KC Royals: NFL Stars Drafted by the Royals

Chiefs mascot War Paint gets ready to take the field. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Later tonight, the NFL preseason begins in earnest. Yes, the Hall of Fame Game occurred last weekend, but none of the major stars on either the Vikings nor the Steelers played. Finally, the NFL will get to put Tom Brady and deflated balls aside, with focus being placed upon an actual slate of action throughout the weekend.

While attention may shift away from baseball for a period of time around the country, that does not mean there is not a tie in to the National Pastime. Every year, we see football players selected in the MLB Amateur Draft, giving a team their rights in the event that football does not pan out. After all, why else would the San Diego Padres have drafted Johnny Manziel?

Even though the day of the two sport star is likely over, especially given how the NFL has become a year round entity of “mandatory” mini-camps, there was a time when players were involved in both sports, even become stars in each. The KC Royals, in their history, have had a few football players in their system, with the immortal Bo Jackson emerging as a potential superstar before his career was cut short due to injury.

Now, in honor of the official beginning to the NFL season, let us take a look back at those NFL players who were connected to the KCRoyals system, either toiling away in the minor leagues as a draft pick.

Next: The honorable mentions