BleedGopher
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per Marcus:
On a June day in 1973, Dave Winfield and the Gophers were gearing up for baseball’s College World Series when the coaches announced the San Diego Padres had selected him fourth overall in the MLB Draft.
“That was my hope and dream” to play professional baseball, Winfield said. “But it wasn’t like everybody sitting at home and getting ready to watch the draft show.”
The Padres joined the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the ABA’s Utah Stars in selecting the St. Paul native for a pro sports future.
All within six months.
Only five other athletes have been drafted in three sports. Winfield is the only one to be selected by four pro teams.
A relatively unknown Gophers baseball star, powerfully built at 6-6 and 220 pounds, Winfield was selected by the hometown Vikings in the 17th round, one of the last picks that year.
“They were just drafting an athlete,” Winfield said. “They saw me perform and said, ‘We could use a tight end for Fran Tarkenton and the Purple People Eaters out there.’ I appreciated that.”
Winfield never played college football. If he had, he would’ve just missed future Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy, a U freshman in 1973. Winfield switched from a partial baseball scholarship to a full ride in basketball in 1971.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!
On a June day in 1973, Dave Winfield and the Gophers were gearing up for baseball’s College World Series when the coaches announced the San Diego Padres had selected him fourth overall in the MLB Draft.
“That was my hope and dream” to play professional baseball, Winfield said. “But it wasn’t like everybody sitting at home and getting ready to watch the draft show.”
The Padres joined the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and the ABA’s Utah Stars in selecting the St. Paul native for a pro sports future.
All within six months.
Only five other athletes have been drafted in three sports. Winfield is the only one to be selected by four pro teams.
A relatively unknown Gophers baseball star, powerfully built at 6-6 and 220 pounds, Winfield was selected by the hometown Vikings in the 17th round, one of the last picks that year.
“They were just drafting an athlete,” Winfield said. “They saw me perform and said, ‘We could use a tight end for Fran Tarkenton and the Purple People Eaters out there.’ I appreciated that.”
Winfield never played college football. If he had, he would’ve just missed future Super Bowl winning coach Tony Dungy, a U freshman in 1973. Winfield switched from a partial baseball scholarship to a full ride in basketball in 1971.
Four pro drafts in three sports 'no big deal' for St. Paul's Dave Winfield
In 1973, the Gophers baseball and basketball star was selected in the NFL, NBA, ABA and MLB drafts within a six-month span.
www.startribune.com
Go Gophers!!