Opinion: Ranking the Top 5 Athletes to come out of Arizona
No. 1 - Michael Bates
To me, this one is a no-brainer. Not only is it challenging to go pro in one sport, let alone two, and that is exactly what Michael Bates did. A local standout athlete at Amphitheatre High School in Tucson, AZ, Bates was a two-sport star who eventually accepted a scholarship to the University of Arizona.
Playing both Football and participating in Track & Field at Arizona, Michael cemented himself as an elite athlete when he was drafted in the 6th Round of the 1992 NFL Draft as the 150th overall by the Seattle Seahawks.
Eventually going on to have a fruitful NFL career, Bates played 11 seasons between the Seahawks, Panthers, Browns, Redskins, Jets, and Cowboys, en route to earning five Pro Bowl Selections, and even making the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team while primarily being used as a return specialist.
But perhaps more impressive than his NFL career, was his Track & Field accolades. Briefly putting his NFL career on hold, Bates would participate in the 1992 Summer Olympics as an Olympic sprinter where he represented Team USA.
Competing in the Men's 200m race, Bates would place third in Barcelona with a time of 20.38 seconds. Because of this, Bates was in rare territory of not only being a two-sport star to hail from the University of Arizona but also finding success in both sports. Because of this, to me, by definition, he is the best athlete to hail from Arizona.
Anyways, these are my Top 5 Athletes from Arizona, would you have anyone different on this list? Feel free to let us know!
Next. Every Arizona Football All-American in history: Cornerback Antoine Cason. Every Arizona Football All-American in history: Cornerback Antoine Cason. dark
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