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A recent comment by one of my fellow Roarers encouraged me to take a closer look at some of our crossover athletes. While Jarryd Hayne is still fresh in the memory banks, I decided to delve a bit deeper to shine a light on every athlete who has made a big switch.
This list is full of footy players, Olympians, boxers and even movie stars!
8. Jarryd Hayne
The Hayne Plane wasn’t the first Aussie to play in the NFL, but he certainly is the first to transition from the NRL.
With a Dally M Medal, multiple representative appearances for New Souths Wales and Australia and a grand final appearance in 2009, Hayne left his beloved Eels at the end of the 2014 season to chase an American dream.
Riding the collective support of Australia, he was able to achieve the seemingly impossible by making the final 53-man roster for the San Francisco 49ers.
Things didn’t go quite to plan, and after some time he turned his attention to Fiji’s rugby sevens squad in a bid to claim Olympic Gold. That move proved to be an unfruitful one, and his career turned full circle as he landed back in the NRL via a huge deal with the Gold Coast Titans.
While his success was somewhat limited, he was still able to achieve some incredible things during his 18-month dream chase.
7. Sav Rocca
Sav Rocca was one of the first players to transition to the NFL after America caught onto the tremendous kicking ability of homegrown AFL stars.
Following stints with Collingwood and North Melbourne, Rocca transitioned to the NFL in 2007 as a 33-year-old and still holds the record for being the oldest debutant in the game.
Rocca enjoyed a solid seven-season career in the NFL as a punter, playing with the Philadelphia Eagles from 2007-2010 and then the Washington Redskins from 2011-2013 averaging 42.9 yards per punt.
In 2015 he made a return to the AFL in a part-time role as a forwards mentor for the Carlton Blues.
6. Israel Folau
Beginning his professional career in the NRL as the Dally M Rookie of the year with the Melbourne Storm, Folau set a record for the most tries in a rookie season with 21.
At the end of the season, the 18-year-old became the then youngest Australian international debutant, eclipsing Brad Fittler. Although the title would later be revoked, he won the 2007 premiership with the Storm before moving to the Broncos in 2009 for two seasons.
The subject of a bidding war, Folau made the shock switch to the AFL to become the face of the new franchise, the Greater Western Sydney Giants.
Enjoying mixed success Folau then moved onto his next challenge, transitioning into rugby union. Signing with the Waratahs in 2013, Folau became an instant sensation and has since become a stalwart in the Wallabies side as he approaches his 50th Test match.
Having conquered Australia’s major winter codes, A-League is the next logical step for Izzy!
5. Sonny Bill Williams
Sonny Bill Williams is the only Kiwi on this list, and he has certainly had an impressive career. With successful stints in league, union and boxing, Williams can be considered a triple threat.
He won a premiership in the first year of his professional career as part of the Bulldogs’ triumphant 2004 outfit.
A scandalous mid-season departure in 2008 resulted in Williams transitioning to rugby union. While he received plenty of backlash at the time, that angst has turned to adoration with the champion athlete claiming two World Cup victories in 2011 and 2015 and a highly successful stint with the New Zealand sevens.
Shortly after switching to Union, SBW also took up boxing and has been a smashing success. With seven wins from seven professional bouts, Williams has held the New Zealand Professional Boxing Association (NZPBA) Heavyweight title and World Boxing Association (WBA) International Heavyweight titles.
Williams made a brief return to the NRL in 2013 when he signed with the Roosters for two seasons. His impact was enormous as he became one of the key figures in a premiership-winning 2013 outfit.
While there is no doubting the talents of the man, I am by no means an SBW fan. I believe that much of his success is owed to the incredible players he has always been surrounded by in every team he has played for, not to mention that his boxing opponents have been mediocre, to say the least.
At the end of the day, he’s a good athlete with a better body who is a marketers dream. But he still makes this list.
4. Wendell Sailor
Starting his career in 1993 playing for the Brisbane Broncos, Big Del picked up four titles with the Broncos in 93,97,98 and 2000.
After flirting with rugby union over a number of NRL offseasons he made the full-time switch to Super Rugby with the Queensland Reds in 2002. It was a successful switch as the destructive winger became a dual international, collecting 37 Test caps for the Wallabies from 2003 to 2006.
After serving a two-year suspension for drug use, he returned to Rugby League in 2008 with the Dragons under former mentor Wayne Bennett.
His final match in professional sports came as an invitational swansong with the Indigenous All Stars team to open the 2010 NRL season. In that game, he scored a try and performed an iconic celebration to sign off on a great career.
3. Nova Peris
Nova Peris was the first indigenous Australian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in Hockey at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.
She switched to running in 1997 and claimed gold in the 200m sprint at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Her success continued at the Sydney Olympics where she featured as a member of the Australian 4x400m relay event, finishing fifth in the final.
She would later enjoy a stint in Australian politics.
2. Anthony Mundine
Despite being a controversial figure, there’s no doubting that Mundine has had a brilliant career in both footy and boxing.
A grand final winner with the Broncos in the 1997 Super League competition and a New South Wales State of Origin representative, ‘Choc’ was a talented five-eighth. In 2000 he would leave the sport in pursuit of a new challenge in the ring.
By the time his 11th fight rolled around, he would obtain a world title shot. While he lost that first attempt, he would press on to become a two-time WBA Super Middleweight champion, an IBO Middleweight champion, WBA Junior Middleweight champion and WBC Silver Superwelterweight champion with a 47-7-0 fight record.
Love him or hate him, he’s one of the most successful transitional athletes of all time.
The number one pick, however, did it all and more. Olympic medals, representing Australia in rugby union, and walking the Hollywood red carpet? Yep, that was all achieved by one man.
1. Snowy Baker
I remember hearing a commercial for an Elvis Presley record that included ‘Before anybody did anything Elvis did everything.’ Well, clearly the advertising agency had never heard of Reginald Leslie ‘Snowy’ Baker.
‘Snowy’ played union for NSW and Australia, competed in the 1908 London Olympics in swimming, diving, and boxing. He won a silver medal as a middleweight boxer during the Olympics.
If that wasn’t enough, he then made a successful transition to the world of acting and starred in a number of movies including The Shadow of Lightning Ridge. Top that Choc!
Without a shadow of lightning ridge doubt, this bloke is my number one transitional athlete.
Combining the sporting ability and charisma of SBW, Choc, and Big Del into one is no easy feat, but ‘Snowy’ proved it was possible.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments? Who is your number one transitional athlete?
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