While Aaron Judge looks like he could line up at defensive end or outside linebacker, and Didi Gregorius‘ footwork would do well at cornerback, the New York Yankees have to be glad that both are fully committed to playing baseball. The Yankees have been intertwined, however, with professional and collegiate football for decades. Arguably, the greatest game ever played was the 1958 classic NFL championship game between the New York Giants and Baltimore Colts at Yankee Stadium. The Stadium also hosted the annual Grambling – Morgan St. games, and numerous games between Army and Notre Dame. The new Stadium has carried on the tradition by hosting the Pinstripe Bowl. At one time, there was also a professional New York Yankees football team that was a member of the All-American Football Conference (AAFC). They too played their home games at the big ballpark in the Bronx.
There also have been a number of Yankees, and members of the farm system, that played in the NFL. Chief among them were future NFL Hall of Fame members John Elway and Deion Sanders. Elway played both football and baseball for the University of Stanford. The Kansas City Royals drafted him out of Granada Hills (CA) High School in the 18th round of the 1979 draft, but Elway passed on it to attend Stanford. The Yankees then selected him in the second round of the 1981 draft. As the Cardinal right fielder, Elway had a tremendous offensive season in 1981, and had one of the strongest outfield arms at any level. George Steinbrenner saw him as the Yankees’ right fielder of the future.
Two years later though, football came calling. The QB was selected as the first overall pick in the NFL draft by the Baltimore Colts. Elway had no intention of playing for Baltimore and told the Colts he would play full-time for the Yankees. Eventually, the Colts caved and traded Elway’s rights to Denver.
Elway’s flirtation with pro baseball lasted just 42 games, but he impressed many people in a short amount of time. In 1982, Elway played rookie ball for Oneonta of the NY-Penn League. He produced a line of .318/.432/.464 with four HR, 25 RBI, six doubles, two triples, and 13 stolen bases in 16 attempts. He also walked 28 times and struck out a respectable 25 times in 151 at-bats. Steinbrenner did his best to convince Elway to play baseball full-time, but the NFL was Elway’s destiny.
Elway played 16 seasons for the Broncos, and became one of the greatest professional quarterbacks of all-time. A member of five Super Bowl teams, Elway and the Broncos won the big game in Elway’s final two seasons, 1997-1998.
Following the lead of Bo Jackson, Sanders attempted to become a professional two-sport player. During his All-American career as a cornerback for Florida State University, Sanders was selected by the Yankees in the 30th round of the 1988 MLB Amateur draft. Sanders had put up respectable numbers for FSU in 1987. He hit .267/.340/.386 with 15 extra-base hits, including three home runs. Using his exceptional speed, he swiped 27 bases in 35 attempts.
Sanders played 28 games, in 1988, for the Yankees’ minor league affiliate in the Gulf Coast League (Rookie), and at Single-A Fort Lauderdale (FSL), and Triple-A Columbus (IL). He put up decent numbers in the GCL (.280/.304/.387) and the Florida State League (.429/.455/.524), but struggled in a brief trip to the International League (.150/.261/.200).
A year later though, Sanders hit well at Albanie-Colonie (AA) in the Eastern League and in a return trip to Columbus. The Yankees called him up to the Major Leagues at the of June. He showed promise in the 14 games he played, but then he signed a five-year, multi-million dollar contract to play football for the Atlanta Falcons. On September 5th, Sanders hit a 2-run home run, and added a 2-run double for a three-hit, four-RBI day. Five days later, he returned a punt 68 yards to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead against the Los Angeles Rams.
Sanders played 57 games for the Yankees in 1990, but produced just 21 hits in 133 at-bats (.158) and a .507 OPS. The Yankees were willing to give Sanders a new contract, on the condition that he give up football. Sanders refused, so the Yankees released him in September, 1990.
“Prime Time” went on to play seven seasons for the Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds, and San Francisco Giants between 1991 and 2001 (Sanders did not play baseball in 1996, and 1998-1999). Sanders was a member of the pennant winning Braves in 1992, but found far more success in the NFL. He won Super Bowl rings with the 1995 San Francisco 49ers and 1996 Dallas Cowboys, as part of a five-team, 14-year career.
Unfortunately, Drew Henson didn’t have much luck replicating his high school baseball and football careers, or his college football career, at the pro level. Henson was selected by the Yankees out of Brighton High School (MI) in the third round of the 1998 MLB draft. He hit a then-record 70 home runs in his high school career, and was named both the High School baseball and football player of the year. He had 41 plate appearances for the GCL Yankees, and produced good numbers. Then it was off to the University of Michigan in the Fall, where he appeared in seven games at QB for the Wolverines. Some guy named Tom Brady took the majority of the snaps under center.
Entering the 1999 baseball season, Baseball America touted Henson as the number 100 prospect in all of baseball. The third baseman provided a good offensive sampling in 69 games for the Tampa Yankees. Henson hit 13 home runs, drove in 37 runs, and put up a .280/.345/.480 slash line. With the leaves turning colors, Henson was back in Ann Arbor, this time appearing in nine games for Michigan. Brady was a senior, which meant there would be more playing time for Henson in 2000.
