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re: Best 2 sport athlete of all time? LSU

Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:37 pm to
Posted by Lester Earl
3rd Ward
Member since Nov 2003
290881 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:37 pm to
Chad Jones was overrated at football and barely played baseball. He pitched something like 9 innings in his career

Jared Mitchell
Chris Jackson
Witten

Were all more accomplished over 2 sports
Posted by bayourougebengal
Member since Mar 2008
7236 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:45 pm to
Didn't Spencer Ware contribute a pretty nasty home plate collision when he played baseball?
Posted by tduecen
Member since Nov 2006
161246 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:47 pm to
A few I would put above Jones
Posted by roygu
Member since Jan 2004
11718 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:49 pm to
Alvin Dark would be a contender.

Dark attended LSU in 1942 and was a football standout there as well as a baseball player. During World War II, he transferred through the V-12 program to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette (then Southwestern Louisiana Institute) in Lafayette, Louisiana, where he again showed his baseball skills, batting .461 in 1944. His football skills were evident there as well as he quarterbacked SLI to an undefeated season in 1943 and a New Year's Day victory in the Oil Bowl. This led to his getting drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1945 NFL Draft. After serving in Asia during the war, however, he came home and chose baseball.
He was named the MLB Rookie of the Year and finished third in the MVP voting in 1948 after playing a vital part of the Boston Braves' unlikely run to the pennant, their first since 1914, though he hit only .167 in the World Series loss to the Cleveland Indians. He was traded after the 1949 season, which turned out to be a boon for the Giants. Dark was immediately named team captain by manager Leo Durocher, and had several great seasons in New York. In 1951 he batted .303 with 114 runs and a league-leading 41 doubles as the Giants won their first pennant since 1937; he hit .417 in the World Series against the New York Yankees, including a three-run home run in Game 1, though the Giants lost in six games. He followed up with seasons hitting .301 and .300 in 1952-53, scoring 126 runs with 23 home runs and 41 doubles in the latter season. In 1954 he batted .293 with 20 home runs and was fifth in the MVP voting as the Giants won another pennant; in the World Series against the heavily favored Indians, he batted .412 with a hit in every game, and the Giants pulled off an astonishing sweep to win their first championship since 1933. He was the NL's starting shortstop for the All-Star game in 1951, 1952 and 1954. In 1955 he was awarded the first Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, given to the player who best exemplified Gehrig's character and integrity both on and off the field.

Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
81352 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:51 pm to
quote:

Jared Mitchell... yet started at CF


Nope
Posted by larry289
Holiday Island, AR
Member since Nov 2009
3858 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:52 pm to
quote:

That is crazy how much we have advanced strength wise in 60 years

You are correct sir and a lot has gone into those improvements. That said, having had the opportunity to watch Cannon practice football, play football and his strength...it was and still is a wow in my mind.

If you stood up close next to him those days in street clothes, you would not believe he weighed 210#'. But put him on an athletic field and it was pure brute strength, speed and quickness...pure unadulterated rippled strength. LSU has had many backs that were better in any one or two of those categories, but only one that I think even comes close combining the three and that would be C. Alexander.

His yardage rushing totals at LSU are nothing to WOW about; but, avg. 5.5 yd for career with limited number of carries as compared to now. Remember also, he shared a backfield with Johnnie Robinson (also an all American) who many thought was just as good of a pure halfback as Cannon.

Robinson, I think 7 time pro-bowler at the Kansas City Chiefs. Converted from running back to corner to safety. Generally given credit for redefining the role of a safety's duties in AFL/NFL. Still holds the Chiefs record for interceptions with 57. 1967 Super Bowl champion picking up a fumble to seal the deal. To this day, you will hear each year at Pro Hall of Fame ceremonies why hasn't this great athlete made it yet.

J Robinson-Chiefs
Posted by Broski
Member since Jun 2011
81352 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:52 pm to
quote:

He pitched something like 9 innings in his career



To be fair, he was the first arm out of the pen by the time postseason rolled around.
Posted by LordoftheManor
Member since Jul 2006
8371 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 3:54 pm to
Trindon Holliday is the correct answer, given his impact in two different sports.
Posted by LSUFanMizeWay
Picayune MS
Member since Sep 2014
6687 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:17 pm to
I read that as his Bio into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, he played in the majors, only 1 year, but his stats weren't bad
Posted by roguetiger15
Member since Jan 2013
17564 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:21 pm to
The OG, Alvin Dark.
Posted by Bayou Tiger
Member since Nov 2003
3731 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:21 pm to
Billy Cannon for sure
Posted by JP46
Member since Aug 2014
52 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:30 pm to
I think Cannon is the greatest easily - 2-time All American and Heisman winner in football, and had world class ability in the 100 and in the shot put. I think it was Alvin Roy that said Cannon could have been a contender in both the Olympic 100 meters and the shot put if he had trained for it. Of course he couldn't because he was a football player first and foremost. I think his 100 yard dash time was only one tenth off the world record in the late 50's.
Posted by TigerDM
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2013
1817 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:37 pm to
It's got to be Mike Miley.
He's the only one that was a true star in
two sports
Posted by larry289
Holiday Island, AR
Member since Nov 2009
3858 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 4:44 pm to
JP46

I believe you to be correct; see my post a few back for more evidence. He did win the 100 yd in SEC Tournament 1958.
Posted by Tiger in Texas
Houston, Texas
Member since Sep 2004
22217 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:00 pm to
quote:

Cannon football & track



The winnner and it's not closee...
Posted by popig
Member since Nov 2014
268 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:08 pm to
Clay Parker was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys as a punter and the Seattle Mariners as a pitcher . But RIP , ?? Clay is alive and well
Posted by Good Times
Hill top in Tn
Member since Nov 2007
24865 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:15 pm to
Cannon
Cannon
Alvin Dark
Posted by ScrapPack
Member since Nov 2011
3707 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:15 pm to
Slip Watkins and it isn't even close.
Posted by Erin Go Bragh
Beyond the Pale
Member since Dec 2007
14918 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:18 pm to
Mike Miley by a wide margin
Posted by The Belk
Member since Oct 2015
549 posts
Posted on 1/8/17 at 5:24 pm to
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