In the 1990s, three players played both football and baseball. Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders were the first two, and remain in the pop culture lexicon to this day. But most people forget about Brian Jordan, the often overlooked third member of the baseball/football trifecta.
Bo Jackson was drafted in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but refused to play for them. That same year, he was also drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the fourth round of the amateur baseball draft.
In the 1987 NFL Draft, the Los Angeles Raiders took Bo Jackson in the seventh round, leading to a kind of “timeshare” between the Royals and Raiders. Jackson would play all of the MLB season then would join Oakland once baseball wrapped up. Bo is the only athlete ever to be named an NFL Pro Bowler and MLB All-Star. In both sports, Bo had both speed and power.
It was visually jarring for somebody his size to be so fast. He could run you over or simply run past you depending on which mood suited at the moment.
Most Raiders fans of a certain age will remember the playoff game against the Cincinnati Bengals where Jackson got hurt. As a seven year old, I cried like a baby when I watched it happen.
Bo played four years with Raiders from 1987 to 1990, rushing for 2,782 yards on the ground and 16 touchdowns in just 38 games. Jackson played eight years in baseball, hitting 141 home runs with the Kansas City Royals, Chicago White Sox, and California Angels.
With a career cut short by injuries, fans are left to wonder how good Bo could have been had he stuck with baseball or football full time.
Meanwhile, Deion Sanders took a very different approach to his multi-sport professional career. Primetime is amongst the best cover corners to ever play the game. Sanders totaled 53 interceptions during his hall fame career with the Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys, and Redskins. Deion would also line up at receiver from time to time or even help out with punt returns.
Sanders was a speedy outfielder on the baseball diamond and could steal bases when called upon as a pinch runner as well. In 1997 with the Reds, Deion stole 56 bases in only 115 games, a career-high. He finished his career with 186 stolen bases and 558 hits. Deion is the only athlete to play in both the World Series and Super Bowl. He played nine seasons with the Yankees, Braves, Reds, and Giants.
Had he focused solely on baseball, there’s a very real possibility that Primetime could have been an MLB All-Star at some point in his career.
Which brings us to Brian Jordan. You’re excused if you don’t remember Brian Jordan being a two sport star. He was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1988 draft and drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Jordan was cut from the BIlls but picked up by the Falcons in 1989 to play safety. Jordan would play baseball in the minor leagues, then head back to the football field once the NFL season began.
Jordan played three seasons with the Falcons making the Pro Bowl alternate list in his final year. He was also the teammate of the aforementioned Deion Sanders at one point in his career as well.
In 1992 Jordan converted to baseball full-time. He played 15 years from 1992 to 2006 as a member of the Cardinals, Braves, Dodgers, and Rangers. Jordan made one all-star team in 1999 and totaled 1,454 hits and 184 home runs.
While there have been 67 athletes over the years who have suited up for at least one NFL and one MLB game in their careers, the overwhelming majority of them came in the pre-war era. If we focus on the modern era, only 6 have managed to accomplish the feat.
Drew Henson played in 8 MLB games and 9 NFL games in the early 2000’s. Chad Hutchinson got in 15 NFL games and 3 games with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2001. Matt Kinzer played 9 MLB games and snuck into 1 game with the Detroit Lions in 1987. And that’s it, that’s the list.
While the feat is certainly commendable no matter how you accomplish it, no modern players have come close to having the dual sport success of Jackson, Sanders, or Jordan in the last 60 years.
-LaMarr Fields
Twitter: @raiderway83