Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/15/2013

Video game numbers are supposed to be limited to video games, not the National Football League.  Don't tell that to Kansas City Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles.  He went all Techmo Bowl Bo Jackson on the Oakland Raiders scoring 5 TD's in a laugher over their division rival.  When the video game went tilt, Charles had 5 TDs (1 rushing, 4 receiving), 195 yards receiving on 8 catches, 20 rushing yards on 8 carries.  Over 13 yards per touch as the Chiefs racked up 56 points on the hapless Raiders and clinched their first playoff berth since 2010, and might make their first Super Bowl since 1970.  For this effort, Charles wins the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Sportsman of the Week Ending 12/8/2013

An amazing finish to the 2013 college football season, and an amazing performance in what has become the marquee game on the first Saturday in December, the SEC Championship Game.  Auburn running back Tre Mason put his team on his back, and ran them all the way to the BCS Championship Game, the second in four years for the Auburn Tigers.  Mason gashed the Missouri Tigers for 304 yards and 4 TDs on the way to a video game-like 59-42 victory for Auburn. Remember when the SEC was all about defense? Well it ain't anymore, and LSU and Alabama are now playing catch up.  Congratulations Tre Mason, you are the Longhorndave Sportsman of the Week!

Best Two-Sport Athletes - Football and Baseball

This is the second of a four part series examining the best two-sport athletes of the "modern" era.  "Modern" is defined in that I had to see them play (so no Jim Thorpe, Wilt Chamberlain, Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, Bob Hayes, etc.).  Each of the "big three" American sports (Basketball, Baseball, Football) will be paired with the others with best listed, then one "other" category which will consist of one of those 3, and another sport (like olympic sports for example).

Criteria are as follows:
1) Playing a high level at both.  Not included are going to be people who were good as prepsters but chose one sports over the other and never competed in college or beyond.
2) Accolades at the higher levels: Halls of Fame, All Stars, playing on title teams, big games, achievement over just playing

These were all off the top of my head (little research done, except after the candidates were identified) so I might have missed someone.  Feel free to set me straight!

So without further ado, the Top 5 two-sport athletes in Football and Baseball are below.  Two are fairly obvious, the debate begins after that.

#1 - Bo Jackson
College: Auburn
Highest Football: NFL (RB, 4 seasons)
Highest Baseball: MLB (OF, 8 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): 1x Pro Bowl (1990), 1x All Star Game (1989)
Honors: UPI Player of the Year, Walter Camp, Chic Harley, and Heisman (college football, 1985), All American (football, 1983&1985), College Football Hall of Fame, 1st overall NFL Pick (1986), 1989 All Star Game MVP (baseball), 1993 AL Comeback Player of the Year (baseball)
Records: None
Championships: None
Comments: Pro careers were cut short by that devastating hip injury, also ran track and field at Auburn, Ran a 4.12 40 yard dash at the NFL combine (hand timed).

#2 - Deion Sanders
College: Florida State
Highest Football: NFL (CB/S/KR/PR, 14 seasons)
Highest Baseball: MLB (OF, 9 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): 8x Pro Bowl, 8x All Pro (both football)
Honors: Pro Football Hall of Fame (2011), College Football Hall of Fame (2011), NFL All Decade team (1990's), AP Defensive Player of the Year (1994), 2x NFC Defensive Player of the Year (1993, 1994), Atlanta Falcons Ring of Honor, 1st Round NFL Draft Pick (5th overall, 1989), Consensus All American (college football 1986, 1987), Jim Thorpe Award (1988)
Records: Pro Bowl Interceptions Career (4), Florida State career punt return yards, Longest Interception Return in a Bowl Game (100 yards)
Championships: 2x Super Bowl Champ (XXIX, XXX), NL Champions (1992)
Comments: In college, once played both games of a baseball doubleheader while running a leg of the 4x100 in between.  Batted .533 in the World Series.  By accomplishment, better than Bo, but nobody was better than Bo in terms of athleticism.

#3 - Brian Jordan
College: Richmond
Highest Football: NFL (SS, 3 seasons)
Highest Baseball: MLB (OF, 15 seasons)
All Star season (Pro): All Star (1999, baseball)
Honors: 1st round MLB Draft pick (1988), Top 10 MVP vote (baseball, 1996), appeared on 2012 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot (0 votes) 
Records: None
Championships: 1999 NL Pennant
Comments: A solid player in both sports, with the All Star appearance in baseball, gave up football after two seasons as a full time starter to sign a more lucrative MLB contract than he would have received otherwise.  Because his college was not nationally renown, lacks some of the honors we see in above and below players.

#4 - Todd Helton
College: Tennessee
Highest Football: College (QB, 3 seasons)
Highest Baseball: MLB (1B, 16 seasons, still active)
All Star season (Pro): 5x All Star (2000 - 2004)
Honors: Gatorade Player of the Year (high school) for football and baseball at Tennessee, Regional baseball player of the year (high school), Baseball America High School All American, Dick Howser trophy (college baseball), 2nd in MLB Rookie of the year (1998), 3 Gold Gloves, 4 Silver Sluggers, 3x Top 10 MVP vote, 2000 Hank Aaron Award, 2000 Batting/Hits/Doubles/Total Bases/RBI Champ, First round (8th overall) pick in MLB draft.
Records: Rockies records for hits (2,407), home runs (354), doubles (566), walks (1,283), runs scored (1,355), RBIs (1,340), games played (2,105), and total bases (4,107), NCAA record for most consecutive scoreless innings pitched (47), Tennessee saves record (11).
Championships: 2007 NL Pennant
Comments: Was backup QB to (now congressman) Heath Shuler, was ahead of Peyton Manning on depth chart and started for 3 weeks until injured (Peyton took over for like 4 years).  Also pitched in college (see records, posted 0.89 ERA during saves record).

#5 - John Elway
College: Stanford
Highest Football: NFL (QB, 16 seasons)
Highest Baseball: Minor Leagues (OF, 1 season)
All Star season (Pro): 9x Pro Bowl
Honors: Pro Football Hall of Fame (2004), Super Bowl XXXIII MVP, 1987 NFL MVP, 1st overall NFL Pick (1983), Denver Broncos Ring of Fame, NFL All Decade team (1990's), 2x UPI AFC Player of the year (1987, 1993), College Football Hall of Fame (2000), Colorado Sports Hall of Fame, 2nd round pick in the 1981 MLB Draft.
Records: All the Broncos records (yards, tds, completions, TDs, etc.), oldest QB to win a Super Bowl (38)
Championships: 2x Super Bowl Champ (XXXII, XXXIII), 5x AFC Champion
Comments: Baseball exploits are muted, but good stats in college and in the minors (which started before his NFL days).  Football exploits are legendary.