For those readers who got cut from their high school’s varsity football or basketball team and are still seething with resentment, even 40 years later … it’s time to get some professional counseling. But it’s normal for us mortals to be a bit in awe of those athletes who star in high school, earn a college scholarship, then achieve fame and fortune in pro sports. Then there are the athletes who somehow manage to achieve great success in two, three or even several sports. These athletes almost defy explanation. Here are the top 10 most successful multisport athletes in American sports history.
You see it every year in sports — a former all-star player, his skills greatly eroded, is released by his longtime team. Rather than retire, the player starts looking for another team, hoping to milk one more mediocre season out of his career. One attribute that makes great athletes special is their supreme self-confidence, but that becomes a negative if they’re convinced they can still perform when age and injuries have sapped their skills. The result can be sad to behold. Think Willie Mays in his bumbling stint with the New York Mets. Or Rickey Henderson playing in the minor leagues in his late 40s. Or Franco Harris shuffling around with the Seattle Seahawks.
On the other hand, some athletes know when to leave, walking away in their prime, or as champions. Here are 10 athletes who went out with a bang, at or near the top of their game. Some went out the sweetest way possible, winning a championship in their final hurrah.
