With a little down time just a fun question?

[Don]

Syracuse has had a number of football players who were very successful in other sports many while still being in college and some after they left the school.

So who in your opinion had the best athletic career (success)either at cuse or after they left football?

Obviously Jim Brown will come up because of Lacrosse.

My nominee is also a guy that really doesn't get enough credit for being the really great running back he was here and after mostly in the AFL. But fullback pounder Jim Nance was also the NCAA wrestling champ a couple of times. When he was in high school in PA they had to invent a weight class just for him. He was a dam good pro running back and is the only old AFL player to rush for more than 1400 yards in a season .

Now just because there are several wrestling fans here for a guy who wasn't a great football player Mike Rotunda was a dam good college wrestler. However his career highlight would be after he left Syracuse on to pro wrestling as IRS .

Give some of your picks or thoughts.

 

[wooddoc]

I was going to say Nance, too. I met him at a wrestling match at the War Memorial - I think it might have been the state meet - either late '60s or early '70s. He was huge. Yeah, I'd say Jim Nance.

 

[Mareiniss]

Syracuse has had a number of football players who were very successful in other sports many while still being in college and some after they left the school. So who in your opinion had the best athletic career (success) either at cuse or after they left football? ...

A recent example of a SU football player who was very successful in another sport is Ben Honis, who was an All-American D-1 wrestler at Cornell. He’s obviously not on the same level as Jim Brown or Jim Nance, but not chopped liver, either.

 

[rhcuse]

Larry Csonka went on to be quite the outdoorsman...I know, I know, it’s an activity and not a sport. Just passing on more fullback love.

 

[dessu]

My first thought was Jim Nance. However, try a Google search on Vic Hanson.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

For a lacrosse player, Scott Schwedes had a good NFL career.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Dave Guisti played basketball for 2 seasons, and had a pretty good MLB career, including a WS title. Plus, picthed in the college WS for SU. (Who knew?)

Dave Giusti Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More | Baseball-Reference.com

Check out the latest Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More of Dave Giusti. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, draft status, bats, throws, school and more on Baseball-reference.com

www.baseball-reference.com

 

[SUFaninNJ]

For a lacrosse player, Scott Schwedes had a good NFL career.

Scott was my first thought. He was a high school AA. If I remember correctly, he wanted to play both at SU, but Coach Mac wouldn’t let him. It seemed to work out ok for him.

McNabb had some fun playing hoops for Cuse during the ‘96 run.

 

[CuseLegacy]

A recent example of a SU football player who was very successful in another sport is Ben Honis, who was an All-American D-1 wrestler at Cornell. He’s obviously not on the same level as Jim Brown or Jim Nance, but not chopped liver, either.

https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/April/20/Ben-Honis-joins-Pennsylvania-RTC