Phil C
01-18-2005, 12:55 PM
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! :)
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! :)