ESPN’s “College Gameday” will visit Bloomington, Ind., ahead of a big game in Week 9 between the Washington Huskies and the undefeated No. 13 Indiana Hoosiers.
Saturday morning college football preview shows tend to feature celebrities and athletes with ties to the city where the school or university in question is located. Last week, Scotty Scheffler joined the panel as a celebrity guest picker because of his connection to the university. The University of Texas was hosting Georgia State.
College Game Day in Indiana sparked speculation about who the celebrity guest picker would be. ESPN could have used Antoine Randle El, Victor Oladipo, Isiah Thomas, or even ESPN analyst Joe Buck. Instead, the team hired MLB slugger Kyle Schwarber.
Two-time MLB All-Star and former Indiana Hoosier Kyle Schwarber will be the guest picker in Bloomington 🙌@kschwarb12 pic.twitter.com/yYK9k2mAtI
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) October 24, 2024
Philadelphia Phillies not only played baseball for the Hoosiers, they also have a history in football.
Let’s take a look back at Schwarber’s playing career on the field.
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Did Kyle Schwarber play soccer?
Schwarber was born in Middletown, Ohio, where he spent his childhood and attended Middletown High School. Although he was an outstanding baseball player, he also played on his high school football team.
Schwarber played linebacker and earned second-team All-Ohio Honors as a senior.
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Kyle Schwarber’s high school soccer career
Schwarber started playing varsity football as a sophomore. He earned that spot through his tenacity on the field and understanding of the game.
In his senior year, Schwarber judged his play defensively and led his team to a 10-1 record and an undefeated 7-0 mark in conference play.
As a sophomore in 2008, Schwarber was ranked the No. 32 player in the state of Ohio and barely a top-500 prospect nationally, according to MaxPreps. As a junior, he rose to the No. 13 player in the state of Ohio and a top-125 player nationally. He then peaked as a senior, ranking as the No. 11 player in the state of Ohio and the No. 96 player in the nation.
What college did Kyle Schwarber attend?
Schwarber eventually received an offer from Division I to play football, but decided to go to Indiana to play baseball instead.
He played for the Hoosiers from 2012 to 2014, was a two-time All-American, and helped Indiana University reach the College World Series in 2013.
More information: Undefeated Indiana hosts ‘College Game Day’ for second time in history
Why did Kyle Schwarber quit soccer?
It depends on who you ask. Most people would say it was because he liked playing baseball and expected to be a better baseball player than a football player in the long run.
Ask former Ohio State Buckeye quarterback and NFL wide receiver Braxton Miller, and you’ll hear his praise.
Miller attended rival high schools in Ohio, and his team and Schwarber’s team faced each other in the Ohio State Playoffs. Miller completely missed Schwarber’s tackle attempt. Although it happened to be Schwarber’s senior year, Miller still claims to have called it quits on his career.
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Kyle Schwarber MLB Draft
Schwarber was selected fourth overall in the 2014 MLB Draft. He was selected by the Chicago Cubs and helped them win the World Series in 2016.
Schwarber went on to play for the Washington Nationals and Boston Red Sox before joining the Phillies in 2022.
