Athletes aren't a whole lot different from regular, hard-working, folks. Aside from the millions of dollars they earn, and glitzy lifestyles some of them choose to live, not all of them spend their lives focused on excelling in their respective sports.When some of them aren't working, they are cultivating and/or maintaining hobbies that require unique—and sometimes weird—talents.
Here are 10 from the past and present with whom you may be familiar.
1. Herschel Walker — Ballet: If you've watched Celebrity Apprentice, then you probably already know that Walker's talents go far beyond just football. At the tender age of 47, the 1982 Heisman Trophy winner won his first MMA fight at Strikeforce: Miami. He also participated in the two-man bobsled in the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville and has a fifth-degree black belt in tae kwon do. His most surprising talent, however, is ballet, something that supplemented his gracefulness on the field as he dodged defenders. He studied it for a decade, danced in the Fort Worth Ballet and says it was one of the hardest things he has done. Walker is a classic case of "don't judge a book by its cover."
2. Jack McDowell — Guitar: McDowell, the 1993 AL Cy Young Award winner, doesn't just play the guitar as a hobby — it's been his livelihood since he retired from baseball in 1999. He honed his skills during the off-seasons of his playing career, forming the band V.I.E.W. in the early 1990s, which eventually became Stickfigure. A Colorado record company picked up the band in 2002, and McDowell and fellow members travel the country performing at small clubs. McDowell has transitioned from using an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar, and he says that his newest craft is an ongoing learning experience.
3. Wayman Tisdale — Bass: The late Wayman Tisdale was a three-time All-American at Oklahoma, member of the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, second overall draft pick and 12-year NBA veteran whose true passion was music. As a youngster, he played the bass guitar at his father's church, and he never neglected playing it even though basketball brought him fame and glory. He released his first album in 1995 while he was still playing, and would go on to release seven more — most notably, his 2001 album Face to Face reached No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. Tisdale died in 2009 just before he was scheduled to work with jazz guitarist Norman Brown on a project.
4. Curt Schilling — Gaming: It's well-documented that the latest generation of athletes loves its video games. Although Schilling, a three-time World Series champion, is now retired and has more worthwhile activities in which to participate, such as politics, he has undertaken the development and promotion of a role-playing game Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. With more than three decades gaming experience, avidly playing Ultima and EverQuest, he seems to know what makes an entertaining game.
5. Martina Hingis — Show Jumping: During her illustrious tennis career that was accompanied with bits of controversy, Hingis spent 209 weeks as World No. 1, won five Grand Slam singles titles, won nine Grand Slam women's doubles titles and earned more than $20 million. Although she's no longer playing at the highest level, she still maintains her competitive spirit, participating in show jumping events. The sport isn't new to her — even when she burst onto the international tennis scene as a teenager, she found time to ride. It has been such a part of her life that she's now engaged to a fellow show jumper, Frenchman Thibault Hutin, who's six years her junior.
6. Todd Marinovich — Painting: Every football fan knows the name Todd Marinovich. Raised by his father to be the perfect quarterback, personal problems ultimately derailed his promising professional football career. Today, he's painting, drawing and sculpting — activities that his mother exposed him to when he was a child. Like many talented artists, his turbulent life serves as inspiration for his work, which he's commissioned to create.
7. Chad Brown — Herpetology: In 1997, Brown became the then-highest paid linebacker in NFL history, signing a six-year, $24 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks. The extra money enabled him to expand his fascination with reptiles — hence his talent in herpetology — and likely upgrade his Colorado reptile emporium, Pro Exotics, which he know operates full-time. According to its website, it's "pushing the accepted standards of reptile breeding, sales, quality, and husbandry to previously unachieved heights," a lofty undertaking for the former Pro Bowler.
8. Calvin Murphy — Baton Twirling: On the court, Murphy was a tenacious scorer who was as tough as nails, an absolute necessity given his short stature of just 5'9. But those who watched him and played against him were surprised to discover he was a competitive baton twirler off the court. He won a national championship in the sport as a teenager in 1963, and performed at Buffalo Bills games for four years. Even though he quit twirling as kid due to peer pressure, he credits it with giving him confidence, which, as people who've watched him play and commentate in Houston know, he certainly doesn't lack.
9. Deron Williams — Cliff Diving: A video circulated around the internet during last offseason showing Deron Williams doing his best impersonation of the La Quebrada Cliff Divers. More impressive than the guts required for him to plunge off of a cliff — even a small one — is the full back flip he performs. It was well-execute enough to make Greg Louganis smile and members of the Utah Jazz organization — now his former team — collectively hold their breaths.
10. Bob Uecker — Acting: Baseball was probably Uecker's true "side talent," but he'll readily admit that his talent in the sport was limited relative to his major league peers. He hit a paltry .200 during his six-year career and was more of a defensive specialist, though he led the majors in passed balls — thanks to knuckleballer Phil Niekro — in his final season. Today, he's recognized as a legendary broadcaster who most notably played the Indians humorous, self-effacing play-by-play man — basically himself — in Major League. He also played George Owens in the 1980s sitcom Mr. Belvedere, and parlayed his fame to more than 100 appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
(This post is offered via courtesy of bestcollegesonline.net)
