Best All-Around Athlete of All Time

Bob Mathias was a football star in addition to his decathlon. I'm pretty sure Milt Campbell and Rafer Johnson were, too.

As for the discussion of Steve Young's worthiness, I'd put him #2 on the all-time QB list behind Montana. He was in the World Football League for awhile and then had to wait behind Montana but people underestimate how skilled and versatile he was.

1. Deion Sanders

2. Jim Thorpe

3. Bo Jackson

4. Bob Hayes

5. Jim Brown

6. Carl Lewis

7. Willie Gault

8. Kirk Gibson

9. Michael Jordan

10. John Elway

No bias towards Americans on this list!

MrChocolateShakes wrote:Steve Young has 3 Super Bowl rings. I know a lot of Young's success was due to Jerry Rice, but his success cannot be ignored. Believe me, I had a difficult time putting him on my top 10 list.

He won two as a BACKUP! Look at the all-time stats. There's no way Favre is anywhere outside the top three.

If Super Bowls are so important, why isn't Ben Roethlisberger on the list?

Obvious Misses wrote:

Look at the all-time stats. There's no way Favre is anywhere outside the top three.

I know, right? I mean, you don't get the all-time record in incompletions and set a stunningly terrible career TD-to-Int ratio unless you're one of the all time best, right?

ukathleticscoach wrote:

1. Deion Sanders

2. Jim Thorpe

3. Bo Jackson

4. Bob Hayes

5. Jim Brown

6. Carl Lewis

7. Willie Gault

8. Kirk Gibson

9. Michael Jordan

10. John Elway

No bias towards Americans on this list!

Show me better athletes.

Obvious Misses wrote:

MrChocolateShakes wrote:Steve Young has 3 Super Bowl rings. I know a lot of Young's success was due to Jerry Rice, but his success cannot be ignored. Believe me, I had a difficult time putting him on my top 10 list.

He won two as a BACKUP! Look at the all-time stats. There's no way Favre is anywhere outside the top three.

If Super Bowls are so important, why isn't Ben Roethlisberger on the list?

Montana, Staubach, Bradshaw... you suggest placing BRETT FAVRE ahead of one of those guys? Gime me a break.

Bart Starr has to be in the convo, 14-1 (or is it 15-1?) career post season record?

Young's career >100 passer rating (the only person to ever accomplish that) with his ridiculous rushing ydg makes him the easily one of the greatest ever.

If I was picking QBs, in their prime, to win me ONE game, I would pick young every time. Montana was a gamer, and a leader, and he is a lock in the top 5 QBs of all time, but in my mind, Young was just a little better.

My all time list would probably go...

Young

Montana

Marino

Starr

Unitas

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

ukathleticscoach wrote:

1. Deion Sanders

2. Jim Thorpe

3. Bo Jackson

4. Bob Hayes

5. Jim Brown

6. Carl Lewis

7. Willie Gault

8. Kirk Gibson

9. Michael Jordan

10. John Elway

No bias towards Americans on this list!

Show me better athletes.

Until you take Kirk Gibson off of there, this whole thing is a joke.

I really think we should look long and hard (that's what she sais) at Andre the Giant. Not only did this athletic phenom DOMINATE the World Wrestling ranks, he was also drafted by the NFL. I am relatively sure he could have played the middle on the court as well (the man was an imposing 7'4" tall). To top it all off he achieved critical acclaim in the world of motion pictures as well. Andre the Giant is definitely a glaring omission.

For me, Jim Thorpe is heads and shoulders above the rest!

2nd is a hard choice to make...probably Jackie Robinson

I can only think of a DEFINITE top four. The fifth spot is up for grabs:

LeBron James

Bo Jackson

Deion Sanders

Herschel Walker

Charlie Ward was a three sport athlete, and a good one at that. He was an NBA player, Heisman-winning collegiate football player, and draft pick for a major league baseball franchise.

Danny Ainge is the only person to ever be voted onto a high school first team in Football, basketball, and baseball. Danny Ainge was a professional basketball player who won two NBA Championships with the Boston Celtics, as well as a Major League Baseball player for the Toronto Blue Jays

Derrick Lee is a current Major league Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. He has a lifetime battling average .282, 991 RBI, and 351 home runs.

But it turns out that Lee was also a collegiate basketball player.

John Elway:

At Stanford, Elway played both Football and Baseball. As a Baseball player Elway played both right field and pitcher. He ended his collegiate career with a .361 batting average .

As a pitcher, Elway's senior season ended with a 5-4 record with a 4.51 ERA.

Donovan McNabb:

But he also had a decent basketball career as a reserve for Syracuse and would eventually go on to lose to Kentucky in the 1996 National Championship game.

In the biggest game of his collegiate career, the National Championship game, Derrick Lee was guarding Chris Webber when he called the infamous timeout.

That cost Michigan the National Championship and gave The Tar Heels the title.

Kenny Lofton is one of only two men to play in a college basketball Final Four (1988, the first for the Arizona Wildcats) and a Major League Baseball World Series.

Tom Glavine:

This is probably why we haven't heard of Glavine's Hockey career. In fact, Tom probably would have been playing with the likes of Wayne Gretzky.

He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings in the fourth round.

Tom eventually opted to play for the Atlanta Braves (drafted in the second round of the 1984 draft).

Antwann Randle El:

For a player that will always be known for his double-reverse 43-yard clinching touchdown pass in the Super Bowl, Antwaan Randle El will be remembered by some for his Collegiate Basketball career.

As a point guard under Bob Knight at Indiana, Randle El was a decent backup at the time. It turns out that he was also a varsity Baseball player during the 2000 season with Indiana.

