Ath-elites - Brian

Adam suggested that I do a post about the 10 best athletes of all time. To qualify for this list, the player not only had to be very good in his respective sport, but also had cross-sport athletic abilities, meaning they could have thrived in other sports. So here is my personal list...

10.) Jackie Robinson - He lettered in 4 sports at UCLA, was an All-American running back, led the Pac-10 in scoring as a PG for their basketball team, and won the NCAA championship in long jump. He also had a pretty good baseball career to boot (.311, 137 HRs, 734 RBIs).

9.) Usain Bolt - The fastest man. Ever. He may not have accolades in other sports like others on this list, but if you are that fast, you have to be a freak of an athlete. I can't guarantee that he could succeed in other sports, but you would be glued to the TV if he tried.

8.) Deion Sanders - One of the best cornerbacks NFL history, making 8 pro bowls and winning the defensive MVP. He also starred in baseball, hitting a career .263 with 186 stolen bases. His is the only athlete to ever play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series.

7.) Allen Iverson - Pound for pound he is one of the greatest NBA players ever, and he showed that his body was capable of taking a physical beating day after day. He was an explosive scorer well after the age when most PG's bodies break down. He was also an all-state football player who could have gone anywhere on scholarship.

6.) Tiger Woods - He is on his way to becoming the greatest golfer of all time and makes you watch in awe as he plays golf. While golf may not be the most physically demanding sport, it takes an incredible amount of skill and he also has the athleticism and body type to play other sports and be competitive.

5.) Bo Jackson - He was an all-star in both football and baseball. He considered football to be his hobby sport and ended up with a Heisman and a career average of 5.4 yards per carry in the NFL. He hit .250 with 141 home runs and 415 RBI's.

4.) Jim Brown - The best running back in NFL history, got offered to play for the Yankees, averaged 38 ppg for his high school basketball team, lettered in basketball at Syracuse, and could have boxed professionally upon retiring.

3.) Muhammad Ali - He showcased some unreal athletic ability as a boxer, having world class foot speed, agility, stamina, and lateral quickness: all things that are crucial to the other major sports. Ali could have thrived playing football or basketball. Instead he will go down as the greatest boxer of all time.

2.) Jim Thorpe - Phenomenal college football player (he has the Thorpe Award named after him for best defensive back), won the decathlon and pentathlon in the 1912 Olympics, won three unofficial NFL titles by playing defensive back, running back, and kicker, and played 6 seasons of major league baseball with a career .252 average.

1.) Michael Jordan - He was the greatest basketball player in history and had a fierce competitive edge that would have made him thrive in other sports. Everyone points to his "failure" in baseball as a reason not to have him here, but in his first season he hit .202, had 50 RBI's and 30 stolen bases. Not bad for not having played baseball in years. Not to mention he is an excellent golfer.

Honorable Mention: LeBron James, Barry Sanders, Pele, Michael Johnson, Michael Phelps, and Candace Parker.