total times. The first time was out of High School in 1967 in the 43rd round by the Atlanta Braves. He went on to play College Football for 3 seasons at Ole Miss as the starting quarterback. He threw 4,753 yards, 31 touchdowns and ran for 823 yards. He also played shortstop on the Ole Miss Baseball team and the White Sox drafted him in 1970 and 1971. The Royals also drafted him, but Manning never played pro baseball. Instead, he signed with the New Orleans Saints, who took him in the 1st round in 1971. Manning played for 13 seasons in the NFL, throwing 125 touchdowns.
#17. Michael Vick (AV 112)
Quarterback Michael Vick played for 13 seasons in the NFL, made 4 Pro Bowls, and was also a standout college football player who finished 6th for the Heismann Trophy. The weird thing is Vick did not play college or High School baseball, but the Colorado Rockies surprisingly picked his name in the 30th Round of the 2000 MLB Draft. Vick hadn't played baseball since 8th Grade, but the Rockies decided to roll the dice on an incredibly explosive and elite athlete who could’ve covered a ton of ground in the outfield. Of course, Vick was destined for the NFL and did not sign with the Rockies.
#16. Kerry Collins
College Football Hall of Famer and 2-time Pro Bowler Kerry Collins played for 17 years in the NFL and, like many of the athletes on this list, played all three major sports in High School. He had an electric arm and was drafted in the 26th round of the 1990 MLB Draft by the Tigers as a pitcher, but Collins did not sign. He was a good enough quarterback to be recruited by Joe Paterno and decided to play football at Penn State, where he became a consensus first team All-American, breaking several Penn State football records. Despite not even playing baseball in college, he was selected two more times in the MLB Draft, by Tigers again in the 60th Round in 1991 and by the Blue Jays in the 48th Round in 1994, but he obviously had no interest as football was the obvious path forward.
#15. Dell Curry (ws 41.5)
The Charlotte Hornets all-time leader in games played and 2-point field goals is still Dell Curry, who put together a fantastic 16 year NBA career in which he finished in the Top 10 for 6th man of the year 6 times and won the award once, in the 93-94 season. Back in High School, he was the star basketball and baseball player and he was so good at the later as both a pitcher and hitter, that he actually got drafted in the 37th round of the 1982 MLB Draft. He decided to go to college instead of playing pro ball and became a starter for Virginia Tech, where he was named player of the year his Senior season. Dell could hit the long shot with regularity before the 3-point line was introduced, a skill that would serve him well in the NBA. He also pitched for the Virginia Tech baseball team and was selected to play pro baseball again, this by the Baltimore Orioles in the 14th Round of the 1985 Draft. He decided to play college ball for one more year instead, and taken by the Utah Jazz 15th overall in 1986. But, he did eventually get a chance to play bro baseball when the Texas Rangers Single-A team, the Gastonia Rangers allowed Dell and Hornets teammate Muggsy Bogues to suit up for a game on a one-day contract in June of 1991. The owner of the Gastonias also owned the Hornets, and he thought this would make an amazing promotion. The game sold out and Dell started the game and threw 3 innings, allowing just 1 run on 3 hits and 1 walk. He struck out 4, including back to back strikeouts in the second inning. Scouts clocked his fastball at 85 MPH. Muggsy didn’t fair as well and struck out twice, but did make a nice play at second base. Unfortunately, the game was called after 3 innings due to rain.
#14. Kevin Johnson (WS 92.8)
The 5-time All NBA star played for 12 years in the National Basketball League, made three All-Star teams and scored over 13,000 points, averaging at least 20 per game in 5 separate seasons. A year before he was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 1st Round, he was also drafted by a Major League Basball team – the Oakland A’s, in the 23rd Round of the 1986 MLB draft. He even signed and played in 2 games with the Single-A Modesto A’s, but went 0 for 2, scoring one run as a pinch runner, before retiring from baseball and concentrating on basketball, a wise decision as it would turn out.