Henson was named the 24th best prospect by Baseball America prior to the 2000 baseball season. He was putting together another solid campaign, this time for the Double-A Norwich Navigators. In 59 Eastern League games, Henson hit .287/.347/.439, with seven home runs, nine doubles, and a pair of triples. But, in the heat of a Major League pennant race, the Yankees dealt Henson and fellow prospects Jackson Melian, Ed Yarnall, and Brian Reith, for pitcher Denny Neagle and prospect Mike Frank.
The trade was the result of Henson, like Sanders, telling George Steinbrenner he would not give up football. At the time, he was surprised by the trade, though he told the Detroit News he also understood the Yankees’ decision.
“I’m shocked. I don’t know if it has (sunk in) yet.”
“I let everyone know how happy I am in the Yankee organization, but I never had gone so far as to say which way I’m leaning. That’s a chance I had to take. I couldn’t say, ‘Yeah, 90 percent I’m going to play baseball, or 65 percent.’ I can’t do that right now. This (trade) happened partially because of that — it’s a business, and I can understand their thinking. If I’m not a guarantee, they have to do what they feel is best.”
The trade didn’t turn out favorably for either team, with Neagle struggling in his short stint as a Yankee. Henson struggled at the plate in 16 games for the Reds’ Double-A affiliate in Chattanooga before reporting to his college training camp. As a junior at Michigan that Fall, Henson stood out. He completed over 60% of his passes, and threw 16 touchdown passes, while throwing just four interceptions. Henson added two rushing TD’s as well. His season concluded with a victory over Auburn in the Citrus Bowl. The NFL was waiting with great anticipation for what Henson would do in his senior year of football, but Henson had other ideas.
During Spring Training in 2001, the Reds dealt Henson back to the Yankees, along with one-time prospect Michael Coleman, for outfielder Wily Mo Pena. Henson was inked to a six-year, $17MM deal to play baseball full-time. There would be no senior season at Michigan and no NFL.
The 2001 season is one Henson would like to forget. He hit poorly and committed 20 errors. However, a year later he bounced back with 18 HR, 65 RBI, and a 736 OPS. On the downside, his strikeout totals were still high and he committed 35 errors. The Yankees called him up when the rosters expanded in September, but he appeared in only three games. Henson was hitless in his one at-bat, though he did score a run.
Henson could have grabbed the third base job when Robin Ventura was dealt during the 2003 season, but his numbers were worse than the year before. When the Yankees ended up dealing for ALCS hero Aaron Boone from the Reds, Henson knew his baseball days were numbered. He retired at the conclusion of the 2003 season.
Now it was football’s turn. The Houston Texans had picked Henson in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL draft. The following Spring, the Texans dealt him to their intrastate rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Still just 24-years of age, Henson was the backup to 41-year old Vinny Testaverde. Under coach Bill Parcells, the Cowboys finished 6-10, with Henson starting one game. For the season he was 10-18 passing with 1 TD and 1 INT.
Henson couldn’t latch onto an NFL team again until 2008, when he signed with the Detroit Lions. The Lions employed five quarterbacks that season, with Henson going twice from the practice squad to the roster. On Thanksgiving Day, Henson replaced Daunte Culpepper in the 4th quarter. It was a disaster. He was 1-2 passing and fumbled the ball away on consecutive series. The Lions released him in April, 2009, signaling the end of Henson’s attempts at professional baseball and football. He was not yet 30 years of age. Today, Henson is a baseball scout for the Yankees and was recently profiled in Sports Illustrated.
Others who have tried their hand at baseball with the Yankees and football, include NFL legend George Halas, who appeared in 12 games for the 1919 Yankees. Hinkey Haines, an outfielder for 28 games in 1923, played three seasons for the NY Giants in the NFL and another two years with the Staten Island Stapletons.
Past Yankees who stuck with baseball, despite excellent college careers, included catcher Jake Gibbs and infielder Wayne Tolleson. Gibbs was a standout QB for the University of Mississippi. He finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in 1960 after he led the Rebels to a 10-1 record. He also was a member of the 1959 Ol’ Miss team that captured the school’s first national baseball title.
Gibbs went on to to play parts of 10 seasons for the Bronx Bombers, and was the starting catcher in the late 1960’s. He later return to his alma mater to coach baseball and football.
“Tolly”, as he was nicknamed, played both sports for the West Carolina Catamounts. He was conference Player of the Year in baseball in 1978. A year earlier, Tolleson led all of Division I football with 73 receptions. Listed at 5’9″, 160 lbs, Tolleson knew baseball was his future, not football. The Texas Rangers drafted him in the 8th round of the 1978 amateur draft. He went on to spend parts of 10 years in the Major Leagues, the last 4-1/2 with the Yankees. Though he didn’t hit much, he was a solid and versatile defender.
Some players can excel at two sports at the professional level – Brian Jordan and Bo Jackson (prior to his hip injury) to name two – but generally one sport needs to be concentrated on for a player’s success. With the speed, strength, and athleticism required in today’s sports, it’s nearly impossible to commit to two sports at either the college or professional level if you want to play effectively and stand out.
Before committing to one sport though, there’s the tough decision of which one to pursue.
