{"id":112756,"date":"2026-01-23T14:31:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:31:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=112756"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:31:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:31:06","slug":"the-forgotten-two-sport-star-how-brian-jordan-balanced-the-nfl-and-minor-league-baseball","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/01\/23\/the-forgotten-two-sport-star-how-brian-jordan-balanced-the-nfl-and-minor-league-baseball\/","title":{"rendered":"The Forgotten Two-Sport Star: How Brian Jordan Balanced the NFL and Minor League Baseball"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-start=\"348\" data-end=\"644\">When people talk about two-sport athletes, the same names always come up.<br data-start=\"421\" data-end=\"424\" \/><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jacksbo01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bo Jackson<\/a>, an MLB All-Star and NFL Pro Bowler.<br data-start=\"475\" data-end=\"478\" \/><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/s\/sandede02.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Deion Sanders<\/a>, elite speed on the football field and the baseball diamond.<br data-start=\"556\" data-end=\"559\" \/><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/register\/player.fcgi?id=jordan001mic\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Jordan<\/a>, who paused his NBA career to chase a baseball dream in the 1990s.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"646\" data-end=\"691\">But one remarkable story is often overlooked.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"693\" data-end=\"768\"><a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/players\/j\/jordabr01.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Brian Jordan<\/a> didn\u2019t switch sports. He lived in both \u2014 at the same time.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"693\" data-end=\"768\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Unknown-2-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"286\" height=\"176\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-112763\" \/><\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"770\" data-end=\"810\">A Star at the University of Richmond<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"812\" data-end=\"1108\">Brian Jordan didn\u2019t come from a college powerhouse. He played football at the University of Richmond, starring as a hard-hitting, athletic defensive back. Despite the smaller stage, Jordan\u2019s combination of size, speed, and toughness caught the attention of scouts in two professional leagues.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1110\" data-end=\"1307\">In 1988, the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.baseball-reference.com\/teams\/STL\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">St. Louis Cardinals<\/a> selected Jordan in the first round of the MLB Draft, 30th overall. A year later, the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/teams\/buf\/index.htm\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Buffalo Bills<\/a> drafted him in the 7th round of the 1989 NFL Draft, spending a pre-season there before signing with the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.pro-football-reference.com\/teams\/atl\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Atlanta Falcons<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1309\" data-end=\"1345\">Most athletes would choose one path.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1347\" data-end=\"1365\">Jordan chose both.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"1367\" data-end=\"1432\">Playing NFL Football and Minor League Baseball Simultaneously<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"1434\" data-end=\"1595\">What separates Brian Jordan from every other two-sport athlete in history is simple \u2014 he played in the NFL while actively competing in Minor League Baseball.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1597\" data-end=\"1650\">During the early 1990s, Jordan\u2019s schedule was brutal.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1652\" data-end=\"1661\">He would:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1852\">\n<li data-start=\"1662\" data-end=\"1712\">\n<p data-start=\"1664\" data-end=\"1712\">Play NFL games on Sundays with the Falcons<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1713\" data-end=\"1739\">\n<p data-start=\"1715\" data-end=\"1739\">Take overnight flights<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1740\" data-end=\"1788\">\n<p data-start=\"1742\" data-end=\"1788\">Report to Minor League Baseball stadiums<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"1789\" data-end=\"1852\">\n<p data-start=\"1791\" data-end=\"1852\">Play outfield during the week in the Cardinals\u2019 farm system<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Unknown-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"259\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-112764\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Before fully committing to baseball, Brian Jordan carved out a notable football career with the Atlanta Falcons from 1989 to 1991, while simultaneously playing Minor League Baseball. Despite the extreme physical and scheduling challenges of balancing two pro sports, Jordan made a real impact on the gridiron. Over 36 NFL games, he started 30, recorded five career interceptions for 17 return yards, and contributed as a reliable defensive back and special teams player.<\/p>\n<p>Notably, he led the Falcons in tackles in 1991 and was named an alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl that season\u2014 a significant recognition given his split focus between football and baseball.