#13. Ray Guy
Ray Guy is to this day the only punter enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He attended Thompson High School in Georgia, where he was a multi-sport star, playing football, baseball, basketball and track. His punting skills were insane and he averaged around 50 yards per punt, a bigger number than most NFL punters, but he was doing it in High School. In basketball, he routinely scored more than 30 points per game. But his future also looked bright on the mound, as Guy completely dominated the opposition and threw a 15-inning shutout in the state playoff semi-finals in 1969. He was taken by the Reds in the 14th round of the ‘69 Draft, but decided to attend college at Southern Miss. He became one of the best punters in college football, but continued to pitch and continued to dominate, striking out 266 batters in 200 innings. He even threw a no-hitter. In 1971, the Astros drafted him, but he did not sign. In 1972, it was the Braves who took a shot at him in the 17th Round. Finally, in 1973, he was drafted for the fourth time by the Reds again. He never signed with any pro baseball team, but when he became the 1st ever punter to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, he signed to play with the Oakland Raiders. Guy played his entire career with the Raiders, mostly in Oakland but also 5 years in Los Angeles, receiving 7 Pro Bowl selections and becoming an all-time great punter in NFL history.
#12. Joe Theismann (AV 107)
Theismann lettered in baseball, basketball and football at South River High School in New Jersey. He accepted a scholarship to play college football at Notre Dame, but also played shortstop on the baseball team in 1970. He absolutely thrived on the grid-iron and was an All-American in contention for the Heisman. He set multiple school records including passing yards in one game, passing yards in one season and touchdowns in a season. He was selected in the 4th round of the 1971 NFL draft by the Dolphins and the 39th round of the 1971 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins. After negotiations with the Dolphins broke down, he entered the Canadian Football League, playing for the Toronto Argonauts. Eventually, he did make it the NFL with the Washington Redskins and played for 12 years in the NFL, winning the MVP in 1983.
#11. John Lynch (AV 116)
Two-time All-Pro, 9-Time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion John Lynch put together an impressive 15-year career as a defensive back in the NFL. Before that, he played football, baseball and basketball at Torrey Pines High School in San Diego. He was recruited by Stanford University and became a Cardinal, playing for both their baseball and football teams. He was mostly a backup quarterback for his first 3 seasons, appearing in just 8 games. Frustrated with the lack of playing time, he decided to pursue baseball after being drafted in the 2nd Round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Florida Marlins. He started 7 games for the Low A Erie Sailors in 1992 and had a 2.15 ERA. Lynch had the honor of throwing the first pitch in the history of the Marlins organization. In 1993, Bill Walsh, the new head coach for the Stanford Football Team, contacted Lynch and told him he wanted him to return to Stanford as a starting safety, as he saw the talent in him others didn’t. Lynch agreed and became an All-America selection, and the third-round draft choice of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1993.
#10. Hines Ward (AV 119)
Career Pittsburgh Steeler Hines Ward put together a fantastic NFL career as a Wide Receiver, making 4 consecutive Pro Bowls and winning 2 Superbowl Rings. At Forrest Park High School in Georgia, he was not only a standout football player, but also an outstanding outfielder with a powerful bat. He was taken by the Florida Marlins in the 73rd round of the 1994 MLB Draft. Instead of going that route, he went to the University of Georgia to play football, where he had 149 career receptions for a total of 1,965 yards. He holds multiple Georgia records and looked to be a potential first round pick, until it was discovered he was missing an ACL in one of his legs, the result of a childhood bicycle accident. The Steelers took a shot at him in the 3rd round and the rest is history.
#9 Mark Brunell (AV 120)
3-time Pro Bowler Mark Brunell always had a powerful left-handed arm that he not only used to become an elite quarterback, but he also used to dominate batters as a pitcher at St. Joseph High School in Santa Maria, California. Not surprisingly, he was a star basketball player as well. “I’m basically known as a jock,” he once joked as a High School Senior. As a baseball player, he went 10-2 with a 2.18 ERA and 84 strikeouts in 74 innings. As a hitter, he hit .470 with 20 RBIs. He won his local district’s Player of the Year Award. If it weren’t for his strong commitment to play football at Washington, he would’ve likely been taken in the MLB Draft out of High School. He went on to play football at Washington, but after a knee injury, he lost the starting quarterback job to Billy Joe Hobert. The Atlanta Braves decided to take him in the 44th round of the 1992 MLB Draft as a pitcher in a desperate attempt to see if they could bring him back to baseball. Brunell stuck with football and after Hobert was suspended for violating NCAA rules by receiving over $50,000 in loans, Brunell got the starting job back and was eventually drafted by the Green Bay Packers and went on to have an extremely successful NFL career.
