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A comprehensive list of famous athletes who switched sports
Ciku Njuguna
March 30, 2024 at 1:19 PM
Talent transfer in sports is a phenomenon that allows athletes to transfer to two or more sports with varying involvement from their original sport. The most famous athletes who switched sports have excelled in different major league sports. Dig in for a rundown of professional athletes who made successful switches.
Source: Getty Images
Table of Сontents:
Has anyone gone pro in 2 sports? Through talent transfer, athletes satisfy their craving for new challenges and measure their physical progress. MLB legend Bo Jackson, WWE superstar Roman Reigns, and NBA legend Michael Jackson are a few of the most successful multi-sport athletes.
Who are the most famous athletes who switched sports?
Michael Jordan is undeniably the greatest athlete of all time who excelled in two sports. Some of the sports Michael Jordan played growing up included baseball, basketball, and football. Between 1984 and 2003, he played basketball for the Washington Wizards and Chicago Bulls, recording 14 NBA All-Star titles and six NBA Championship wins, among other titles.
On February 7, 1994, Jordan switched to baseball after signing a contract with the Chicago White Sox. He played for its minor league team, the Birmingham Barons, for a season before returning to the Chicago Bulls.
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Athlete | Sports |
Sir Bradley Wiggins | Track cycling, road cycling |
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson | Football, wrestling |
Michael Phelps | Baseball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming |
Tim Wiese | Football, wrestling |
Usain Bolt | Track racing, soccer |
Rebecca Romero | Rowing, track cycling |
Petr Čech | Soccer, ice hockey |
Lauren Price | taekwondo, netball, soccer, boxing |
Deion Sanders | Baseball, basketball, football |
Michael Jordan | Basketball, baseball |
Bo Jackson | Baseball, football |
Sarah Storey | Swimming, cycling |
Roswitha Krause | Swimming, handball |
Jim Thrope | Baseball, football, ballroom dancing, decathlon and pentathlon |
Dave Winfield | Baseball, basketball and football |
Who are the best multi-sport players?
Before committing to a specific sport, numerous athletes train and play a variety of sporting activities in highschool and college levels. Several who venture into talent transfer in professional sports achieve exceptional levels of success, such as football and baseball legend Cal Hubbard, who has been named in multiple Hall of Fames.
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The drive for new challenges and passions has influenced sports people such as Éric Cantona to switch careers. After a successful football career, the Manchester United legend switched careers to acting and singing. He is best known for his roles in AKA, Magic 7, The Mad Kings and Le Colosse aux pieds d'argile.
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15. Sir Bradley Wiggins
One of the players who switched sports disciplines is Britain's cycling legend, Sir Bradley Wiggins. In 2000, he won his first Olympic medal in cycling track, a sport he picked up from boyhood. Following his 2004 Olympic appearance in Athens, he switched to road racing but competed in track races in 2007. In 2012, the knighted cyclist won his only Olympic gold in road cycling.
- Full name: Sir Bradley Marc Wiggins
- Date of birth: April 28, 1980
- Age: 43 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: Belgian
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14. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson
Before joining the family business, Dwayne was a budding professional football player. His NFL aspirations began during his high school years and blossomed at Freedom High School. In 1991, the defensive tackle joined the University of Miami, where he played until 1994. For two months in 1995, the injury-plagued defensive lineman played for Canada's Calgary Stampeders. In November 1996, Dwayne made his WWE debut and later became one of the most successful athletes who switched sports.
- Full name: Dwayne Douglas Johnson
- Date of birth: May 2, 1972
- Age: 51 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: American
Source: UGC
13. Michael Phelps
Swimming legend Michael Phelps is one of the most famous athletes who switched sports. According to Men's Journal, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist played baseball, soccer, swimming and, primarily, lacrosse. In 1996, he set his first national record in a 100-meter butterfly race, a feat that influenced his choice of sport over lacrosse.
