Top Ten: Two Sport Athletes

Honorable Mention: Donovon McNabb- All Pro QB for the Eagles and also played in a Final Four with Syracuse

10. Tom Glavine- Glavine is going to the Hall of Fame for his performance on the diamond. He has been unreal, winning over 300 games with the Braves and Mets. However, little known fact about Tommy is that he was a NHL draft pick of the LA Kings. How good was Tommy at hockey? He was drafted before NHL Hall of Famers Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille.

9. Todd Helton- Todd is one of the most consistent first basemen in the last 15 years. You always knew what you were going to get from Helton, a .300 hitter who had some pop. A 5 time All Star, Helton is one of the faces of the Rockies. However, Helton also starred somewhere else. He was a QB for the University of Tennessee, one of the top football programs in America. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Football and Baseball. As a junior, he got his chance to start for Tennessee at QB, and he got hurt. His replacement? Peyton Manning

8. Jeff Samardzija- He is a major pitcher for the Chicago Cubs. A freshman All American pitcher for Notre Dame, the Cub pitcher isn’t even know for being a Major Leaguer. Samardzija is best know for being Brady Quinn’s number one option as a receiver for Notre Dame. He passed up a chance at being a high round draft pick in the NFL to become a Major Leaguer.

7. Antonio Gates- Gates was a two year starter at Kent State for basketball. His senior year, he scored 20 points a game. His junior year he led Kent State to an Elite 8 apperance. Gates, however, is know for being a All Pro tight end. He is one of, if not, the most dangerous target for the Chargers and makes the Pro Bowl yearly.

6. Tony Gonzalez- At Cal, Gonzalez played basketball and football, averaging about 7 points a game his junior year and going to the Sweet 16 with Cal. Football is Tony’s sport however, as he is arguably the best tight end ever to play in the NFL. The 13th pick in the NFL draft holds virtually all the records for tight ends.

5. Julius Peppers- Peppers was a walk on at UNC while playing football as well. He was a top reserve who went to a Final 4. In a tournament game, Peppers once scored 18 and grabbed 10 boards. Peppers was the number 2 pick in the NFL draft and is one of the most feared pass rushers in the game. He is another annual All Pro who just signed a massive contract with the Chicago Bears.

4. Charlie Ward- Charlie Ward won the Heisman Trophy at Florida State in the second largest margin of victory in the history of the award. A QB, Ward led FSU to its first National Championship. Ward also was drafted by the Brewers and Yankees as a pitcher despite never playing in college. Ward played basketball for FSU, is the career leader in steals. After not being a 1st round pick in the NFL, Ward became a first round pick for the Knicks. He had a solid career and was a fan favorite in New York.

3. Deion Sanders- A 3 sport star at FSU, Sanders put up unreal statistics in football, baseball and track. There is a story that he once played game 1 of a doubleheader, ran a 4X100 relay, then came back and played game 2. Sanders played 9 years in the majors with teams such as the Yankees and Braves. He once stole 56 bases in a year and played in a World Series. However, Neon Deion was the best corner of his era and one of the most feared defenders ever. He will go down as one of the greats in the NFL at his position.

2. Joe Mauer- Mauer was USA Today High School Player of the year in football and baseball. That year he also averaged over 20 points a game in basketball and was named All State. That alone is unreal. He turned down a chance to play QB for FSU and became the number one overall pick by the Twins. Mauer just won an MVP, is one of the best hitter catchers ever, and just signed a 184 million dollar deal. This is coming from a kid who could have been the next Joe Montana, or a Division 1 point guard.

1. Bo Jackson- He could hit a 450 foot bomb or over run over a linebacker. He was a freak of nature physically and is a cult story. People talk about him like a legend. All Star Game MVP, hit over 30 homers once, ran for 221 yards on Monday Night football, including a 91 yard run. We can sit here and talk about great athletes, odds are you will never see another Bo Jackson ever.