Jeff Samardzija Playing Minor League Baseball- Not Football

You might remember Jeff Samardzija from his football days at Notre Dame. He was one of Brady Quinn’s favorite targets, a wide receiver with size, strength and just enough speed to catch over 170 passes in his college career. There were some who said that he would make a good NFL football player, perhaps even go in the first round of the draft. But Jeff Samardzija was also a great baseball player, and so upon his graduation form Notre Dame, he decided to go pro, playing minor league baseball. One day he hopes to get to the Big Show, but for now he’s just one of many good-but-waiting-for-that-big-opportunity-to-shine minor league prospects. He plays for the Double-A Tennessee Smokies (affiliate of the Chicago Cubs). Pete Prisco of CBSsports.com has a fine article about how Jeff has handled being known for his Notre Dame football career more than his baseball prowess.

This reminds me of Adam Dunn, the huge, long ball-hitting outfielder for the Cincinnati Reds. Dunn was a quarterback for Nebraska when he was in college, and, like Jeff Samardzija, he might have gone in the first round of the NFL Draft. Instead, he chose a MLB career, which has worked out great. He currently makes $13 million dollars to swing the bat a few times a day. For Samardzija, that kind of money is a ways off, but he’s still going to follow his dream in the sport he wants to play.

To get Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football tickets, go to StubHub.com.

Posted in General on May 6, 2008

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