Toni Fritsch May Have Been the First!

[Phil C]

As far as playing and being successful in two pro sports is concerned Toni Fritsch may have been the first. I know Bo Jackson and Deon Sanders had great pro NFL carreers and also played in MLB but their carreers at pro baseball was just fair at the most (no push for them to be in baseball hall of fame either). But Toni had a great pro career as a place kicker (soccer style). He played for the Cowboys 1971 - 1975, San Diego 1976, Houston 1977 - 1981, and New Orleans 1982. After his NFL career he had some success in the UNFL. He won several games for Dallas in their 1971 football season when Dallas went on to win the super bowl but maybe his most famous kick was the on side kick against San Francisco that Dallas recovered in the last minute and used it to go on to beat the 49-ers in the last minute in the playoffs in 1972. (Strange no one has ever called it "The Kick."
But before he was an NFL star kicker he was a national hero in Vienna, Austria in pro soccer. Yes it was pro soccer where he started and he was a big success. So you see he was not only outstanding in pro football but also in pro soccer in Europe. And Austria was not a communist country (remember Arnold is from there). Surely one of the first men that succeeded in two sports and pro football and soccer were the two. Yes pro soccer! Amazing! :)

[big daddy russ]

Hey now Phil, Bo's an Auburn boy. You can't pick on my boys without me taking it personally.;)

He was an All-Star a couple of years and hit 30-someodd homers with 100 RBI back around 1990. That was a lot back then.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Hey now Phil, Bo's an Auburn boy. You can't pick on my boys without me taking it personally.;)

He was an All-Star a couple of years and hit 30-someodd homers with 100 RBI back around 1990. That was a lot back then.


I didn't know that Russ. Keep me straight here. I wasn't aware that Bo was that much of a success in baseball which is great. Of course just making a team for a few years was a success like Deon did. But Toni was before Bo though. ;)

[PhiI C]

ttt Very important for 66 and PPHS to see this post. :)

[pirate44]

I would have to say Jim Thorpe was the first famous (and successful) multi-sport athlete.

Full name: James Francis Thorpe
Born: May 28, 1887
Died: March 28, 1953


1. Height: 6'-1" Weight: 190 lbs.
2. Position: Halfback
3. He played for Carlisle Indian School, Cleveland Indians, Oorang Indians, Rock Island Independents, New York Giants, Canton 4. Bulldogs and Chicago Cardinals.
4. He was the most famous American athlete of the age. He was excellent at every sport he tried.
5. He won the decathlon and penthatlon events at the 1912 Olympics.
6. He did play major-league baseball from 1913 to 1919.
7. Football was his favorite sport. In 1912, Thorpe scored 25 touchdowns and 198 points in leading his Carlisle Indian School team to a national collegiate championship.
8. Jim Thorpe was selected by the nation's press in 1950 as the most outstanding athlete of the 20th century.
9. Jim Thorpe was also declared as "America's Greatest football player of the half-century," in 1950.