Boxing Footballers

[shane6969]

I can think of 6 boxers/footballers of the top of my head in our game who played at the elite level. They are:

1) Ambrose Palmer (Australian Rules Football) Western Bulldogs
2) Bill Lang (Australian Rules Football) Richmond
3) Bobby Rose (Australian Rules Football) Collingwood
4) Anthony Mundine (Rugby League) St. George
5) Solomon Haumono (Rugby League) Manly
6) Ed "Too Tall" Jones (American Football) Dallas

Can anyone think of any more. There's probably a lot of American Footballers who I have no idea about.

Cheers,

Shane.

[CONN CHRIS]

Mark Gastineau, although he hardly counts as a boxer.

[mh2365]

Derrick Rossy was a defensive lineman for Boston College

[bear]

Bears' hall of fame center George Trafton had some pro bouts and ran a gym in Chicago where fighters trained.
Sully Montgomery 20's hw early nflr
Steve Hamas multi sport athlete at Penn St. including football but didn't play pro football
Bob Pastor also played college football
Chuck Drazenovich, arguably the greatest MLB in Redskin history was an NCAA hw boxing champ
Some early football encyclopedias credit Frank Moran with playing pro football, but I thnik that has been debunked by later research
Ex-Oiler Alonzo Highsmith is probably the best of recent vintage
Bob Sapp was a failed Bear draft pick and is a star in mixed martial arts

These just popped into mind
Will probably think of others

Bear

[IceTea]

Frank Moran played for the University of Pittsburgh.

[Scoman]

How can you forget Ed "Too Tall ' Jones


I guess you didnt,missed that first go round.

[Tommysixfingers]

I'm going a bit OT here...

How big a difference is there between College and Pro levels in Football and Basketball talentwise and "skillwise"? I know that College Football and B-Ball is huge in the U.S and that the overall quality of the athletes is really good (depending on schools also).

I have a friend that is really into basketball and he always says that think's that the best basketball in the world is played in College. Even better than the NBA.

[mh2365]

The best fundamental basketball is played in college but you can't compete with the talent level in the NBA.

[Mad Bomber]

Charley Powell palyed for the San Francisco 49ers and The Oakland Raiders, while at the same time embarking on a boxing career. Powell went on to fight Floyd Patterson and Muhammad Ali in the Cassius Clay years.


Greg

[hamed]

Originally Posted by Tommysixfingers

I'm going a bit OT here...

How big a difference is there between College and Pro levels in Football and Basketball talentwise and "skillwise"? I know that College Football and B-Ball is huge in the U.S and that the overall quality of the athletes is really good (depending on schools also).

I have a friend that is really into basketball and he always says that think's that the best basketball in the world is played in College. Even better than the NBA.

I heard it once described that only 1-2% of all guys who play high school football or basketball are good enough to play at the major college level. Then only 1-2% of those college players are good enough to play @ the pro level.

[mh2365]

Originally Posted by hamed

I heard it once described that only 1-2% of all guys who play high school football or basketball are good enough to play at the major college level. Then only 1-2% of those college players are good enough to play @ the pro level.

That's probably about right. My son's HS team has been pretty talented the last few years and only 1 kid each year has gone on to play any type of college ball. One is at Air Force and the other two are going to Centre.

[Cap]

Lionel Conacher, Canada's athlete of the first half of the 20th century, played pro football and hockey and was national amateur boxing champion. Sparring with Jack Dempsey convinced him to stay an amateur.

Cap

[Mad Bomber]

Cap, how could I have overlooked that.

[mh2365]

Let's not forget Tommy Z who was a third round pick in the pro draft today.

[beekman]

Wayne "Big" Munn

[shane6969]

Did Tom McNeeley Snr ever play pro football, I thought I read it somewhere, but then again, I'm getting old so I could be imagining it......................

[shane6969]

Might even run a pro footballers fight card in my game tonight. Could be interesting.

I bought my Collingwood F.C membership the other week and was happy to see a display in the club of Bobby Rose's original boxing boots, gloves and sparring headgear accompanied by a pugilistic portrait of the great man.

[hamed]

Originally Posted by mh2365

That's probably about right. My son's HS team has been pretty talented the last few years and only 1 kid each year has gone on to play any type of college ball. One is at Air Force and the other two are going to Centre.

Yeah, I recall when I heard that I was thinking, these guys really are the elite of the elite. It was to remind kids that if they think their way to fame & fortune is to become a pro athlete, the odds are REALLY stacked against them so their best bet is to get an education.

Good for the guy @ Air Force, smart & a jock! I hear it's a beautiful campus out in Colorado, I think.

[bear]

Originally Posted by shane6969

Did Tom McNeeley Snr ever play pro football, I thought I read it somewhere, but then again, I'm getting old so I could be imagining it......................

Not to my knowledge

[mellifluous]

A bit off-topic, but Tye Fields was a college basketball player.