Celebrating 5 Veterans Who Are Also Professional Athletes

PHOTO: Unsplash

(Podcast length - 3:29 mins)

In honor of Veterans Day, we salute our athlete veterans and say thank you for your service to all our veterans.


Transcript

1. MLB (Major League Baseball) legend Ted Williams' put his hall of fame career on hold for three years of military service. In the middle of his 19-year baseball career, he opted out of baseball and into the Navy for three years. During his assignment to the Marine Corps, his piloting skills were as revered as his ability to swing a baseball bat. In 1952, he missed part of the season when he was called up to fight in the Korean War. He returned home and finished his historic career in 1960. SOARED TO NEW HEIGHTS

 

2. Pat Tillman is likely this generation's most notable veteran. He walked away from a successful career with the Arizona Cardinals (NFL – National Football League) to join the Army after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. His brother joined the Army as well. Pat served with the Army Rangers until he tragically lost his life in action in 2004. TRUE LEADER 

 

3. Before offensive lineman Alejandro Villanueva played for the Baltimore Ravens (NFL), he went to West Point and served as an Army Ranger Captain until 2015. He has had quite an impressive football career since then. Villanueva is one of the few active professional athletes that are veterans.  BRAVERY ABOUNDS

 

4. Before Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in baseball with the Brooklyn Dodgers (MLB), he was drafted into the Army during World War II. While he never served overseas, he spent time at Fort Hood and Camp Breckinridge in Kentucky, where he served as an athletic coach. DEDICATED

5. Legendary "Coach K" - Mike Krzyzewski (pronounced Sha-chef-ski) - played basketball at West Point and served as a field artillery liaison to the infantry in the early 1970s at Camp Pelham. After his military career, he began coaching and was the basketball coach at West Point before leaving to coach the Duke basketball team. Krzyzewski, who also coached Team U.S.A., is the most successful coach in men's college basketball history and was inducted into the basketball hall of fame. Coach K will retire after the 2021-22 basketball season. SUCCESS AT ALL LEVELS
 

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