FOR USE AS DESIRED
NFL-59 10/16/00
FROM THE DIAMOND TO THE GRIDIRON
Many good, young athletes participate in several varsity sports in high school. The top ones play two sports in college, but eventually, the best players have to decide on one pro sport.
"Football was my passion," says Tampa Bay Buccaneers Pro Bowl safety JOHN LYNCH, who threw the first pitch in Florida Marlins history for the Erie Sailors minor league club. "I could have played baseball, but I made my decision with my heart. I still like baseball, but I’m really passionate about what I’m doing now."
The aspect of the game that convinced New York Giants quarterback KERRY COLLINS – who was drafted by both the Detroit Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays -- to choose football over baseball was the teamwork football requires.
"I just found football to be more exciting," says Collins. "The key thing that appealed to me was the teamwork and chemistry it takes to play the sport. That’s what really got me involved, and many NFL teammates over the years have told me that was the difference for them, too."
Following are some current NFL players who chose football over baseball as a career:
| CB Reggie Austin, Chicago | Played in high school at Harper (GA) and briefly at Wake Forest. |
| QB Tony Banks, Baltimore | Played RF for the Minnesota Twins’ Class A team. |
| WR D’Wayne Bates, Chicago | Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays. |
| RB Sean Bennett, N.Y. Giants | Recruited to play baseball at the University of Illinois. |
| QB Steve Beuerlein, Carolina | Played in high school. |
| QB Michael Bishop, New England | Drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1999. |
| QB Tom Brady, New England | Drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995. |
| QB Bubby Brister, Minnesota | Drafted in the fourth round and played in the Detroit Tigers’ farm system. |
| WR Macey Brooks, Chicago | Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in the second round in 1993 and by the Kansas City Royals in 1996. |
| S Mike Brown, Chicago | Earned All-State honors as CF in high school at Saguaro (AZ). |
| DE Rob Burnett, Baltimore | All-County C in high school at Newfield (NY). |
| QB Mark Brunell, Jacksonville | Drafted by the Atlanta Braves. |
| CB Terrell Buckley, Denver | Played for two years at Florida State. |
| WR Isaac Byrd, Carolina | Drafted by the San Diego Padres in 1993 and St. Louis Cardinals in 1996. |
| RB Robert Chancey, San Diego | Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1992 and played for their Class A team in Alabama for three seasons. He also played in an independent league in 1995 and played for the New York Mets Class A team in Kingsport, Tennessee in 1996. |
| TE Cam Cleeland, New Orleans | Played at the University of Washington in 1993-94. |
| QB Kerry Collins, N.Y. Giants | Drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 1990 and Toronto Blue Jays in 1994. |
| QB Todd Collins, Kansas City | Led high school team, Walpole (MA), to state title. |
| QB Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota | Drafted by the New York Yankees in 1995. |
| DE Phillip Daniels, Chicago | Played in high school at Seminole County (GA). |
| DE Marques Douglas, N.O. | Played in high school at Dudley (NC). |
| LB Donnie Edwards, Kansas City | Played at UCLA. |
| WR Bert Emanuel, Miami | Played at Rice and was drafted twice, by the Toronto Blue Jays and Pittsburgh Pirates. |
| LB Mark Fields, New Orleans | Drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 1989 and played one season of AA ball. |
| CB Todd Franz, New Orleans | Played in high school at Weatherford (OK). |
| DT Norman Hand, New Orleans | Played in high school at Walterboro (SC). |
| RB Garrison Hearst, S.F. | Recruited to play at the University of Georgia. |
| QB Doug Johnson, Atlanta | Second-round draft pick. Played INF in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays’ farm system. |
| QB Rob Johnson, Buffalo | Drafted by the Minnesota Twins in 1991. |
| QB Danny Kanell, Atlanta | Drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992 and New York Yankees in 1995. |
| DE Kenard Lang, Washington | Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1995. |
| G Everett Lindsay, Cleveland | Played in high school at Millbrook (NC) with Cleveland Indians P Paul Shuey. |
| TE Dustin Lyman, Chicago | Two-time All-League selection in high school at Fairview (CO). |
| S John Lynch, Tampa Bay | Drafted in the second round by the Florida Marlins. Threw the first pitch in team’s history for Erie Sailors minor-league affiliate. |
| CB Dexter McCleon, St. Louis | Drafted by the Minnesota Twins out of high school. |
| WR O.J. McDuffie, Miami | Played at Penn State, where he hit safely in a school-record 18 consecutive games. |
| QB Jim Miller, Chicago | All-State P in high school at Kettering (MI). |
| S Lawyer Milloy, New England | Played at the University of Washington and advanced to the College World Series regional finals against a Georgia Tech team featuring Boston Red Sox SS Nomar Garciaparra and C Jason Varitek. Drafted twice, by the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers. |
| WR Randy Moss, Minnesota | Played in high school. |
| S Chris Oldham, New Orleans | Played in high school at Highlands (CA). |
| S Tony Parrish, Chicago | Played in high school at Marina (CA). |
| RB Patrick Pass, New England | Played for the Florida Marlins’ farm system at rookie and A levels. |
| P Scott Player, Arizona | Played C at Flagler College and Florida Community College. |
| QB Jake Plummer, Arizona | Captain of high school team at Capital (ID). |
| S Anthony Poindexter, Baltimore | Drafted by the Florida Marlins in 1994. |
| WR Andre Rison, Oakland | Played P and OF for AAU national championship team. |
| CB Deion Sanders, Washington | Played in the major leagues for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. |
| WR Frank Sanders, Arizona | Starting LF for Auburn’s 1994 College World Series team and selected to the SEC West All-Tournament Team. |
| K Tim Seder, Dallas | Starting CF for Ashland University. |
| CB Jason Sehorn, N.Y. Giants | Played in the Chicago Cubs’ organization. |
| DE Clyde Simmons, Chicago | Played in high school at New Hanover (NC). Former Babe Ruth League teammate of Michael Jordan. |
| QB Akili Smith, Cincinnati | Played three seasons in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system. |
| LB Brandon Tolbert, Dallas | All-County OF in high school. |
| TE Wesley Walls, Carolina | Played in high school. |
| P Ken Walter, Carolina | Played in high school. |
| RB Chris Warren, Dallas | Played in high school. |
| S Larry Whigham, New England | All-State C prospect in high school. |
| RB Ricky Williams, New Orleans | Drafted in the eighth round in 1995 by the Philadelphia Phillies. Taken in the 1998 Rule V Draft by the Montreal Expos. Played in the minors from 1995-98. |
| G Wally Williams, New Orleans | Named All-State in high school at Rickards (FL). Drafted by the Montreal Expos. |