Many of the great sportsmen and women who perform very well and reach the top of their game are also good at other things. A lot of them change over from one sport to another on a professional level and perform just as well with that, leaving us in awe to admire them even more.
We take a look at some of these very famous athletes around the world who did just that, reaching the top then going and doing well in another sport. So read with us about them and see for yourself that these stars are also good at other things.
Andrew Flintoff
He was a talented cricket player for England and one of the top all-rounder cricketers in the world, who eventually became captain of the team.
Then he resigned from all forms of cricket and became a professional boxer to win the only fight in the heavyweight category on a points decision.
After that, he gave his fans what they wanted and returned to the cricket field to win even more games and hearts.
Rebecca Romero
From rowing to cycling, she showed the world that she is not just good with her arms but also very good at using her strong athletic legs.
When you read about her, you cannot but admire the talents of this British rowing medalist and cycling world champion.
She is only the second woman in history and the first British woman who won Olympic medals in two different sport types at the summer Olympic Games.
Ian Botham
Ian is yet another British cricketer who was an outstanding batsman and a fast-medium bowler who showed talents in more than just one type of sport.
He was only the second player in test history to score 100 runs and take 10 wickets in one match, causing him to complete what they call the match double.
While he was a top all-rounder in cricket, he also played 11 league football games for the football club Scunthorpe United.
Chris Hoy
We are still with the great athletes from Britain, with Chris Hoy being from Scotland, he represented Great Britain in the Olympics as a cyclist.
For this, he was rewarded many times over as world champion and received no less than 7 Olympic medals, of which 6 was gold.
After these outstanding achievements as a cyclist, he entered motorsport to race in the Le Mans 24 hours in 2016 to show off his versatility.
Michael Jordan
We all know Michael Jordan. He made sure everybody noticed him with his excellent performance on the basketball court as a professional player.
He signed up for baseball to play for the White Sox for a whole year before returning to the NBA to resume his basketball career. He performed very well for the White Sox.
Although not as good as his specialty sport, he still showed his wonderful sportsmanship and skill on the field.
Dave Winfield
This versatile athlete got drafted in three different sports, and some of them he did not even take part in at school level.
He was drafted in his all-time favorite, baseball, where he became a legend and made the Hall of Fame.
Other sports he was drafted in were football and basketball, making him the only American athlete drafted in three different sport types by four different teams.
Jim Brown
Before Jim Brown became a running back for the NFL, he actually played basketball in his college years. He also played lacrosse, and he did track as well.
He had a very impressive sports career while he was in college and made first-team in lacrosse to get all-American honors.
After all those remarkable performances, he joined the NFL and had a very successful football career of 9 years while being considered one of the best running backs of all time.
Tony Romo
Tony is another American football player who performs well in everything he tackles not just the sports that made him so famous and brought him so many fans.
After retiring from the football field, he became more than just a casual golfer, and his eye has been set on the US Open for some time now.
He does this the same way he did with football, while he was signed up as an undrafted free agent, giving his all.
Joe Mauer
To be selected as the USA Today’s Player of the Year is something every sportsman dreams of, but if that happens in two sports, it is an outstanding achievement.
Joe Mauer was selected with this honor in both football and baseball, where he excelled in both these sports.
It was no wonder he was drafted by the Twins from his hometown as the no 1 overall, where he also spent all 15 years of his MLB career.
Michael Vick
He played in the NFL for 13 seasons and became the first-ever quarterback to rush 1000 yards in just one season, with a career-best in rushing yards.
After being four years away from the baseball field, he got drafted by a professional team, the Rockies, in 2000 to pitch for them.
This makes him a pretty sought-after versatile sportsman with remarkable achievements in both these sport types, even after that notorious time in his life in 2007.
Tony Gonzalez
With a number of NFL records behind him, as well as many achievements he is considered one of the greatest tight ends to ever play football.
Before becoming a great football player with a very exciting career, he played basketball for the Golden Bears in the forward position.
Luckily for him, he made to decision to go professional in the football arena, where he earned a great name for himself.
Nyjer Morgan
Morgan came from being the first-ever African-American playing in the Western Hockey League in Canada to become a baseball player at the beginning of his career.
To do that with confidence means that you have what it takes to make the switch without even losing stride in your sports career.
With all the tricks he pulled on the baseball field he probably would have been in a lot of trouble on the ice if he tried it there.
Victoria Pendleton
We are back on the British Isles with Victoria Pendleton, another great athlete who performed in more than just one sport type at the top level.
She used to be a cycling track specialist who performed in the sprint as well as in the team sprint and then became a jockey.
In the jockey event, she came 5th in the Foxhunter Chase in Cheltenham. Let’s not forget that she is an Olympic champion as a cyclist.
Usain Bolt
This former Jamaican sprinter with world records behind his name tried his sportsmanship on the Australian football field but left after only 8 weeks.
Even though he was there for only a short time, he still performed well in this new sporting event and joined the Central Coast Mariners club.
This makes you think how well he would have done if he stayed after so many outstanding achievements in his sprinting career.
Paolo Maldini
From football to tennis, that is what this ex-footballer from Italy did, and he even played in his professional debut in 2017.
Even though he was defeated after only 42 minutes, it still says a lot about him to be able to make it that far in another sport.
You can clearly see that this athlete had a lot of drive, being considered one of the greatest defenders, while some say he was the best ever.
Dwain Chambers
It looks like the British athletes love to show their mettle in more than just one sports type, and Dwain Chambers does not disappoint.
With a lot of medals behind his name, Dwain, the British sprinter, is considered one of the fastest European athletes of all time.
He then decided to set his eye on British Rugby League, where he was on trial for the Castleford Tigers but unfortunately could not get a contract.
Julius Peppers
Before Julius became a football player he spent a lot of time on the basketball court with great agility to help him perform very well.
He was recruited by his coach to concentrate on basketball while he was at UNC; luckily, he did not focus on basketball only.
Julius Peppers became a well-known name in the NFL when he started to play football on a professional level, where all that basketball agility helped him perform very well.
Tim Duncan
Tim started early in his career as a very promising swimmer, where he performed pretty well in the pool with great success and aspirations.
But after he started to play basketball instead he never looked back and became one of the most famous NBA players as a power forward.
One will always wonder if he kept on swimming if he would have gone and competed in the Olympic games, bringing back some medals.
Charlie Ward
This athlete is a real all-around sportsman who performed extraordinarily in everything he ever tried out, from basketball to football and even tennis.
He made a decision and ended up on the basketball court to spend a full 11 years as a professional basketball player with outstanding achievements behind him.
To think he was even drafted in the MLB while he did not even play baseball in his college career is saying a lot about this athlete.
Michael Phelps
This highly decorated Olympic swimmer, with nothing less than 28 medals for great achievements in his sport is known to every sports enthusiast around the world.
But that is not the only sport he is good at, you will find him on the golf course performing just as well as any world-class golfer.
But what else can you expect from this achiever who received the most Olympic medals in all the times of the Olympic games?
Summary
These versatile athletes are only a few of the great men and women out there who changed sports careers to show their great versatility.
These great players performed in great sports such as baseball and football as well as other international sport types.
