K.J. Hill, C.J. O'Grady, and J.J. Watt have more in common than using initials in their names.
All three played more than one sport in high school, which makes them throwbacks in an age of specialization and year-round training.
Even Bo Jackson, one of the greatest multi-sport athletes, said in an interview four years ago that focusing on one sport increases an athlete's chance of success beyond high school. I wouldn't want to argue with Bo Jackson, especially to his face, but coaches and scouts at the highest levels still value multi-sport athletes and recent statistics prove it.
In 2014, 85 percent of the football players who signed Division I scholarships played more than one sport in high school. ESPN also found in a survey of 128 former and current NFL quarterbacks that 95 percent played more than one sport in high school and 70 percent played three sports.
Watt, the defensive player of the year in the NFL, argues against the trend toward specialization for high school and even junior high athletes.
"Single-sport specialization amongst youth today is troubling," Watt posted on his Twitter page. "Let kids be kids. They'll become better all-around athletes & have more fun."
Of course, not everyone is as talented as guys like Watt and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, who was drafted in the fourth round (140th pick overall) by the Colorado Rockies in 2010. But high school players who'd like to pursue other sports shouldn't be pressured by their coaches and parents who prefer they stick to one sport.
"I've always thought it's important to play multiple sports," said Springdale High football coach Zak Clark, who was a football and baseball player at Fayetteville High School. "There's many reasons--not the least is overuse injuries due to playing one sport year-round. I think a kid should play as many sports as possible and playing time will determine when he needs to cut that sport. For me it was basketball. I love the sport, but I knew after my sophomore year it was time to quit."
Most coaches I know are fine with their athletes playing other sports as long as they are contributing to the secondary sport. If not, they'd rather have them in off-season training.
The biggest conflict I see is during the summer when an athlete might have to choose between playing in a baseball game or participating in a summer 7-on-7 session for football. Reasonable people usually work things out, but time management can become an issue when trying to juggle more than one sport.
"There's no question it is more difficult now than when I was growing up," Clark said. "Each sport requires a lot more time. A kid really has to make a decision and find time to get in the weight room, keep up with class work, etc."
Limiting his talents to one sport nearly cost Jeremy Parnell millions of dollars. Parnell was a basketball player at Gosnell who accepted a scholarship to Ole Miss. He hadn't considered football at Ole Miss until his senior year, when he was prompted by former Rebels head coach Houston Nutt to try out for the team.
"Houston Nutt said I had a million dollar body," Parnell said about his transition to football. "There was a process. I remember when I couldn't even get in a three-point stance."
Parnell was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New Orleans Saints before landing a steady job as a backup lineman for the Dallas Cowboys. Last week, Parnell's decision to try football paid off big time when he signed a five-year, $32 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fans attending the Class 7A state tournament last week got to see two Division I football signees, Hill and O'Grady, on the court helping their basketball teams. Hill played especially well against Springdale Har-Ber, when he scored 20 points.
No one expects a return to the days of Jim Thorpe, who played professional football and baseball in addition to winning Olympic gold medals in track and field. But it is refreshing to see guys who still play for the love of athletics, their community, and, especially, their school.
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Reach Rick Fires by email at [email protected] or on Twitter @NWARick.
Sports on 03/18/2015