NCAAF News: Former Rangers MLB player joins South Alabama Jaguars as walk-on

There aren’t many, but there are cases where athletes decide to switch sports during their careers. In this case, the South Alabama Jaguars are starting to think about the next NCAAF season, and the news comes with the addition of a former Texas Rangers player from MLB, who joined the program as a walk-on and could be part of the roster next year.

Former MLB outfielder Bubba Thompson, who played for eight years as a professional baseball player with the Texas Rangers and Cincinnati Reds, could take an unexpected turn in his career and continue it as an football player. The baseball player aims to earn his spot as the new quarterback.

The news was confirmed by AL.com journalist Creg Stephenson, who highlighted that Thompson already has experience in the position, as he was an all-state quarterback at Mobile’s McGill-Toolen Catholic School in 2016.

“Bubba Thompson has enrolled at South Alabama and has joined the Jaguars football team as a walk-on, AL.com has learned,” Stephenson reported. “Thompson, who will turn 27 in June, was an all-state quarterback at Mobile’s McGill-Toolen Catholic School in 2016, but has spent the last eight seasons playing professional baseball.”

Bubba Thompson #8 of the Texas Rangers plays against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on May 29, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan.

“He was a first-round pick of the Texas Rangers in 2017, and played parts of the last three seasons as an outfielder at the major-league level with the Rangers and Cincinnati Reds,” Stephenson also added.

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Baseball players’ backgrounds in NCAAF

The news of Bubba Thompson’s arrival at the South Alabama Jaguars may seem unusual to some, given that the player comes from a completely different sport, although he does have experience playing football.

Despite this rare occurrence, it’s interesting to note that a similar case recently happened with Josh Magee, who was a player for the Houston Astros before eventually becoming a wide receiver at UAB and South Alabama.

“Various other former professional baseball players have later moved on to football over the years, including Hoover native Josh Magee, who played three seasons in the Houston Astros’ organization before becoming a standout wide receiver at UAB and South Alabama,” Stephenson stated.