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Here's a select group of college athletes who excelled at no less than two sports. They eventually had to decide which path to follow,
Kyler excelled at football and baseball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
The reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year has a bright future ahead of him. The Arizona Cardinals quarterback was the first player chosen in the 2019 NFL Draft. This year, he is being touted by top sportsbooks as a legitimate contender to win the NFL MVP award.Amazingly, Murray very nearly took his talents to play baseball in the Bay Area.
Murray was such a gem on the diamond that the Oakland Athletics selected him ninth overall in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft.
He originally signed a $4.66 million contract with the A’s. However, after winning the 2018 Heisman Trophy, Murray used an opt-out clause and turned back to the gridiron.
His dual performance for the Sooners added Murray’s name to a lengthy list of college football players who were sensational two-sport NCAA athletes. It’s a group that includes Hall of Famers, Super Bowl winners and World Series champions.
Oregon State quarterback Baker is the only person in NCAA history to win the Heisman Trophy and play in the Final Four.
Baker won the 1962 Heisman Trophy. He played point guard for the Beavers team that lost to Cincinnati in the 1963 NCAA Tournament semifinals.
It’s a tribute to his athletic prowess that the man considered by many to be the greatest running back in NFL history during his time with the Cleveland Browns also has the MVP trophy of the Premier Lacrosse League named in his honor.
In his senior year at Syracuse, Brown was named a consensus All-American with the Orangemen football team, setting a school record by rushing for six touchdowns in a game. He was also an All-American choice at lacrosse, finishing second in the nation with 43 goals in just 10 games. Brown was also on the Syracuse track team.
A World Series hero for the 1984 Detroit Tigers and 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, Gibson hit .390 with 16 homers and 52 RBIs in 48 games during his lone season with the Michigan State Spartans baseball team.
He was an All-American wide receiver for the Spartans and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. Drafted by both the Tigers (first round) and the NFL’s St. Louis Cardinals (seventh round), Gibson chose baseball.
A consensus All-American tight end for the California Golden Bears, Gonzalez averaged 6.8 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game for the 1996 Cal basketball team that reached the Sweet 16 of March Madness.
He chose football and was a perennial All-Pro for the Kansas City Chiefs. Gonzalez is considered one of the finest tight ends in NFL history.
Some of the other top athletes include Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, both of whom played professional football and baseball.