Athletes Who Played Both NFL and MLB

Reaching the top of your sports game and becoming a professional athlete is a feat that only a small percentage of the population is able to do. Reaching the point where you are so good at the sport that playing it becomes your career is the dream of many people yet it is so hard to attain. So, how about those athletes that not only master a sport and play it professionally but manage to master two sports and play each one on a professional level?

In fact, there are a number of athletes who have managed to reach professional status in more than one sport, making them a truly well-rounded individual. Here we’ll take a look at those who played in both the NFL and MLB, becoming legends in their own right.

Deion Sanders

Deion Sanders is one of a handful who managed to make a mark not just in the NFL but also in MLB. As a baseball player, he played with a few different teams, including the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, and Cincinnati Reds. While he played in a couple of different positions, he was known as a centerfielder. In the NFL, he played with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys and won two Super Bowls during his career. He is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

What’s notable about Sanders is that he managed to play both sports longer than any other athlete in history, posting impressive stats in each.

Bo Jackson

Another extremely popular athlete who played for the NFL and MLB is Bo Jackson. During his high school years, he also excelled at track events and even qualified for the U.S. Olympic track and field team. It was in 1986 when he joined the MLB, and then 1991 when he joined the NFL. While his NFL career was short, only four years thanks to an injury, he still managed to make his mark. As for his MLB career, he bounced around between a few teams, including the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals.

Drew Henson

And then we have Drew Henson who is a more recent player. He played in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys as a quarterback in 2004 and 2008. As well, he played with the New York Yankees as a third baseman for one year, starting in 2002.

It Doesn’t Stop There

There are seven players in total who have managed to play for both the MLB and NFL, so this is just a small look at those notable athletes. For all things baseball, you can always visit Theplanetofbaseball.com where you can catch up on the news, stats, and other notable information.

For those keeping track of these multi-talented athletes, the current one to watch is Russell Wilson, who is a quarterback with the Seattle Seahawks, yet also took part in the New York Yankees spring training this past February. While he didn’t stay on with them, it’s unclear what his future plans may include.