Major League Baseball

Samardzija daydreams about playing for Bears, Blackhawks, too

Published Dec. 10, 2014 6:22 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

Jeff Samardzija began his MLB career with the Chicago Cubs, pitching there for more than six seasons, so when he was traded to the White Sox this week, he started daydreaming about the possibilities.

"Being a Chicago guy, that's one of the craziest things I've thought about," he said Tuesday after Oakland dealt him to Chicago's South Side. "I'm sitting here thinking, 'Now, do I really have to go get my cleats on and go play for the Bears?' If I could skate, maybe the 'Hawks. My jumper's garbage, so the Bulls are out of the question."

Samardzija may have been kidding, but he wasn't completely out of the realm of reality. He was an All-American wide receiver at Notre Dame. And hey, the Bears need one with Brandon Marshall out for the rest of the season.

If Samardzija did sign on with da Bears, he wouldn't be the first two-sport star to pull double duty for a pro town.

Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan starred for the Atlanta Braves and Falcons in the 1990s and early 2000s. Sanders is the only player to hit a homer in the majors and score a touchdown in the NFL the same week, and to play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series. Jordan was an MLB All-Star for the Braves in 1999, eight years after he played his last game for the NFL's Falcons.

Brian Jordan

Deion Sanders

Matt Kinzer is the only person to play for both the Detroit Lions and Tigers, in the 1980s and '90s. Rex Johnston is the only person to play for both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates, in the 1960s. Gene Conley pitched for the Boston Braves and Red Sox and won three championships with the Celtics in the '50s and '60s. Dick Ricketts played for the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Hawks in the '50s. Jim Castiglia played for both the Philadelphia Eagles and Athletics in the '40s.

If you go back further, multi-sport star Jim Thorpe played for both the New York Giants of baseball and football in the early 20th century.

Jim Thorpe

What other players do you remember? Let us know in the comments below.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball