Fewer than 70 athletes are known to have played in both Major League Baseball (MLB) and the National Football League (NFL). This includes two Heisman Trophy winners (Vic Janowicz and Bo Jackson) and seven members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (Red Badgro, Paddy Driscoll, George Halas, Ernie Nevers, Ace Parker, Jim Thorpe, and Deion Sanders). However, none of the players on the list have been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In 1920, the inaugural season of the NFL, 11 veterans of major-league baseball (including George Halas and Jim Thorpe) became the first athletes to accomplish the feat. Since 1970, only seven athletes have done so, including Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. Jackson was the first athlete to be selected as an All-Star in both MLB and the NFL. Sanders holds the longevity record, having appeared in 641 MLB games and 189 NFL games.

Overview

Since the formation of the National Football League (NFL), fewer than 70 athletes are known to have reached the highest level of play in both sports.

Early years Christy Mathewson (MLB HOF) played Pro Football from 1898–1902. More than two-thirds of the athletes who played at the top level of both sports did so in the early years of the NFL during the 1920s and 1930s. The 1920 NFL season was the first in the league's history, and 11 veterans of Major League Baseball (MLB) participated in the inaugural campaign. The first group to appear in both sports included Jim Thorpe, a pioneer of professional football who began playing with the Canton Bulldogs in 1915. Thorpe was a Native American who grew up in the Sac and Fox Nation in Oklahoma. He was one of the most versatile athletes of his era, having won Olympic gold medals in 1912 for the pentathlon and decathlon and having also played professional basketball. Thorpe played in MLB from 1913 to 1919 and in the NFL from 1920 to 1928. He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

The first group of MLB players to play in the NFL also included George Halas, who remained affiliated with the Chicago Bears as player, coach or owner from the 1920s until his death in 1983, Chuck Dressen, who later managed five Major League Baseball teams, including the Brooklyn Dodgers, from 1934 to 1966. and eight others (Lyle Bigbee, George Brickley, Garland Buckeye, Ralph Capron, Paul Des Jardien, Paddy Driscoll, Al Pierotti, and Tom Whelan).

Bert Kuczynski is one of a very small number of athletes to play Major League Baseball and in the NFL in the same year. In his senior year at Penn Kuczynski was on the NBC/Look Magazine 1942 All-American team as an end. After graduation in May 1943 he pitched in six games for the Philadelphia Athletics and played for the Detroit Lions in the 1943 NFL season. After two years in the Navy, in 1946 he played for the Philadelphia Eagles. While working on his master's degree in education at Penn, he was an assistant coach in the football program.Penn University Archives UPT 50 K95

In 1954, former Ohio State star Vic Janowicz became the first Heisman Trophy winner to appear in both MLB and the NFL. After winning the Heisman in 1950, Janowicz played baseball for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1953 to 1954 and football for the Washington Redskins from 1954 to 1955.

Modern players

In 1987, Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson played for both the Los Angeles Raiders and the Kansas City Royals, becoming the first player to play in both the MLB and the NFL since the 1960s. Jackson played eight years in Major League Baseball and four years in the NFL. Jackson was also the first athlete to be named an All-Star in both sports. His versatility led Nike, Inc. to develop its "Bo Knows" ad campaign in which Jackson was envisioned attempting to take up a litany of other sports, including tennis, golf, hockey, luge, auto racing, and even playing blues music with Bo Diddley, who scolded Jackson by telling him, "You don't know diddley!"

