What NFL Player Also Won A Pro Golf Tournament?

What NFL Player Also Won A Pro Golf Tournament?

With the SuperBowl in play tonight, I wondered how many NFL players also managed to win a pro golf tournament. I knew of one, but thought a little research might turn up another.

As far as I can tell, there’s just the one: John Brodie

Brodie was picked third by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1957 NFL draft. He retired a 49er in 1973. During that time, he amassed 31, 548 passing yards. He was the league’s MVP in 1970, twice named to the pro bowl and led the NFL in passing yards in 1965, 1968 and 1970. He won two playoff games, but never appeared in a Superbowl.

After his NFL career, Brody competed on the Senior PGA TOUR (Champions Tour) from 1985 to 1998. He won the Security Pacific Senior Classic in 1991 in a playoff against George Archer and Chi Chi Rodriguez. Brody was 56 at the time.

Brody’s golf career was no afterthought. He was a two-sport athlete at Stanford, playing both football and golf.

While he did not play professional football, Hale Irwin was another two sport athlete in college. Irwin was a two-time All Big Eight defensive back at Colorado, and won the NCAA Championship in golf in his senior year (1967).

Irwin had 20 PGA TOUR wins, including three US Open victories (1974, 1979 and 1990).

On a somewhat related note, MLB outfielder Sam Byrd has the distinction of being the only person to play in both a World Series and the Masters.

Byrd played for the Yankees from 1929 – 1934 and the Reds from 1935 – 1936. He had a lifetime .274 batting average with 220 RBI. He played with the Yankees in the 1932 World Series.

Throughout his baseball career, Byrd was reputed to be the best golfer in the pros. He became an assistant pro at Philadelphia Country Club in 1937. Ultimately, Byrd won six times on the PGA TOUR. He played his first Masters in 1940. His best finishes in the Majors was third in the Masters in 1941 and 2nd in the PGA Championship in 1945.

Of course, there are a lot of pro athletes in other sports who dabble in golf both during and after their primary playing careers. John Smoltz, for example, carries a plus handicap and has played in several tournaments. Tiger once called Smoltz the best golfer he has seen outside the PGA TOUR. Steph Curry has had good results in several pro-am tournaments.