#8. Steve McNair (AV 125)
Years before Steve McNair became a 3-time Pro Bowler and 2003 Associated Press MVP, he was one of the best baseball players on the Mount Olive High School team in Mississippi. McNair was a shortstop who caught the attention of then-Mariners scout, Dan Jennings. Jennings said, “He was Adonis, a muscular kid; athletic build. I'm thinking, 'This is my day. The baseball gods are shining on me.'" Jennings convinced the M’s to draft McNair in the 35th Round of the 1991 MLB Draft. McNair and his family sat down with Jennings to discuss the contract. He was offered a $15,000 bonus but eventually, after hard consideration, decided not to sign and to instead pursue a professional football career.
#7. Ken Stabler (AV 118)
Ken “The Snake” Stabler was a well rounded athlete at Foley High School in Alabama, averaging 29 points per game in basketball, leading his football team to 29-1 record as the starting quarterback and dominating as a left-handed starting pitcher for the baseball team. He was recruited by the legendary Bear Bryant to play football at Alabama. He also played for their baseball team at first, under the tutelage of Hall of Fame shortstop Joe Sewell. In 1966, he had a 1.44 ERA in 25 innings, striking out 21 batters. He also led the football team to an 11-0 record. The New York Yankees drafted him in the 10th Round of the ‘66 Draft, but when they showed up at his house to negotiate the contract, no one was home. A neighbor told them he decided to return to college. He was suspended in 1967 by Bear Bryant for missing class, partying too much and skipping baseball practice. He eventually quit baseball all together, but was drafted again in 1967 by the Houston Astros. Stabler considered signing, saying he would go with whoever paid him the most money, but when the Oakland Raiders drafted him to play in the NFL, he decided to go in that direction as the Raiders were a winning club at the time. He won the MVP in 1974 with Oakland and put together a 15-year Hall of Fame NFL career.
#6. Patrick Mahomes
One of the top quarterbacks in the NFL today, he will surely be much higher on a list like this after he retires, but as of now, he has played 8 seasons in the NFL and already has 2 MVPs and 6 Pro Bowls and is well on his way to a Hall of Fame NFL Career. He has led the Kansas City Chiefs to six consecutive AFC championship games and three total Super Bowl wins so far. He was a top football and baseball prospect back in High School in Texas, receiving scholarship offers from Texas Tech, Rice, and Houston. Mahomes was also drafted as a pitcher by the Detroit Tigers in the 37th Round of the 2014 MLB Draft. He was only taken so late due to his strong commitment to Texas Tech. He decided not to sign with Detroit and went on to play football and baseball at Texas Tech. He was drafted 10th overall by the Chiefs, signed with them and the rest is history, much of it still in the making for NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes.
#5 Russell Wilson (AV 179)
The still active quarterback Russell Wilson recently returned from injury and is the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers as I record this video. But the veteran is in his 13th NFL season and, with 9 Pro Bowl Selections and a Superbowl Ring, he is a likely future Hall of Famer. He was an all-state High School football star in Richmond, Virginia and also good enough at baseball to be selected by the Orioles in the 41st round of the 2007 MLB Draft as a second baseman. He did not sign and instead continued to play football and baseball at North Carolina State. In 2010, he hit .306 with a .929 OPS, prompting the Colorado Rockies to draft him in the 4th Round. He spent two years in the Rockies minor league system, hitting .229 with 5 home runs and 19 steals in 93 games. In 2012, he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the 3rd round and Wilson became the starting QB for Seattle, a position he held for 10 seasons before moving on to Denver and now Pittsburgh. As for his baseball career, he was traded to the Rangers and he appeared in Spring Training, but never played for their minor league system. In 2018, the Rangers traded him to the Yankees so he could make one at bat in pinstripes, as he grew up a Yankees fan. He made the at at bat in 2018 Spring Training, striking out in 5 pitches against Max Fried.
