One Sport Athletes(?)

There is a strong correlation between superior football skills and superior wrestling skills so I am not surprised that the football coach wanted to see him on the mat.  I didn't want to have a 10 page post so i limited this list to pro football players who were also championship level wrestlers in H.S. or College. Red are ones that are mostly household names from football

Walter Barnes, DL, Washington Redskins - SEC Champ

Brad Benson, New York Giants – PA State Champ

Jeff Bostic, C, Washington Redskins – SC State Champ

Phil Bryant, Philadelphia Eagles – 2x National Prep Champ

Ralph Cindrich, Houston Oilers – PA State Runner-Up

Jonathan Condo, LS, Dallas Cowboys - PA State Champ, Dapper Dan Champ

Tom Cousineau, LB, Cleveland Browns  – 3rd State

Curley Culp, DL, Kansas City Chiefs – NCAA Champ

Carl Edwards, San Diego Chargers – 3x MD State Champ

Rob Essink, Seattle Seahawks – NCAA DII Champ

Doug France, LT, Los Angeles Rams – OH State Runner-Up

Frank Garcia, C, St. Louis Rams – 2x AZ State Champ

William George, Chicago Bears – 2x PA State Champ

Charlie Getty, RG, Kansas City Chiefs – 2x NCAA All-American

Bob Golic, DT, Cleveland Browns – OH State Champ

Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens, 3x KS State Champ

Carlton Haselrig, Pittsburgh Steelers, 3x NCAA Champ

Chad Hennings, DT, Dallas Cowboys – IA State Champ

Jay Hilgenberg, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Runner-Up

Steve Wisniewski, G, Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders - CA State Champ

Tim Krumrie, DL, Cincinnati Bengals – WI State Champ

Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens – 2x FL State Champ

Jim Nance, FB, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ

Lorenzo Neal, FB, Tennessee Titans - NCAA Champ

Stephen Neal, OL, New England Patriots – NCAA Champ

Chuck Noll, Pittsburgh Steelers – PA State Champ

Leo Nomellini, T, San Francisco 49’ers – Big 10 Champ

Irv Pankey, Los Angeles Rams – 2x MD State Champ

Mike Pyle, C, Chicago Bears – IA State Champ

Eric Rhett, RB, Cleveland Browns – FL State Champ

Warren Sapp, DT Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Oakland Raiders - FL State Champ

Mark Schlereth, OL, Washington Redskins - Alaska State Champ

Cory Schlesinger, LB, Detroit Lions - NE State Champ

Steve Sefter, DT, Philadelphia Eagles, 2x PA State Champ & NCAA All-American

Tony Siragusa, DT, Baltimore Ravens – NJ State Champ

Fred Smerlas, Buffalo Bills - MA State Champ

Bill Szott, OL, Washington Redskins – NJ State Champ

Dave Szott, Kansas City Chiefs – NJ State Champ

Woody Thompson, RB, Atlanta Falcons – PA State Champ

Mike Trgovac, DC, Carolina Panthers – OH State Champ

John Ward, OL, New York Jets – NCAA All-American

Leo Wisniewski, NT, Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts - PA State Champ

Coy Wire, LB, Buffalo Bills – PA State Runner-Up

Roddy White, WR, Atlanta Falcons - 2x SC State Champ (First Round Pick)

Eric Ghiaciuc, C, Cincinatti Bengals - MI State Champ

Adam Seward, ILB, Carolina Panthers - NV State Champ

Each sport teaches critical life lessons and although a single sport player can excel and succeed there are mental and physical aspects of the sport that they will have to gain through training that multi-sport athletes gain through participation. No right or wrong just different paths to get to the same result

We have a player at our rather mediocre HS athletics program who is built for speed and like another person noted, oozes athleticism. He's maybe 6'0" 185 and ripped with speed to burn. Played baseball FR and SO year but struggled as a hitter because he worked on football so much. Did not play baseball last Spring (JR year) to focus on football. Now that he's committed to play football for a college he is going to play baseball his SR year because he can. I expect he'll be fine defensively but perhaps a liability at the plate.

My 2015 is a three-sport athlete as well. During his college recruitment, we found that more coaches often targeted players who play other sports. Part of it is the cross training. One coach said how can I duplicate in an offseason workout, a football player running away from a defenseman, or the amount of running soccer kids do? Other sports too allow time in the weightroom in HS..tough to just get on the schedule. Some schools recruit primarily shortstops, as they tend to be the most versatile and athletic. Another D1 told us he recruits multi-sport athletes because they tend to be "more competitive." Some probably would fear injury though for a pitcher they are eyeing.

Sorry if this is irrelevant. But I was horrible at other sports. Absolutely horrible. Heck, I'm just okay at baseball, just a kid that's barely hanging on to it actually. I could've never been a multi-sport athlete to save my life, though at the time, that's what a lot of coaches suggested we do. I remember in high school weights class, everyone would be excited to take the day off from lifting to play flag football... those days weren't as much fun for me.. as I can't even catch the dang ball LOL. Don't even get me started on how bad I was at basketball haha. I know it's an extreme case, but I think being a one-sport athlete worked out rather well for me. I was too bad at other sports where I'd be really frustrated with myself had I attempted them more. Let's just say I was so bad at other sports, that in high school, I was the only baseball player of all my teammates that was NOT asked to try out for the football team haha.

Just a thought from a different perspective.