Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest baseball players of all time, receiving the highest percentage of Hall of Fame votes ever, but he almost chose a different career path.
Griffey told the Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday that he would have gone to Michigan to play football if he had chosen that sport over baseball.
"I probably would have went to Michigan." - Ken Griffey Jr. on where he would have played college football.
— Paul Pabst (@PaulPabst) March 28, 2017
Griffey likely didn't receive a lot of baseball offers because every knew he was likely going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, which he was, and made it to the MLB level at 19.
As far as Michigan goes, Cincinnati.com reports that Bo Schembechler discovered Griffey on the football field while scouting another future MLB Hall of Famer in Barry Larkin.
Griffey joins another Moeller great, former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin, as Cooperstown inductees who were coached by Cameron. Larkin also was a football star at Moeller and Michigan coach Bo Schembechler badly wanted Larkin as a safety, but Larkin chose baseball. Griffey, for his part, also played a little football at Moeller.
“Barry Larkin was the best athlete that I coached on a baseball field, but without question, Kenny Griffey was the best baseball player that I coached,” Cameron said. “There’s a good argument that as a high school player, he might be the best to come out of Cincinnati.”
Ken Griffey Jr.'s son, “Trey” Griffey III, is currently playing wide receiver for the Arizona Wildcats.
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