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1854\" data-end=\"1980\">There was no offseason. Football punished his body. Baseball demanded perfect timing. Jordan gave both sports full commitment.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1982\" data-end=\"2072\">No athlete before or since has pulled off that overlap. Not Bo Jackson. Not Deion Sanders.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2074\" data-end=\"2092\">Only Brian Jordan.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2094\" data-end=\"2134\">Choosing Baseball \u2014 and Breaking Out<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"2136\" data-end=\"2263\">Eventually, Jordan made the decision to leave football and focus entirely on baseball. Once he did, the results were immediate.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2136\" data-end=\"2263\">When Jordan finally committed to baseball, he didn\u2019t just survive \u2014 he thrived. He became a three-time All-Star, a Silver Slugger, and a middle-of-the-order bat on playoff teams. He earned major contracts in an era when teams paid only proven stars. His success wasn\u2019t theoretical. It was earned, season after season, pitch by pitch.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2265\" data-end=\"2522\">He reached the majors in 1992, but his breakout season came in 1996, when he hit .310 with 17 home runs and 104 RBIs. That performance earned him his first MLB All-Star selection and established him as a legitimate middle-of-the-order force.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2524\" data-end=\"2640\">The Cardinals rewarded him with a five-year, $27 million contract in 1997, one of the largest deals of that era.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2642\" data-end=\"2795\">Later,<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2021\/02\/21\/atlanta-braves-by-decade-2000s-part-one\/\" target=\"_self\"> after being traded to the Atlanta Braves<\/a>, Jordan signed a six-year, $42 million contract, becoming a key contributor on a perennial contender.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"2797\" data-end=\"2830\">A Long, Productive MLB Career<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2026\/01\/Unknown.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"183\" height=\"276\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-112760\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2832\" data-end=\"2921\">Brian Jordan went on to enjoy a 15-year Major League Baseball career, finishing with:<\/p>\n<ul data-start=\"2923\" data-end=\"3025\">\n<li data-start=\"2923\" data-end=\"2942\">\n<p data-start=\"2925\" data-end=\"2942\">184 home runs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2943\" data-end=\"2957\">\n<p data-start=\"2945\" data-end=\"2957\">821 RBIs<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2958\" data-end=\"2993\">\n<p data-start=\"2960\" data-end=\"2993\">Three MLB All-Star selections<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li data-start=\"2994\" data-end=\"3025\">\n<p data-start=\"2996\" data-end=\"3025\">Two Silver Slugger Awards<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p data-start=\"3027\" data-end=\"3135\">Not bad for a player who once tackled NFL running backs on Sundays and hit cleanup in the minor leagues days later.<\/p>\n<h3 data-start=\"3137\" data-end=\"3171\">An Underrated Two-Sport Legend<\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"3173\" data-end=\"3301\">Brian Jordan never chased headlines or hype. His story is about durability, sacrifice, and doing the impossible without fanfare.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1600\" data-end=\"1831\">In the conversation about <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2020\/03\/24\/best-multi-sport-athletes-mlb-history\/\" target=\"_self\">America\u2019s greatest two-sport athletes<\/a>, Brian Jordan belongs in the room. Not as a footnote. Not as a \u201cwhat if.\u201d But as a reminder that some of the hardest achievements don\u2019t come with the loudest applause.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1833\" data-end=\"1945\">He didn\u2019t chase the spotlight. He carried two careers until one demanded everything \u2014 and then he delivered.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1947\" data-end=\"2000\" data-is-last-node=\"\" data-is-only-node=\"\">That\u2019s not just a two-sport story.<br data-start=\"1981\" data-end=\"1984\" \/>That\u2019s a legacy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When people talk about two-sport athletes, the same names always come up.Bo Jackson, an MLB All-Star and NFL Pro Bowler.Deion Sanders, elite speed on the football field and the baseball diamond.Michael Jordan, who paused his NBA career to chase a baseball dream in the 1990s. But one remarkable story is often overlooked. Brian Jordan didn\u2019t [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5710,"featured_media":112762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"670","footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,926,1071],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-112756","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-featured","category-milb","category-mlb"],"modified_by":"Eddie Lennon, Staff Writer","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112756","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5710"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=112756"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112756\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112761,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/112756\/revisions\/112761"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/112762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=112756"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=112756"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=112756"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}