I have always been fascinated by things that great players have done that are a bit off the path from what made them most famous to us, and recently elected Denver Broncos Ring of Fame member John Lynch is carries some elements of those uncommon paths.
Check out the best photos of John Lynch, a 2020 finalist for selection into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Denver Broncos held a press conference at their Dove Valley facility to announce the signing of John Lynch.
The Denver Broncos held a press conference at their Dove Valley facility to announce the signing of John Lynch.
The Denver Broncos held a press conference at their Dove Valley facility to announce the signing of John Lynch.
John Lynch and Champ Bailey chat before the start of the game during the preseason NFL game against the Washington Redskins on August 9, 2004 at Fawcett Stadium in Canton, Ohio.
John Lynch moves in to make a play during the preseason NFL game against the Buffalo Bills on August 15, 2004 at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, New York.
John Lynch drops back into pass coverage during the NFL game against the Kansas City Chiefs on September 12, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch heads into the locker room before the start of the pre game ceremonies during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on September 26, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch runs onto the field during the player introductions during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on September 26, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado. (motion blur effect)
John Lynch surveys the line of scrimmage during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on September 26, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
Al Wilson and John Lynch converge to stop a Chargers ball carrier during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on September 26, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch runs onto the field during the player introductions during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on September 26, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch at his safety position during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 3, 2004 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
John Lynch stuffs Mike Alstott during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 3, 2004 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
John Lynch stuffs Mike Alstott during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 3, 2004 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
John Lynch can''t hide his emotions after his new team defeated his old team in Tampa Bay during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 3, 2004 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Denver Bronco safety John Lynch is nearly brought to tears after fans in Tampa Bay applauded the former 11 year Buccaneer veteran as he left the field Sunday night during the NFL game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 3, 2004 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
John Lynch greets ex-Buccaneers teammate Warren Sapp after the game during the NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on October 17, 2004 at Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland, California.
John Lynch moves in to make a play during the NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on October 25, 2004 at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Images of John Lynch taken for the cover story for Broncos Gameday Magazine.
John Lynch and Donnie Spragan during the NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on November 28, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch during the NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on November 28, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch during the NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on November 28, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch and Kelly Herndon during the NFL game against the Oakland Raiders on November 28, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch helps up Drew Brees during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on December 5, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
John Lynch sacks Drew Brees during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on December 5, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
John Lynch and Drew Brees during the NFL game against the San Diego Chargers on December 5, 2004 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California.
John Lynch during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on December 12, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch pressures AJ Feeley during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on December 12, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on December 12, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
John Lynch makes a tackle. 12/12/2004
Denver Broncos 20 vs. Miami Dolphins 17
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium
Denver, CO
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
John Lynch sacks AJ Feeley for a loss. 12/12/2004
Denver Broncos 20 vs. Miami Dolphins 17
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium
Denver, CO
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
during the NFL game against the Miami Dolphins on December 12, 2004 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
Jake Plummer celebrates the Broncos victory with John Lynchduring the NFL game against the Tennessee Titans on December 25, 2004 at The Coliseum in Nashville, Tennessee.
John Lynch flattens Dallas Clark with a huge hit. Lynch was later fined $75,000 for this illegal hit. 01/02/2005
Denver Broncos 33 vs. Indianapolis Colts 14
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium
Denver, CO
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
John Lynch makes a one-handed tackle. 01/02/2005
Denver Broncos 33 vs. Indianapolis Colts 14
Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium
Denver, CO
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
John Lynch greets Peyton Manning during the opening coin toss during the NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts on January 2, 2005 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado.
08/27/05: Denver Broncos 37 vs Indianapolis Colts 24 pre season game at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO.
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
08/27/05: Denver Broncos 37 vs Indianapolis Colts 24 pre season game at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO.
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
02 September 2005: Denver Broncos VS. Arizona Cardinals Sun Devil Stadium Tempe, AZ Trevor Brown, Jr./Rich Clarkson & Associates.
11 Sept 2005: Denver Broncos 10 @ Miami Dolphins 34
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
18 September 2005: The Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers player at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. The Broncos defeated the Chargers 20-17. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
18 September 2005 Invesco Field at Mile High Denver, CO Denver Broncos vs. San Diego Chargers Denver 20, San Diego 17 Trevor Brown, Jr./Rich Clarkson & Associates.
26 Sept 2005: Denver Broncos 30 vs. Kansas City Chiefs 10
Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
09/26/05: The Denver Broncos defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 30-10 on a monday night match up at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO.Sep
02 OCT 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 20-7 at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, FL.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
09 OCT 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the Washington Redskins 21-19 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
16 October 2005: The Denver Broncos defeat the New England Patriots 28-20 at Invesco Field at Mile High. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
16 October 2005: The Denver Broncos defeat the New England Patriots 28-20 at Invesco Field at Mile High. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
16 October 2005: Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots Denver 28, New England 20. Invesco Field at Mile High Trevor Brown, Jr./Rich Clarkson and Associates
Denver Broncos vs. New York Giants Giants Stadium East Rutherford, NJ 23-OCT-2005 CREDIT: Trevor Brown, Jr/Rich Clarkson and Associates
30 October 2005: The Denver Broncos defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 49-21 at Invesco Field at Mile High. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
30 OCT 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 49-21 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Justin Tafoya/Rich Clarkson and Associates
30 OCT 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 49-21 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
20 NOV 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the New York Jets 27-0 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
24 NOV 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the Dallas Cowboys 24-21 in overtime on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas, TX.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
31 DEC 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-7 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
31 DEC 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-7 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
31 DEC 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-7 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
31 DEC 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-7 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
31 DEC 2005: The Denver Broncos defeated the San Diego Chargers 23-7 at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA.
Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the New England Patriots at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the New England Patriots at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 27-13 in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. The Broncos victory advanced them to the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 27-13 in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. The Broncos victory advanced them to the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots 27-13 in the AFC Divisional Playoff at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. The Broncos victory advanced them to the AFC Championship against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
14 JAN 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patritos in the AFC Divisional Playoff Game at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO.
Photo: Justin Tafoya/Rich Clarkson and Associates
HONOLULU - FEBRUARY 12: Champ Bailey #24 of the Denver Broncos National Football Conference NFC All-Stars runs back an intercepted pass at the 2006 NFL Pro Bowl at Aloha Stadium on February 12, 2006 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The NFC defeated the AFC 23-17. (Photo by Paul Spinelli/Getty Images) * Local Caption* Champ Bailey
17 SEPT 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC
17 SEPT 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the Kansas City Chiefs at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC
24 SEPT 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC
09 OCT 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the Baltimore Ravens at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC
2006 OCT 09: The Denver Broncos defeated the Baltimore Ravens 13-3 during the NFL Monday Night football game at Invesco Field in Denver, CO. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
15 OCT 2006: The Denver Broncos take on the Oakland Raiders at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Photo: Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC
20061015: The Denver Broncos defeated the Oakland Raiders 13-3 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates
12 November 2006: The Denver Broncos play the Oakland Raiders in week 10 NFL action at McAfee Coliseum in Oakland, CA. Trevor Brown, Jr./Rich Clarkson & Associates, LLC
2006 NOV 19: The Denver Broncos were defeated by the San Diego Chargers 35-27 at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver, CO. Photo: Ryan McKee/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
2006 DEC 17: The Denver Broncos deafeated the Arizona Cardinals 37-20 at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ. Photo: Eric Lars Bakke/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
24 DEC 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-23 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
24 DEC 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-23 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
24 DEC 2006: The Denver Broncos defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 24-23 at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Jamie Schwaberow/Rich Clarkson and Associates, LLC.
24 December 2006: The Denver Broncos play the Cincinnati Bengals in week 16 NFL action at Invesco Field at Mile High in Denver, CO. Trevor Brown, Jr./Rich Clarkson & Associates, LLC.
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Denver Bronco safety John Lynch and teammates bring down Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson behind the line of scrimmage.
Denver Broncos in action against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium September 9, 2007
Denver Broncos in action against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Invesco Field September 23, 2007
Denver Bronco safety John Lynch and the defensive corp stops Green Bay running back Deshaun Wynn on the Green Bay one yard line in first half action at Invesco Field.
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He has been a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame the last three years, and hopefully this is the year he gets into Canton, but what draws my eye in this column is that Lynch played professional baseball briefly, which is unusual but not entirely uncommon among NFL players.
There are other previously elected Pro Football Hall of Famers who have baseball backgrounds, and I thought we might look at them, as well as at Lynch's unique two-sport position.
- Executive Vice President of Football Operations/General Manager John Elway was drafted and signed by the New York Yankees, and he played the 1982 baseball season for the Oneonta Yankees in the New York-Penn League.
- NFL founder George Halas, who had a legendary career as player, coach and owner of the Chicago Bears, once played 12 games as an outfielder for the New York Yankees in 1919, although a hip injury ended his baseball career and helped lead to the founding of the most popular league in the most popular sport in American history.
- Even before Halas there was Jim Thorpe, who was by all accounts one of the greatest athletes in history, and some still regard him as the single greatest athlete ever.
Thorpe won gold medals in both the pentathlon and decathlon in the 1912 Olympics, but had his medals taken away because he had played minor league baseball while in college. A great man, Bob Wheeler, former public relations director for Monday Night Football, led the successful drive to get Thorpe's medals returned to his family.
Thorpe signed with the New York Giants in baseball in 1913 and played three seasons for them before moving on, last playing professional baseball in 1922.
- There is only one man ever who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Baseball Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame, and that is the legendary Cal Hubbard.
Most fans today would not have heard of Hubbard, which is understandable, but he has been described as the best tackle in football history (by fellow Hall of Famer Mel Hein) in a career than spanned from 1927-36.
Hubbard was a fascinating man, a beast on the field but cerebral off it, who had first umpired baseball in his teens, well before he ever went to college to play football.
So it was logical -- for him -- to return to baseball after his NFL career ended, and he was a major league umpire from 1936-51, then served as supervisor of officials until 1969.
It is hard to imagine anyone ever matching Hubbard's feat of being in the halls of fame of both baseball and football, but that brings us back to Lynch, who has an accomplishment that is unique as well.
He has a baseball/football connection that is one of a kind. Of course, it would be premature to say that Lynch will make the Hall of Fame, although many consider him highly qualified and hope it happens soon.
But he already has his pro baseball jersey in the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Like Elway, Lynch also played baseball at Stanford, and he too was drafted by a major league baseball team, in his case the Florida (now Miami) Marlins.
Lynch had the kind of distinction that can only happen once.
When baseball expands, the teams actually have their minor league teams play before the major league team begins, as they must begin the process of developing young players. That was the background that led to John Lynch being the starting pitcher and throwing the first pitch for the Florida Marlins organization. It came in 1992 with Lynch as a member of the Erie team in the New York-Penn League.
He also pitched in 1993 for the Marlins' Kane County team and had a combined two-year record of 1-3 with an outstanding 2.35 earned run average.
So John Lynch did not have a baseball career as long as many others, but he is one of only thirty players to have thrown out the first pitch in the history of a major league organization, and the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum put his Erie jersey on display as a result.
And that gives Lynch, one of the great safeties in pro football history, a one-of-a-kind place in baseball history as well.
