Dual Sport Athletes

NebChicago

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Oct 14, 2009
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I remember how cool I thought it was when players played two sports. It seams the Football/Baseball combo still happens, albeit less often:

Football/Baseball:
-Bo Jackson
-Deion Sanders
-Russell Wilson
-Kyler Murray

But you rarely see the Football/Basketball combo anymore. Can anyone think of a current Football/Basketball dual sport kid in the NCAA now?

Football/Basketball:
-Donovan McNabb
-Julius Peppers
-Antonio Gates (although I think he only played BBall at Akron)
-Jimmy Graham (played 1 yr of FBall and 4 yrs of BBall at Miami)
 

saluno22

All-Conference
Mar 1, 2006
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A few I remember at the UNL level...
- Greichaly Cepero played volleyball and basketball.
- Matt Davison and Wilson Thomas played some Nebrasketball while on scholarship for football.
- Tanner Farmer wrestled and played football. (Didn't Ryan Goodman wrestle, too, in his short time on the NU football team?)
- Darin Erstad, Turner Gill, and Khiry Cooper all played baseball and football.

I don't count Track and Field as making someone a "dual sport athlete", but there have been several sprinters and throwers (maybe some jumpers) that played football as well for NU.
 

timnsun

All-American
Jan 25, 2008
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I remember how cool I thought it was when players played two sports. It seams the Football/Baseball combo still happens, albeit less often:

Football/Baseball:
-Bo Jackson
-Deion Sanders
-Russell Wilson
-Kyler Murray

But you rarely see the Football/Basketball combo anymore. Can anyone think of a current Football/Basketball dual sport kid in the NCAA now?

Football/Basketball:
-Donovan McNabb
-Julius Peppers
-Antonio Gates (although I think he only played BBall at Akron)
-Jimmy Graham (played 1 yr of FBall and 4 yrs of BBall at Miami)
Add Brian Jordan to the football/baseball list...
 
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HUSKERFAN66

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2004
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A few I remember at the UNL level...
- Greichaly Cepero played volleyball and basketball.
- Matt Davison and Wilson Thomas played some Nebrasketball while on scholarship for football.
- Tanner Farmer wrestled and played football. (Didn't Ryan Goodman wrestle, too, in his short time on the NU football team?)
- Darin Erstad, Turner Gill, and Khiry Cooper all played baseball and football.

I don't count Track and Field as making someone a "dual sport athlete", but there have been several sprinters and throwers (maybe some jumpers) that played football as well for NU.
Why not consider track as dual? How is it any different than baseball?
 

HUSKERFAN66

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2004
21,371
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A few I remember at the UNL level...
- Greichaly Cepero played volleyball and basketball.
- Matt Davison and Wilson Thomas played some Nebrasketball while on scholarship for football.
- Tanner Farmer wrestled and played football. (Didn't Ryan Goodman wrestle, too, in his short time on the NU football team?)
- Darin Erstad, Turner Gill, and Khiry Cooper all played baseball and football.

I don't count Track and Field as making someone a "dual sport athlete", but there have been several sprinters and throwers (maybe some jumpers) that played football as well for NU.
The Davis twins
 

saluno22

All-Conference
Mar 1, 2006
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Why not consider track as dual? How is it any different than baseball?
I don't consider Track and Field a sport for this purpose because there isn't a lot of integration into the team. Not saying track and field doesn't require specialized talents and refined skills, but a lot of the raw talent is developed in preparation for other sports.

I wasn't a track athlete, and I know I will get (and have gotten) **** for this opinion.

(This discussion has occurred a few times in this forum over the last few years, I believe.)
 

HUSKERFAN66

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2004
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I don't consider Track and Field a sport for this purpose because there isn't a lot of integration into the team. Not saying track and field doesn't require specialized talents and refined skills, but a lot of the raw talent is developed in preparation for other sports.

I wasn't a track athlete, and I know I will get (and have gotten) **** for this opinion.

(This discussion has occurred a few times in this forum over the last few years, I believe.)
Disagree. Being a thrower requires a lot of footwork, balance and timing. I guess in short, I think it's tougher for field events than running events
 
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Erick Strickland wasn't. He certainly could have gone two ways for Nebraska even though we didn't really need him in that era.