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- Full name: Michael Fred Phelps II
- Date of birth: June 30, 1985
- Age: 38 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: American
Source: Getty Images
12. Tim Wiese
After nearly three decades in professional football, former Werder Bremen keeper Tim Wiese made his WWE debut on November 3, 2016. However, after a year in WWE Development, the German goalkeeper-turned-wrestler returned to his former sport for a season and officially retired on July 1, 2017.
- Full name: Tim Wiese
- Date of birth: December 17, 1981
- Age: 42 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: German
Source: Getty Images
11. Usain Bolt
As one of the most decorated athletes of all time, Usain Bolt has dominated two sports professionally. Between 2002 and 2017, the Jamaican sprinter took first place in 66 national and international races and won various titles, including eight Olympic Championships, eleven World Championships, and three Diamond League wins.
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After cementing his athletic legacy, Bolt ventured into football, where he trained and played with the Central Coast Mariners, Strømsgodset and Borussia Dortmund. With little success in football, the six-time Male World Athlete of the Year announced his retirement from sports in 2019.
- Full name: Usain St. Leo Bolt
- Date of birth: August 21, 1986
- Age: 37 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: Jamaican
Source: Getty Images
10. Rebecca Romero
Romero was a professional rower who competed in the quadruple sculls for Britain. In 2004, she represented Great Britain during the Olympics in Athens, where she won silver. After leaving the rowing sport, Romero considered canoeing but settled for track cycling in 2005. In 2008, she became Britain's first athlete to win two Olympic medals after winning gold in the 4,000-metre track cycling.
- Full name: Rebecca Jayne Romero
- Date of birth: January 24, 1980
- Age: 43 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: British
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9. Petr Čech
Petr Čech, Chelsea's legendary goalkeeper, is one of the most intriguing multi-sport athletes in the world. Between 1989 and 2019, the seven-time Footballer of the Year for the Czech Republic played in 784 soccer matches, where he recorded 697 total conceded goals.
On July 1, 2019, the keeper retired from soccer. Towards the end of 2019, he began a second ice hockey sporting career and played for Guildford Phoenix, Belfast Giants and the Oxford City Stars.
- Full name: Petr Čech
- Date of birth: May 20, 1982 (41)
- Age: 41 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: Czech
Source: Getty Images
8. Lauren Price
Olympic gold medallist Lauren Price is a trailblazer in her own right and one of the greatest two-sport athletes of all time. Before committing to boxing, she tried her hand at taekwondo, netball, kickboxing and football.
She played for Cardiff City and represented Wales in 52 caps across the Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and senior age groups. Speaking to the Olympic media, she spoke on her switch, saying,
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"In 2014, I played football and boxing. At the international level, it is hard to do two sports. It is hard to do one, let alone two. So, I decided to give boxing a go. My main goal when I switched to boxing was to do something I love and get paid for."
- Full name: Lauren Louise Price
- Date of birth: June 25, 1994
- Age: 30 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: Welsh
Source: Getty Images
7. Deion Sanders
Before joining the Colorado Buffaloes’ coaching team, Deion Sanders, famously known as Coach Prime, was an NFL football player. Between 1989 and 2004, the eight-time Pro Bowl winner played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys and the Baltimore Ravens.
Growing up, Sanders was a multi-sport player who dabbled in baseball, basketball and football. His high school All-State honours for each sport marked the start of his highly decorated career.
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- Full name: Deion Luwynn Sanders
- Date of birth: August 6, 1967
- Age: 57 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: America
Source: Getty Images
6. Roman Reigns
Roman Reigns is the most famous American professional wrestler in the WWE. The Georgia Tech alum played football during his college years. After missing out on the 2007 NFL Draft Combine, Reigns signed with the Minnesota Vikings and the Jacksonville Jaguars for very short periods. In 2008, he pursued his football dream in the Canadian Football League with the Edmonton Eskimos.
