THE GAME consists of many competitive nodes that can transition into/out of each other through the action of its participants. For instance, a rugby league player could receive a pass and then carry the rugby ball into/out of an American football game; playing under American football rules or hybrid rules. Likewise, an American football player could carry an American football and then enter into a rugby league match; playing under rugby league rules or hybrid rules. In these examples, the movement of players across the boundaries/rules of their sports link American football and rugby league together, enabling the formation of entirely new competitive GAME nodes.
THE GAME places a premium on participants who are versatile and who can perform multiple roles across many competitive nodes. For competitive nodes from sports and recreation, athletes who excel in multiple sports and who can transition in/out of these sports effortlessly are key building blocks when building GAME teams. Here is our list of the top ten all-time multi-sport GAME athletes to build your team around:
10. Charlie Ward
A three-sport star, Ward played point guard in the NBA from 1994 to 2005 (mostly with the New York Knicks), won the 1993 Heisman Trophy and 1993 National Championship as the quarterback for Florida State University, and was, despite playing no college baseball, drafted as a pitcher by Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers in 1993 and the New York Yankees in 1994. A respected leader on the court/field, Ward’s leadership skills became useful in the node of politics when Ward served as Student Government Vice-President in his senior year at Florida State.
9. John Elway
Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play in the NFL, Elway played in five Super Bowls, winning two in 1997 and 1998. Noted for his arm strength, elusiveness and clutch playmaking ability, Elway also excelled on the baseball diamond. As a pitcher/outfielder, he was drafted out of high school by the Kansas City Royals and eventually become the first pick of the New York Yankees in 1981 while at Stanford University. Elway remains the only athlete to be drafted in the first-round of Major League Baseball’s draft and be the number one overall pick of the NFL draft (1983). After his professional playing career, Elway went on to establish himself in the business world, becoming co-owner of the Arena Football League team Colorado Crush, owner of two steakhouses in the Denver area and owner of auto dealerships in California and the Denver-area.
8. Dave Winfield
Standing at a burly 6’6” 235 pounds, Winfield’s accomplishments as a baseball player are well documented. A fearsome slugger, Winfield finished with career averages of .283 / 3,110 H / 465 HR / 1,883 RBI. Winfield was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. As an overall athlete, Winfield was equally accomplished. At the University of Minnesota, Winfield starred in basketball and baseball. Following college, Winfield was drafted by four teams in three different sports. The San Diego Padres selected him as the fourth overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft and both the Atlanta Hawks (NBA) and the Utah Stars (ABA) drafted him. Although Winfield never played college football, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings selected him in the NFL draft.
7. Bob Hayes
The only athlete to ever win an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring, Hayes is perhaps the fastest man on this list. Hayes was an accomplished Olympic sprinter before transitioning to pro football as an NFL Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Hayes’ sprinting accomplishments included winning the 100m and 4x100m relay gold medals at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. A three-time NFL Pro Bowl selection, Hayes won a Super Bowl ring in 1972.
6. Jackie Robinson
Portions courtesy of Wikipedia
5. Deion Sanders
A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Sanders is one of the greatest cover cornerbacks and return men to have ever played in the NFL. Sanders also excelled as an outfielder in Major League Baseball. He still remains the only man to have won a Super Bowl (1995 and 1996 with the Dallas Cowboys) and a World Series (1992 with the Atlanta Braves). Prior to his professional career, Sanders was a three sports star at Florida State University, participating in football, baseball and track. On one occasion at Florida State, Sanders played the first game of a baseball doubleheader, ran a leg of a 4x100 meter relay, then returned to play the second game of the doubleheader. In 1998, Sanders accomplished a similar feat when he hit a home run playing for the New York Yankees and scored a touchdown playing for the Atlanta Falcons in the same week, the only player to ever do so.
4. Bo Jackson
Blessed with a rare blend of brute power and world-class speed (Jackson ran a 4.12, 40 yard dash, still considered the fastest verifiable 40 time at an NFL Combine), Jackson’s meteoric rise as a star running back in football and a star outfielder in baseball ended just as suddenly with a football career-ending injury sustained in a playoff game in 1991. Although his careers in baseball and football were relatively brief, during his peak years from 1987 to 1990, the quality of his work during this time is remarkable. As the 1985 Heisman Trophy winner out of Auburn University, Jackson was the number one overall pick in the 1986 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Spurning the NFL for baseball, Jackson signed with the Kansas City Royals. With his draft rights forfeited by Tampa Bay, the Los Angeles Raiders selected him the following year in the 1987 NFL Draft with the understanding that Jackson would complete the baseball season and join the Raiders midway through the NFL season. From 1987 to 1990, Jackson was named a Major League Baseball All-Star and All-Star Game MVP in 1989, and an NFL Pro-Bowler in 1990. If Jackson had remained healthy in both sports and produced at the same high level for another five to ten years, he would have been in the top two of this list.
3. Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Portions courtesy of Wikipedia
Despite being the only woman on our list, Zaharias easily holds her own against the men with her impressive resume of abilities and accomplishments. The sportswriter Grantland Rice once said of her, "The Babe is without any question the athletic phenomenon of all time, man or woman." She was a singer and harmonica player (recording several songs for Mercury Records), vaudeville performer, a champion seamstress, a basketball player, a baseball and softball player, a roller-skater, bowler, diver, cyclist, pocket billiard player, archer and Olympic champion. Zaharias won gold medals in the 80 meter hurdles and the javelin throw and a silver medal in the high jump at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. By 1935, looking for her next athletic challenge, Zaharias began to play golf and eventually became the first female golf celebrity and the leading player of the 1940’s and early 1950’s. By 1950, Zaharias had won every golf title in existence, bringing her amateur and professional victory total to 82 golf tournaments. Zaharias had her greatest year of golf in 1950 when she completed the Grand Slam of the three women’s majors of the day, the U.S. Open, the Titleholders Championship and the Western Open. That year she became the fastest LPGA golfer to ever reach 10 wins, doing so in one year and 20 days, still a record to this day. Sadly in 1956, at the age of 45, her life was cut short by colon cancer and all were left to wonder what other amazing feats could have been accomplished.
2. Jim Brown
Regarded as the best professional football player of all-time, Brown set a then-career NFL rushing record in only nine years with the Cleveland Browns (1957-1965). Prior to becoming the number one overall pick in the 1957 NFL draft, Brown excelled in football, basketball, track and lacrosse at Syracuse University. At Syracuse, Brown became an All-American in lacrosse and is widely considered to be the best lacrosse player to have ever played. Because of his many athletic accomplishments, Brown has the rare honor of being in the NFL Hall of Fame, the College Football Hall of Fame and the Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Retiring at the peak of his career, Brown went on to make his mark as an actor (The Dirty Dozen, 100 Rifles) and as a social activist (Amer-I-Can).
1. Jim Thorpe
Considered by many as the most versatile athlete in modern sports, Thorpe excelled in American football, collegiately and professionally; played Major League Baseball, professional basketball, and won the 1912 Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon. Thorpe’s many accomplishments earned him induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. In 1950, Thorpe was recognized by the Associated Press as the greatest athlete of the first half of the twentieth century and in 1999, the United States House of Representatives passed a resolution honoring Thorpe as “America’s athlete of the century”.
There is a noticeable absence of international athletes on this list. If you know of any international athletes who excelled at a high level across multiple sports and who should be included in this list, please let us know by leaving your suggestions and comments. This list will be updated periodically to reflect any of these future changes and/or suggestions. Thanks for your interest and for participating.