Pretty much my point. You are giving an example of a basketball first kid who wasn't afraid of the weight room...and he had the opportunity to play both sports in college.
 

otismotis08

All-Conference
Jan 5, 2012
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I remember how cool I thought it was when players played two sports. It seams the Football/Baseball combo still happens, albeit less often:

Football/Baseball:
-Bo Jackson
-Deion Sanders
-Russell Wilson
-Kyler Murray

But you rarely see the Football/Basketball combo anymore. Can anyone think of a current Football/Basketball dual sport kid in the NCAA now?

Football/Basketball:
-Donovan McNabb
-Julius Peppers
-Antonio Gates (although I think he only played BBall at Akron)
-Jimmy Graham (played 1 yr of FBall and 4 yrs of BBall at Miami)

Pretty sure that Antonio Gates played for Kent State.
 

schuele

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Apr 17, 2005
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A few I remember at the UNL level...
- Greichaly Cepero played volleyball and basketball.
- Matt Davison and Wilson Thomas played some Nebrasketball while on scholarship for football.
- Tanner Farmer wrestled and played football. (Didn't Ryan Goodman wrestle, too, in his short time on the NU football team?)
- Darin Erstad, Turner Gill, and Khiry Cooper all played baseball and football.

I don't count Track and Field as making someone a "dual sport athlete", but there have been several sprinters and throwers (maybe some jumpers) that played football as well for NU.
Keith Neubert played basketball for NU for four years and then spent one year as a tight end. He parlayed that into a few seasons with the Jets and Eagles. Side note: he also played Charlize Theron's dentist in That Thing You Do.

Going back a little further, Junior Miller played briefly for the NU basketball team. Adrian Fiala played baseball and football, and I think Frank Solich did as well.
 

Redscarlet

Heisman
Jun 17, 2001
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Erick Strickland.

Don’t care if he didn’t play college football, he played all 3 in high school and was all-State in all three I believe but not sure..
 

artguy68

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Nov 3, 2008
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It doesn't really count because almost all college athletes did multiple sports in high school. However, it is worth noting that Scott Frost was the shot put gold medal state champion, beating Kent Wells.
 

timnsun

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Jan 25, 2008
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It doesn't really count because almost all college athletes did multiple sports in high school. However, it is worth noting that Scott Frost was the shot put gold medal state champion, beating Kent Wells.
Great point... a QB beating a lineman in a competition of brute strength. Just wow.
 
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HuskerDana_rivals188993

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It doesn't really count because almost all college athletes did multiple sports in high school. However, it is worth noting that Scott Frost was the shot put gold medal state champion, beating Kent Wells.

Sure doesn't hurt when your mom is a champion in the discus, shot, and javelin....even at the age of 70. Lol. I am sure she was able to give her kid a few pointers on the field events.
 
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tro80

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Nov 17, 2014
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Danny Ainge played parts of three seasons in the MLB for Toronto while still in college playing basketball for BYU - where he won the Wooden award and national player of the year award. He chose the NBA after college (his lifetime batting average was .220, so probably a good choice). The Celtics had to buyout his contract with Toronto). He reportedly is the only person name first team high school all American in three sports - football, basketball and baseball.
 
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Erick Strickland.

Don’t care if he didn’t play college football, he played all 3 in high school and was all-State in all three I believe but not sure..
He almost joined the wrestling team his junior or senior year (cant remember which), but chose to stick with basketball.

Pretty sure it was his junior year, as he would have been on the same team as Clester. I think by his senior year, he was sold on playing basketball in college.
 

timnsun

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Jan 25, 2008
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Joe Mauer was USA Today male athlete of the year in high school in the year 2000 for his play at QB, and USA Today male athlete of the year in the year 2001 for his baseball acumen. Back to back years for 2 different sports.

Also all state basketball player his junior and senior year of high school.
 

saluno22

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Weren't there a few basketball/football dual sport athletes at North Carolina? Julius Peppers was one, I feel like there was at least one other in the last couple decades.

Greg Paulus was played QB for Syracuse football after playing PG for Duke basketball. I recall NU was interested in his football services when he was looking for a place to land before settling on Syracuse.
 

NebChicago

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Oct 14, 2009
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Weren't there a few basketball/football dual sport athletes at North Carolina? Julius Peppers was one, I feel like there was at least one other in the last couple decades.

Greg Paulus was played QB for Syracuse football after playing PG for Duke basketball. I recall NU was interested in his football services when he was looking for a place to land before settling on Syracuse.
Ronald Curry was a UNC QB and Bball guard. Went to the Raiders and played WR for 4 years+
 
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