Kyler Murray briefly considered baseball career before football aspirations took over

Kyler Murray is one of the best high school football players ever in the state of Texas. But the same goes for his prep baseball career.

"It wasn't like high school football; I can tell you that much," laughed Murray. "It was a fun time. Obviously loved playing baseball and what it meant for me growing up and what it's done for my life. But that was a long time ago."

Murray did not play a baseball game for almost two years after high school. He transferred from Texas A&M to Oklahoma then had to sit out a full year. Then it was two seasons of two sports at an elite level.

"I can remember him practicing [football] at 10 in the morning," said Oklahoma baseball head coach Skip Johnson. "Somebody drove him to TCU. Gets there. Gets to rest for about an hour. Gets to pregame. Goes to our advanced meeting. And goes and hits two home runs off [Nick] Lodolo. Gets back. Flies back home because they're going to play the spring football game the next day."

The Sooners biggest rival is Texas. Fellow Minnesota pro athlete Kody Clemens played against Murray in those hotly contested games.

"Super fast. Had the hit tools and everything," said Clemens. "Obviously he's an unbelievable athlete playing both sports. It was cool playing against him in college, and now that he's in Minnesota it's pretty cool."

"I said, 'Hey Kyler, what we're gonna do is put you in center field and hit you in the seven hole,'" said Johnson. "Kyler said, 'Coach, I've always played on the dirt.' I said, 'You're not gonna take enough ground balls because you're going to be at football practice. It's got to be like catching a punt, Kyler.' He said, 'Coach, I ain't never caught a punt. I'm a quarterback!' I'm like, 'You're right!'"

After hitting nearly 300 with 10 home runs and 10 stolen bases in 2018, Murray was selected ninth overall by the Athletics in the MLB draft. He announced he'd play one more season of college football, then start his road to The Bigs.

"My whole life I've dreamt of playing a professional sport, whichever one it was," Murray said when he was introduced by the A's. "Obviously, now I made a decision."

But that decision did not last. Murray would go on to lead Oklahoma to the college football playoff and win the Heisman Trophy. So he surrendered most of his signing bonus, declared for the NFL draft and was picked No. 1 overall.

"He called me and said, 'Hey, what do you think I ought to do?' I said, 'Do what you're heart tells you to do,'" said Johnson. "When you talk to him, it's like talking to somebody that can run a defense. He knows so much about football it's incredible."

After Murray was released this March, the A's general manager said they are always open to exploring a return to baseball for Murray. But at 29 years old, still with Super Bowl aspirations, that is unlikely to ever take place. The baseball playoffs are happening right now, but Murray's got other things to worry about.

"Honestly, I haven't really had time to watch it. I couldn't even tell you who's playing right now. But I might try to get to it," he said.  

NOTE: The original airdate of the video attached to this article is Oct. 2, 2026.