- Full name: Leati Joseph Anoa'i
- Date of birth: May 25, 1985
- Age: 39 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: American
Source: Getty Images
5. Bo Jackson
Vincent Edward Jackson is one of the best two-sport professional athletes. Between 1986 and 1994, the MLB All-Star played leftfield in 694 games for the California Angels, Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals.
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According to ESPN, his nickname, Bo, derived from boar hog, described how wild he was, a trait he took to various high school and college sports. At Auburn University, he played football, scoring 45 touchdowns, recorded 4303 rushing yards, won 270 points, and earned himself significant titles such as the 1985 Heisman Memorial Trophy, 1985 SEC Player of the Year and the 1985 Walter Camp Player of the Year Award. Between 1987 and 1990, Bo played in the running back position for the Los Angeles Raiders, where he scored 16 touchdowns and ran 2782 yards.
- Full name: Vincent Edward Jackson
- Date of birth: November 30, 1962
- Age: 61 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: American
Source: Getty Images
4. Dame Sarah Storey
Sarah Storey is one of the most famous Paralympic athletes who have switched sports. Representing Great Britain, the Paralympian began her sporting career as a swimmer. Between 1992 and 2004, she competed as a swimmer and won sixteen medals, including five gold medals.
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In 2005, the pioneering female multi-sport athlete switched to cycling, competing in disabled and non-disabled cycling events with significant success. According to British Cycling, she has won 9 cycling Paralympic medals, 18 UCI Para-cycling Road World Championships medals and 23 UCI Para-cycling Track World Championships medals.
- Full name: Dame Sarah Joanne Storey
- Date of birth: October 26, 1977
- Age: 46 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: British
Source: Getty Images
3. Roswitha Krause
East Germany's Roswitha Krause is one of the pioneering multi-sport Olympic athletes who has played 2 pro sports. According to her Olympic profile, her first major swimming competition was recorded in Mexico during the 1968 Olympic Games. In 1971, she switched to handball, a sport she excelled at, winning two Olympic medals, two European Cup Winners’ Cups, two World Championships and a European Champion Clubs’ Cup.
- Full name: Roswitha Krause
- Date of birth: November 3, 1949
- Age: 75 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: German
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2. Dave Winfield
Dave Winfield is the only US athlete who was drafted by 4 professional teams in 3 different major sports leagues. According to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the pro athlete who switched sports played 2,973 games in baseball, basketball and football
- Full name: David Mark Winfield
- Date of birth: October 3, 1951
- Age: 72 years as of March 2024
- Nationality: American
Source: Getty Images
1. Jim Thrope
One of the best multi-sport athletes of all time is American Olympian Jom Thorpe, who professionally competed in baseball, football, ballroom dancing, decathlon and pentathlon events. According to the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum, the Oklahoma native, who is considered the greatest multiple sport athlete of all time, played baseball for the Boston Braves, Cincinnati Reds and New York Giants. He also played in 52 football games for the Canton Bulldogs, Cleveland Indians, Oorang Indians, Rock Island Independents and the Chicago Cardinals.
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- Full name: James Francis Thorpe
- Date of birth: May 28, 1887
- Date of birth: March 28, 1953
- Nationality: American
Source: Getty Images
Frequently asked questions
Talent transfer in competitive physical exercise allows injured professional athletes who switch sports to recover and gain new skills. Here are a few interesting facts about athletes who have switched sports.
1. Who was the first person to play two professional sports?
Early records reveal that American legend Jim Thorpe was the first athlete to play more than two professional sports. Other mid and early-90s athletes who switched sports include Jim Brown, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, and Jackie Robinson.
2. Are there any current two-sport college athletes?
A 2016 report by the NCAA revealed that there had been four two-sport college athletes between 1999 and 2016. University of Oregon's wide receiver Devon Allen played football and track between 2013 and 2016 before representing the United States in the IAAF World Relays, World Championships, Olympics and Diamond League.
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Final word
Young and budding athletes train and play various competitive games before settling on one major sport. On the other hand, more experienced athletes who have switched sports tend to seek a more challenging thrill.
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