88 percent of NFL draft picks played multiple sports

May 4, 2015 / BasketballCoachingTrack & Field
This year’s NFL Draft provided more proof that young athletes are better off participating in more than one sport.

Sixty-three percent of NFL draft picks were track and field athletes in high school. | Photo via Superdupereditor, Wikimedia Commons
Sixty-three percent of NFL draft picks were track and field athletes in high school. | Photo via Superdupereditor, Wikimedia Commons

According to TrackingFootball.com, 224 of the 256 players chosen during the draft were multi-sport athletes in high school. Of all draftees, 63% participated in track and field, 48% played basketball and 10% played baseball.

The website also found that one-third (94 players) were three-sport athletes in high school.

Players like JJ Watt and coaches like Joe Maddon have been outspoken advocates of multi-sport participation. Many athletes today are convinced that specialization will significantly improve their skills in that particular sport, despite evidence to the contrary.


One thought on “88 percent of NFL draft picks played multiple sports”

Leave a Reply