It looks like Oklahoma quarterback
and Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray is going to declare for the NFL
draft. That would seem to be a
no-brainer, only the Oakland A’s made Murray their #1 draft pick last
June. Now the A’s may have to share one
of their top prospects with a sport heavy on injury potential.
There is precedent for two-sport
players. Deion Sanders did it; ditto Bo Jackson. Sanders was a better football player, and
Jackson suffered a hip injury playing for the Raiders that ultimately ended his
career in both sports. If he had picked
one or the other, Jackson might have been a hall of famer.
Brian Jordan faced a choice just
as Murry will; a defensive back with the Falcons, Jordan walked away from
football for a baseball career that included 184 homeruns and 821 RBIs. If Murray is leaning in the other direction,
he would do well to consider Russell Wilson, another 5’11” two-way
athlete. Wilson played a couple of years
of minor league ball before deciding to concentrate on throwing a
football. The Seahawks are happy he did.
An athlete is entitled to pursue
any and all dreams (see above, plus Danny Ainge and Gene Conley). Professional teams, though, are advised to
beware. The problems, to say nothing of
the dangers, are obvious, or should have been to the A’s. If Murray decides to play football instead,
he has to give back his baseball signing bonus, but that’s it for Oakland’s
compensation.
In which case, they will have
wasted a top draft choice on someone else’s dream.
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