In 1989, two years after Jackson's accomplishment, Deion Sanders played baseball for the New York Yankees and football for the Atlanta Falcons. Sanders had greater longevity playing in both sports than any other athlete in history, competing in Major League Baseball from 1989 to 2001 and in the NFL from 1989 to 2005. He led the National League with 14 triples in 1992 and finished second in the league in stolen bases twice: 1994 (38) and 1997 (56). Sanders also played in the 1992 World Series with the Atlanta Braves, hitting .533 in the series with five stolen bases in five attempts. He had a career batting average of .263, with 186 stolen bases and 43 triples in a nine-year career. In the NFL he was selected to play in eight Pro Bowls as a defensive back, and won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Sanders had 53 career interceptions, returning 9 for touchdowns, and caught 60 passes for 784 yards and three touchdowns as a wide receiver. He was later inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brian Jordan is another notable two-sport athlete who played in both professional leagues. Jordan began his professional career in the NFL, playing three seasons as a safety for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989 to 1991. In his last two seasons in the NFL, Jordan started 30 of 32 games and had 5 interceptions and 4 sacks and appeared in the 1991 playoffs with the Falcons. In 1992, Jordan switched to baseball and played 15 years as an outfielder from 1992 to 2006, mostly for the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves. He had a career batting average of .282 with 1454 hits and 184 home runs. He was selected as an All-Star in 1999 and played in the World Series that same year. He appeared in post-season a total of five times, hitting six home runs in 38 games.

The last player to accomplish the feat was Drew Henson, who was a third baseman for the New York Yankees from 2002 to 2003 and a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions in 2004 and 2008.

In total, only seven players have accomplished the feat since 1970. They are Jackson, Sanders, Jordan, Henson, Chad Hutchinson, D.J. Dozier, and Matt Kinzer.

Notable omissions Cal Hubbard is the only person to be inducted into both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He played in the NFL from 1927 to 1936 and later served as an umpire in Major League Baseball. As he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as an umpire, and never appeared as a player, he is not included on the list.

Greasy Neale is another person who gained fame in both sports but who is omitted from the list. Neale played eight years in Major League Baseball, mostly for the Cincinnati Reds, from 1916 to 1924. He also played for the Dayton Triangles in 1918 before the NFL was established. He later served as the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1941 to 1950 and has been inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. However, he never appeared as a player in an official NFL game and is therefore not included in the list.

List of players

The following athletes have appeared in at least one game in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.(Players not included on the Baseball Almanac list have independent citations to verify that they played in both Major League Baseball and the National Football League.)