His Basketball and Baseball careers will always be overshadowed by his Football talents

Tony Gonzalez played in 28 NBA games, averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. But then he decided he would forfeit his last year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.

Is Tony Gonzalez the only vegan athlete in the National Football League?

...and now the rest is history.

Julius Peppers was also a key role player on a UNC Tar Heels team that made it to the 2000 Final Four. Eventually, Julius decided that football had more in store for him and chose to quit basketball to focus solely on football.

Peppers is also the proud owner of these achievements:

Chuck Bednarik Award (2001), Lombardi Award (2001), Bill Willis Award (2001), NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year (2002), 5× Pro Bowl selection (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008,2009), 2× First-Team All-Pro selection (2004, 2006), 2× Second-Team All-Pro selection (2008, 2009), NFL 2000s All-Decade Team.

Todd Helton:

While at Tennessee, Helton was the quarterback,although he struggled with injuries as well and would eventually be replaced by Manning.

Again, among active players, Helton is also second in on-base percentage (.425), fifth in slugging percentage (.559), sixth in intentional walks (175), and tied for fourth in doubles (519).

He did win the Gatorade Player of the Year award

Brian Jordan was a Major League Baseball Outfielder and a National Football League Safety from the late 80's and through the 1990's.

Stephen Neal is a current New England Patriots offensive lineman. He went undrafted in 2001 and was a practice squad player trying to get a chance with an NFL team.

Once he did, he stuck.

With the Patriots, Neal has won 3 NFL Championships (XXVI,XXVII, and XXXIX).

But Football isn't where Neal's fame comes from.

In fact, Stephen Neal didn't even play football in college, instead he was one of the top wrestlers in the nation at Cal State-Bakersfield.

His overall record was set at 151-10 and won back to back collegiate titles and won the Dan Hodge Award (like the Heisman trophy for collegiate wrestling).

Neal went on to coach Brock Lesnar, who is now the UFC Heavyweight champion.

Tony Gwynn:

At first, Tony wasn't as interested in pursuing a career in baseball as he was in playing basketball.

As a standout point guard for the San Diego State Aztecs, Tony set the school record for assists and would eventually go on to be selected in the 10th round of the NBA draft.

Scott Burrell was an American basketball player that won an NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls and was also highly sought after pitching prospect.

Scott Burrell was the first professional athlete to be a first-round selection in two different sports.

He vowed to play baseball in the summer, while the NBA was on its breaks, but wanted to keep his focus within the NBA.

Although Scott found his Baseball career to be rather stagnant while his Basketball career was taking off.

Scott was originally drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays for baseball and The Charlotte Hornets for basketball

NESCACAlum wrote:

Until you take Kirk Gibson off of there, this whole thing is a joke.

Do some research before you start talking out of your a$$, like the guy who mentioned LeBron James.

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

... Kirk Gibson was a stud. Not only was Gibson NL MVP, ALCS MVP, 2x WS Champion, and a Silver Slugger Award Winner, but he was an integral part of the Michigan State football team in the 1970s. Gibson was a standout wide receiver at MSU, leading the team to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance. He set Big 10 and MSU receiving records and appeared in both the Hula Bowl and Senior bowl, while making multiple All-America teams. Gibson was the quintessential all-around athlete. Not to mention, two of Gibson's homers are considered in the top of sports' moments.

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

MrChocolateShakes wrote:

... Kirk Gibson was a stud. Not only was Gibson NL MVP, ALCS MVP, 2x WS Champion, and a Silver Slugger Award Winner, but he was an integral part of the Michigan State football team in the 1970s. Gibson was a standout wide receiver at MSU, leading the team to a Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl appearance. He set Big 10 and MSU receiving records and appeared in both the Hula Bowl and Senior bowl, while making multiple All-America teams. Gibson was the quintessential all-around athlete. Not to mention, two of Gibson's homers are considered in the top of sports' moments.

Did you just quote yourself? Wow.

So he was the NL MVP, WS Champ, and Silver slugger winner all in 1988. He won a WS and was ALCS MVP in 1984. Two excellent years.

Then he went on to retire with the astounding career averages of:

BA: .268

OBP: .352

SLG: .463

OPS: .815

He only batted over .300 once.

He never hit more than 29 HR in one season.

He never hit more than 97 RBI in one season.

He is 185th on the all-time career home runs list.

He is 177th on the all-time career stolen base list.

And the Hula bowl? Really? And he was so good at football that he didn't even make the MSU all-time team.

I'm sure he was a pretty good all around athlete. But the 7th greatest all-around athlete in the history of modern sports? Wow.

Forget about Kirk Gibson. Bob Gibson, in addition to being one of the greatest pitchers of all-time, was a fine basketball player who played with the Harlem Globetrotters.

The greatest athlete to ever graze this earth is the one, the only:

BRIAN OLDFIELD

some others to consider:

LeBron James

Usain Bolt

don't forget whoever it is that is considered the greatest decathlete of all time.

RuKiddingMe! wrote:Derrick Lee is a current Major league Baseball player for the Chicago Cubs. He has a lifetime battling average .282, 991 RBI, and 351 home runs.

But it turns out that Lee was also a collegiate basketball player.In the biggest game of his collegiate career, the National Championship game, Derrick Lee was guarding Chris Webber when he called the infamous timeout.

That cost Michigan the National Championship and gave The Tar Heels the title.

That was Derrick Phelps, genius.

BRIAN OLDFIELD

Derrick Lee was actually recruited to UNC to play b-ball, but went pro in baseball instead.