Former MLB outfielder Bubba Thompson is enrolling at the University of South Alabama, reports Creg Stephenson of AL.com. He is joining the Jaguars football team as a walk-on, Stephenson writes.
Thompson has not officially announced his retirement from baseball, though he posted a social media video of himself throwing a football inside the South Alabama facility with the caption “we back y’all!” Thompson, a Mobile native, was a quarterback in high school. (Stephenson notes that he was teammates with future South Alabama receiver Jalen Tolbert, who has spent the last three years with the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.) He passed on a baseball commitment to the University of Alabama to sign with the Rangers as a first-round pick in 2017. The toolsy outfielder received a signing bonus just north of $2MM.
The righty-hitting Thompson drew praise from scouts for his athleticism and bat speed. The longstanding question was whether he’d make enough contact to be more than a fourth or fifth outfielder. Thompson never really managed to do so. He fanned in 32% of his 259 MLB plate appearances over the past three years. He bounced around the league via waivers last winter. The Reds succeeded in outrighting him off the 40-man roster in May. Thompson hit .232/.264/.289 with a 28.5% strikeout rate over 57 Double-A games. He qualified for minor league free agency at season’s end.
If Thompson fully moves on from baseball, he’ll finish with a .232/.273/.295 slash line in 109 games between Texas and Cincinnati. He was an asset on the bases, stealing 27 bags in 32 attempts.
Always love these stories. Never got why Dylan Cozens didn’t do this but instead tried to go straight to the NFL.
I really liked the pick when the Rangers snagged him. Hope things work out for him.
Wrong link to B-R – baseball-reference.com/players/t/thompbu01.shtml
Nevermind, they fixed it right when I posted, go figure.
I would think it would be easier to switch from baseball to football than it would be the other way around.
Oh definitely. Just ask Michael Jordan how hard it is to be an MLB pro
Perfect name for south Alabama.
Wish him well.
Should be the Grand Wizards.
I mean Bubba.
Not really
25% African American
65% White
10% other races
Pretty White still
Most post reconstruction states have a significant black population, wonder why? Also Alabama is not diverse with how redlined it is. That’s like saying St Louis is diverse. Only if you’re a census.
Do you just look at the national demographics to judge the diversity of your area? That’s a very simplistic approach.
I believe with the name ‘Bubba’, he’s required by Alabama law to play college football.
Creepy.
If he was decent at football I’m sure he could tryout for the cfl or something. Something weird about going to a small school as a football player at almost 27.
He was born in Mobile, Alabama. The school is in Mobile. It has 14k students and they play D-1 FBS football.
Not like he went to a D-3 school in PA with 2k students.
Just imagining him absolutely jacking up 17 year old twerps. It’s like an adam Sandler movie
Tom your ignorance is creepy. The median college student age in America is actually 25 years old, which means roughly half of US college students are 26yo or older.
How do you not include his age for this story?
College degree. Gets to live out a dream instead of making pennies as a minor league depth player.
Be really funny to see him and Monte Harrison end up on the same football team down the line.
Weeden!
Good luck to him. He was great to us fans when he played in Omaha.
Good luck to you, Bubba.
Weird how everyone is saying this is creepy as if college attendance isn’t growing in older demographic groups. Yes, that’s less true with sports, but it’s far from unheard of.
Completely agree. There are tons of people much older than him that go to college, and nobody calls them creepy. He’s only 27, so he’s not even going to be that much older than his teammates. Only 3-5 year or so difference.
This. I went back to school later in life and if I was good enough to play ball damn straight I would.
Agree Darkside, anyone jumping to “creepy” is projecting, or they’re a literal kid and think anyone older than 25 is a boomer.
Bubba is 26yo, which is right around the average college student age in America of 25yo. Roughly 40% of US college students are older than Bubba.
There was a guy in the Padres system, Donovan something, did the same thing and quit very quickly in the season for the football team.
This gives me Waterboy vibes.
It’s rad. Love to see anybody doing anything. Kudos and huzzah!!!
Bubba will be 27 when football season starts in 2025
My friend’s cousin had to choose between being a college QB for Miami or a #1 baseball pick. Which would you choose?
With a name like ‘Bubba’, I would’ve guessed he was going to the University of Alabama, not South Alabama. War Eagle!!
Do a shot every time you see the word “creepy” in this thread. Someone should just shut this one down.
On the other hand, good luck to you, Bubba.
Kinda sad but whatever makes him happy
Chris Weinke vibes.
He may be going back to learn how to write in proper English….
The comment section in winter is always a quiz to see which 13 year old are on snow days.
Got to know when to holdem n know when to foldem. Chance to earn education for post-sports life. That n now w/NIL deals could get paid for doing it. Good luck Bubba.
Panthers’ linebacker Shaq Thompson did this back a decade ago. Signed with BoSox for 45K at a 18th rounder out of High School in 2012, then went 0-39 with 37K in the GCL. He quit and went to the U of Washington that summer. He’s now played in the NFL for a decade. I’d say he made the right choice.
Portable pizza