Name MLB teams MLB games playedStatistics for MLB games played are from Baseball-Reference.com. NFL teams NFL games playedStatistics for NFL games played are from Pro-Football-Reference.com.Cliff AbersonChicago Cubs (1947–1949)63Green Bay Packers (1946)10Red BadgroSt. Louis Browns (1929–1930)143three teams (1927–1936)94Norm BassKansas City Athletics (1961–1963)65Denver Broncos (1964)1Charlie Berryfour teams (1927–1938)709Pottsville Maroons (1925–1926)20Larry BettencourtSt. Louis Browns (1928–1932)168Green Bay Packers (1933)2Lyle Bigbeetwo teams (1920–1921)17Milwaukee Badgers (1922)3George BrickleyPhiladelphia Athletics (1913)5Cleveland Tigers (1920)7Tom BrownWashington Senators (1963)61two teams (1964–1969)71 Garland Buckeyethree teams (1918–1928)108two teams (1920–1924)40Bruce Caldwelltwo teams (1928, 1932)25New York Giants (1928)10Ralph Caprontwo teams (1912–1913)3Chicago Tigers (1920)1Jim CastigliaPhiladelphia Athletics (1942)16three teams (1941–1948)42Chuck CorganBrooklyn Robins (1925, 1927)33three teams (1924–1927)30Paul Des JardienCleveland Indians (1916)1Chicago Tigers (1920)9D.J. DozierNew York Mets (1992)25two teams (1987–1991)43Chuck Dressentwo teams (1925–1931)646two teams (1920–1923)12Paddy DriscollChicago Cubs (1917)13two teams (1920–1929)118Ox Eckhardttwo teams (1932, 1936)24New York Giants (1928)11Steve Filipowicztwo teams (1944–1948)57New York Giants (1945–1946)21Paul FlorenceNew York Giants (1926)76Chicago Cardinals (1920)9Walter FrenchPhiladelphia Athletics (1923–1929)397two teams (1922, 1925)10Wally Gilberttwo teams (1928–1932)591Duluth Kelleys (1923–1926)17Norm GlocksonCincinnati Reds (1914)7Racine Legion (1922)1Frank Grubetwo teams (1931–1936)394New York Yankees (1928)11Bruno HaasPhiladelphia Athletics (1915)6three teams (1921–1922)11Hinkey HainesNew York Yankees (1923)28two teams (1925–1931)53George HalasNew York Yankees (1919)12Chicago Bears (1920–1928)104Carroll Hardyfour teams (1957–1967)433San Francisco 49ers (1955)10Drew HensonNew York Yankees (2002–2003)8two teams (2004, 2008)9Chad HutchinsonSt. Louis Cardinals (2001)3two teams (2002–2004)15Bo Jacksonthree teams (1986–1994)694Los Angeles Raiders (1987–1990)38Lefty JamersonBoston Red Sox (1924)1Hartford Blues (1926)3Vic JanowiczPittsburgh Pirates (1953–1954)83Washington Redskins (1954–1955)22Rex JohnstonPittsburgh Pirates (1964)14Pittsburgh Steelers (1960)12Brian Jordanfour teams (1992–2006)1,456Atlanta Falcons (1989–1991)36Matt Kinzertwo teams (1989–1990)9Detroit Lions (1987)1Bert KuczynskiPhiladelphia Athletics (1943)6two teams (1943, 1946)5Pete LaydenSt. Louis Browns (1948)41New York Yankees (1948–1950)31Jim LeveySt. Louis Browns (1930–1933)440Pittsburgh Pirates (1934–1936)13Dean LookChicago White Sox (1961)3New York Titans (1962)1Waddy MacpheeNew York Giants (1922)2Providence Steam Roller (1926)10Howard MapleWashington Senators (1932)44Chicago Cardinals (1930)8Walt Mastersthree teams (1931, 1937–1939)8two teams (1936, 1943–1944)12John MohardtDetroit Tigers (1922)5four teams (1922–1925)42Ernie NeversSt. Louis Browns (1926–1928)44two teams (1926–1931)54Ossie OrwollPhiladelphia Athletics (1928–1929)94Milwaukee Badgers (1926)3Ace ParkerPhiladelphia Athletics (1937–1938)94three teams (1937–1946)68John PerrinBoston Red Sox (1921)4Hartford Blues (1926)6Al PierottiBoston Braves (1920–1921)8seven teams (1920–1929)46Pid Purdytwo teams (1926–1929)181Green Bay Packers (1926–1927)17Dick ReichleBoston Red Sox (1922–1923)128Milwaukee Badgers (1923)6Deion Sandersfour teams (1989–2001)641four teams (1989–2005)188Johnny ScalziBoston Braves (1931)2Brooklyn Dodgers (1931)7Red SmithNew York Giants (1927)1five teams (1927–1931)37Evar Swansontwo teams (1929–1934)518three teams (1924–1927)27Jim Thorpethree teams (1913–1919)289multiple teams (1920–1928)52Andy TomasicNew York Giants (1949)2Pittsburgh Steelers (1942, 1946)15Luke UrbanBoston Braves (1927–1928)50Buffalo All-Americans (1921–1923)32Joe Vancetwo teams (1935–1938)15Brooklyn Dodgers (1931)11Ernie VickSt. Louis Cardinals (1922–1926)57two teams (1925–1927)27Tom WhelanBoston Braves (1920)1two teams (1920–1921)20Mike WilsonPittsburgh Pirates (1921)5two teams (1922–1924)17Hoge WorkmanBoston Red Sox (1924)11two teams (1924, 1931–1932)19Ab Wrighttwo teams (1935, 1944)138Frankfort Yellow Jackets (1930)4Tom YewcicDetroit Tigers (1957)1Boston Patriots (1961–1966)77Russ YoungSt. Louis Browns (1931)16Dayton Triangles (1925)4Joe ZapustasPhiladelphia Athletics (1933)2New York Giants (1933)2

Notes

References