Could former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg be the next Tim Tebow?
Like Tebow, Hackenberg is looking to make the switch from the football field to the baseball diamond after fizzling out in the NFL.
“I feel like I’ve got a lot left in the tank,” Hackenberg told NBC Philadelphia. “And if one door closes and I have the opportunity to open another one, why not do it?”
A second-round pick by the Jets in the 2016 NFL draft, Hackenberg is training as a pitcher in New Jersey with Rutgers Camden baseball coach Ryan Kulik. Hackenberg didn’t play baseball at Penn State, but he was a pitcher at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy.
“He isn’t rushing anything and is being smart about not putting his health in a bad situation,” agent Noel LaMontagne told ESPN. “He’s young, has the work ethic, a ton of natural arm talent, plenty of athleticism and the focus it takes to put himself in a position to have a chance.”
Hackenberg had a stellar career with the Nittany Lions, starting from 2013-15 and sitting No. 2 on the university’s all-time passing list with 8,457 yards. But Hackenberg never played in the NFL over the course of three seasons with the Jets, Raiders, Eagles and Bengals.
For the record, the Broncos drafted Tebow in the first round of the 2010 draft, and his NFL career ended by 2015. He began playing minor league baseball in the Mets organization in 2016 and had worked his way up to their Class AAA affiliate last season.
