20 most hyped college football recruits of all-time
By Dustin Hull
14. Joe Mauer
Florida State signed such a great high school athlete that he ended up being too good to play for them. That’s because Joe Mauer was destined for Major League Baseball.
Mauer took the money and ran as the number one overall pick in the 2001 MLB draft, choosing to stay in his home state as a Minnesota Twin and not play for Bobby Bowden and the Seminoles. For as hyped as he was in baseball—and trust me, he’d find himself even further up that list—Mauer was by far the most sought-after football recruit his senior season.
He appeared in Sports Illustrated before that year rolled around, and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year when it finally did. USA Today and ESPN were also among the crowd of media honoring the three-sport star. Yes, Mauer had also been an all-state basketball player.
While everyone pondered what route he would choose, Mauer played in a very NFL-like pro-style offense that he ran to perfection as a state champion. He tossed 41 touchdowns (7 in one game) his senior year, and no matter if the colleges knew he was leaning toward baseball, they sure weren’t going to use their time on other recruits.
Mauer had terrific poise in the pocket and a catcher’s canon for an arm and the southpaw left everyone wondering what would’ve been had he chose the Seminoles. Being the face of the Twins franchise and having $200 million in career earnings wasn’t a bad choice for him, though.
Next: Lorenzo Booker