Smartest athletes

In My Humble Opinion
21

Because professional sports was not prevalent in South Africa before the 90’s many cricket and rugby players went to University while playing for the provinicial teams.

Ex-SA Cricket wicketkeeper Dave Richardson is a lawyer (and still practicing), SA Rugby forward Uli “The Bully” (because of his penchant for punch ups) Scmidt was a medical doctor who had a practice during the time he played provincial and national level rugby.

Of course now with professionalism, this is no longer as prevalent as before.

22

Former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister), Jack Lynch, was an outstanding gaelic football and hurling player. I think he is the only player to win six All-Irelands in a row (1941-44 in hurling, 1945 in football and 1946 in hurling). This might not seem any big deal but trust me, it’s massive in Ireland.

Point taken about the dangers of equating intelligence with politics, however.

Also, media tycoon Tony O’Reilly was one of Ireland’s greatest ever rugby players.

23

the average IQ of a pro soccer player is actually 115, which kinda indicates you need some brains to be good.

24

RickJay writes:

> Berg earned an undergraduate degree from Priceton before
> making the majors; if the offseason he got a law degree
> from Princeton and did linguistics work at the Sorbonne.

His law degree was from Columbia. He did some grad work in linguistic there also.

25

Niobium Knight, I don’t think anyone can beat Socrates, the father of modern thought! :slight_smile:
…

Lurkernomore, you are correct about former Bengals DB and LSU star Tommy Cassanova. He was later an MD, and also served in the Louisiana State legislature.

…

Dignan, that former 49er TE is Dr. John Frank. He was also a football star at Ohio State in the early 80s, and had a solid NFL career:

http://ohiostatebuckeyes.fansonly.com/genrel/081498aaa.html

…

Former pro-football player and entertainer Paul Robeson really should be mentioned:

http://www.centralstate.edu/legacy/robeson/

Robeson was a professional athlete as well as an actor (was in the original film verison of Showboat, et al), singer, and a lawyer. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

…

San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson learned to read at age three, and is a piano virtuoso. I don’t know that he has many specific academic achievements other than his degree from the US Naval Academy, but FWIW he is widely considered the most articulate and intelligent player in the NBA.

26

I can’t believe no one has mentioned Mike Tyson. :wink:

27

If I remember correctly Niels Bohrs brother was both a silver medalist in soccer and a math professor. Damn, if it was Niels that was the soccer star he’d be hard to beat for a smart athlete

28

Thanks bordelond, but I was thinking of the current 49er rookie tight end that went to Yale, named Eric Johnson.

29

Alexandir Karelins

(wow, I’m finding nothing but reasons to mention the man)

30

Theoretical nuclear physisist Neils Bohr was an olympic athlete.

31

Bohr did play on Denmark’s 1908 soccer (football) team at the Olympics in London. It was the first Olympic football tournament.

Denmark won its first two games by a combined score of 26-1, but lost in the final to Great Britain 2-0.

32

I’d be interested to see a cite for this…

33

Debi Thomas, now a surgeon, was a silver medalist in figure skating.

34

I just remembered that Mark Spitz is now a dentist who goes largely unrecognized by his patients, especially the ones under 30.

It helps that at this age he looks like only a cousin of the kid who won all those gold medals. We didn’t watch him get older like, oh, Sean Connery.

35

i remember reading it in a magazine. it makes sense though, after all really mentally retarded people aint gonna be much good at football are they? so that pushes the average up a bit. then you consider the fact that to understand tactics properly you gotta be a little bit clever, and pro players are the best there are, then it really makes sense.