#4 Marshall Faulk (AV 164)
Entering the top 5, we have nothing but the best of the best – Pro Football Hall of Famers like Marshall Faulk, who had a 12-year NFL career in which he became one of the best running backs in the game during the early 2000s. Faulk won the Offensive Rookie of the Year Award and made 7 Pro Bowls, also taking home a Superbowl Ring. He was a standout football player, baseball player and track star at Carver High in New Orleans. He accepted an offer to play running back at San Diego State and finished second for the Heisman in 1992. Despite not playing baseball since High School, the California Angels decided to take a waiver on him in the MLB Draft for his speed and explosiveness, taking him in the 43rd round in 1992. Obviously, he did not sign and continued his college football career. He did sign with the Indianapolis Colts, who took him 2nd overall in the 1994 NFL Draft. He went on to become one of the greatest running backs of all time and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame his first year on the ballot.
#3 John Elway (AV 206)
Coming in at #3 we have the great John Elway, whose awards and accolades are too long to list. He was a duel-threat quarterback going all the way back to High School, where he also excelled at baseball as an outfielder and pitcher. If he wasn’t so good at football with a heavy commitment to Stanford, he would’ve likely been selected higher than the 18th Round, but that’s where the Kansas City Royals took him out of High School. He obviously did not sign and went to Stanford, where he continued to play both sports. As a quarterback, he was a consensus All-American who set virtual every Pac-10 and Stanford career record for total offense and passing. But he was no slouch as a baseball player, hitting .349 with 9 home runs and 50 RBIs as a sophomore. The New York Yankees drafted him in the 2nd Round of the 1981 MLB Draft and this time, he actually signed. George Steinbrenner planned to have him in the Yankees lineup by 1985. In 1982, he showed massive potential in Low A, hitting .318 with an .896 OPS and just 25 strikeouts in 151 at bats. The clear potential for a baseball career gave him leverage when the Baltimore Colts drafted him 1st overall in 1983. Elway did not want to play for the Colts because of a losing culture and a preference to be closer to the West Coast. They eventually traded him to the Denver Broncos, where he spent his entire 16 year career, winning an MVP, a Superbowl MVP, 2 Superbowl Rings and 9 Pro-Bowl Selections. He was elected to both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame. He never played pro baseball again after that one season in 1982.
#2 Dan Marino (AV 216)
The 1984 MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, Dan Marino, played 17 years in the NFL and is 7th all-time with 420 passing touchdowns. He led the league in passing yards 5 times and was a 9-time Pro Bowler, widely considered one of the greatest QB’s of all time. He attended Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where he was not only a star football player, but also a top prospect as a right-handed pitcher. Despite a commitment to the University of Pittsburgh, the Kansas City Royals selected Marino in the 4th Round of the 1979 MLB Draft, 99th overall. Marino didn’t sign and instead went to Pittsburgh where he played in every game for four years, accumulating 8,597 passing yards and 79 touchdowns. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame and, of course, after his legendary NFL career, the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.
#1 Tom Brady (AV 326)
Coming in easily at #1 is the consensus greatest quarterback in the history of football, Tom Brady, who played for an insane 23 seasons in the NFL and holds a multitude of offensive records including completions, yards, touchdowns, and games started. He is a 7-time Superbowl Champion and 15-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer the moment he is eligible. He was an impressive player at San Mateo High School in California, but no one could have predicted how good he would become. As a baseball player, he was a catcher with a tremendous arm and a powerful bat. The Montreal Expos selected him in the 18th Round of the 1995 MLB Draft and, in an unusual move, invited him to Candlestick Park during a road trip to work out with the team. The Expos front office considered him a future All-Star at a minimum. They offered him a large bonus the size you would normally see in the 2nd or 3rd round, but ultimately, Brady decided not to sign and ended up playing football at the University of Michigan. Of his 5 years at Michigan, he only started in his final two and had a solid but not otherwordly performance. He wasn’t drafted until the 6th Round, when the New England Patriots called his name in a move that would change football history. 198 football players, many of whom never made it past the practice squad, were selected before Tom Brady.
And that’ll do it for today’s video on some of the greatest athletes in sports history who were also good enough baseball players to be selected in the MLB Draft, but made their fame elsewhere.