Want to be a Better Football Player? Play Other Sports.

Russell Wilson, a fourth-round pick of the Colorado Rockies in the 2010 draft, last played baseball in 2011 for Asheville of the Class A South Atlantic League. | ESPN

A lot of my writing is opinionated. This article is not one of them.

This article deals with the cold, hard facts. I've written like this before, and it seems many people like living in the land of reality more than the land of deception. And the land of reality overtly supports the idea that multi-sport athletes make better football players.

In the 2017 NFL Draft, 30 of the 32 1st Round picks were multi-sport athletes in high school. That means 94% of 1st Rounders didn't "specialize" exclusively in football.

In the 2018 NFL Draft, 29 of the 32 1st Round picks were multi-sport athletes in high school. That means 91% of 1st Rounders didn't "specialize" exclusively in football.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, 29 of the 32 1st Round picks were multi-sport athletes in high school. That means 91% of 1st Rounders didn't "specialize" exclusively in football.

In Super Bowl LIV—the highly anticipated Mahomes vs. Garoppolo matchup—98 of the 106 active roster players were multi-sport athletes in high school. That means 92% of Super Bowl participants didn't "specialize" exclusively in football.

And if those facts aren't enough for you, maybe take into consideration what Mayo Clinic orthopedic surgeon Dr. Anikar Chhabra said on sports specialization:

"Practicing and competing in one sport year-round can cause the body to wear down, and create overuse injuries and muscle imbalances. The biggest prevention tip I'll give patients and their parents is take three months off from your sport. Do other sports in the offseason." ― Dr. Anikar Chhabra

The data is clear: if you want to be a better football player, cross train in other sports and compete in the football offseason.