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Meet Bud Grant—the only player ever to play in NBA and NFL
Bud Grant (via Getty Images)
It takes a rare feat for anyone to switch leagues. Mastering two is unheard of. But Bud Grant didn't attempt to try his hand at both
football
and basketball—he went on to play in the
NBA
and
NFL
, making him the lone athlete in history to actually play in both leagues.
His athletic ability was so diverse that upon graduation from college, he was drafted by both the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles and the NBA's Minneapolis Lakers.
Bud Grant's journey from NBA to NFL
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant Jr. blazed a trail that no one has yet followed. He was born in 1927 and was a standout in high school and at the University of Minnesota in football, basketball, and baseball. Opting for closeness over compensation, Bud Grant signed with the Minneapolis Lakers, a home team with a familiar face as GM.
He spent two seasons of pro basketball, even claiming an NBA championship in 1950, albeit while averaging a paltry 2.6 points per contest.
A transition to football—and immediate NFL prosperity
In 1951, Bud Grant did a spectacular turnaround. He phoned the Philadelphia Eagles, the same team that drafted him initially, and requested a spot in the NFL. The Eagles took him back, and Grant didn't waste any time showing that he belonged.
The Only Player To Crossover From NBA To NFL | #nfl #nba
As a rookie, he was used as a defensive end and unofficial team sack leader—albeit no one kept that statistic at the time.
By his second year, he had moved to wide receiver, piling up 997 receiving yards, the second-best in the league.
After the Eagles declined to offer him a raise, Grant migrated north to play for the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers. In 1967, he returned to the U.S. to become an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings, where he led the team to four Super Bowl berths and became an NFL icon.
Bud Grant died in 2023, just short of age 96, but his legacy was unscathed. While many have participated in several sports, he's the only player to officially be in both the NBA and NFL—and take home a championship as well.
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In an age of specialization, Grant's career is a reminder that some players actually do manage everything—and then coach for almost 30 years to boot.
Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
