how did Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson maintain their college eligibility in football while getting paid to play summer ball for MLB farm teams? This could help the future Reggie Bushs and Cam Newtons of the world. You know the answer to this one...coach.
The NCAA used to have rules against this. Neither Bo Jackson nor Deion Sanders started playing minor league baseball till the spring after their last year of college football. Both were drafted out of high school and chose to go to college to play both sports. Bo had a huge junior year in baseball at Auburn, but couldn't play minor league that summer. He obviously wanted to come back for his senior year, where he won the Heisman. And Deion played baseball, football and ran track at FSU. I guess one day he played a doubleheader, while running a 4 by 100 relay in between games.
Both these guys could have played pro ball but it would have ruined their college eligibilty for football and other sports. Back in the 80's, a div 1 scholorship athlete wasn't even allowed to have a job, let alone play another pro sport. I'm not sure when the rules changed but in the late 90's was when you saw it start to happen. I know Ricky Williams played some minor league for the Phillies the summer before his Heisman winning senior season. And Chris Weinke was able to come back to FSU after a 6 year minor league career. Akili Smith did the same at Oregon, after playing in the Pirates organization.
There was a running back for the Browns, not sure which one, who played some minor league baseball to make some money while still in college. This guy didn't play high school baseball, and was only picked up because he was a great athlete. I remember in an interview he said his manager told him to bunt, and ha had to ask what bunt meant. So if a guy like that could do it, the future Bushes and Newtons could too. But unless you were a great high school baseball player, you don't get a big bonus, and you salary is very small. And if you haven't played baseball much before, it would take a lot of hard work to be able to stay on a team no matter how good of an athlete you are.
