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Numerous athletes have balanced their careers with military commitments, with some even pausing or ending their sports endeavors to serve their countries. From fulfilling mandatory military duties to voluntarily enlisting after successful sports careers, these individuals have shown dedication on both the field and in uniform.
Ted Williams
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Ted Williams is universally known as one of the greatest hitters in the history of baseball. His ability to spray the ball to all parts of the park was simply transcendent for his time. Interestingly enough, the California native represented the United States during both WWII and the Korean War. In WWII, Williams was a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps. He left baseball yet again to fight in Korea. He participated in over 39 aerial missions with the Navy/Marines. An illness made him eventually leave the armed forces. However, Williams did earn a number of awards for his service — including the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Joe DiMaggio
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“Joltin’ Joe” DiMaggio still registers as an all-time great for the New York Yankees franchise. When WWII started revving up, DiMaggio’s patriotism grew. He ended up joining the Air Force ahead of potential involvement in either Europe or the Pacific. DiMaggio’s dogged work led to him becoming a sergeant at bases all across the United States. However, almost two years after entering the service, DiMaggio was discharged. He suffered from chronic stomach ulcers and simply couldn’t continue to serve the country.
Alejandro Villanueva
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The two-time Pro Bowl OT for the Pittsburgh Steelers is one of the more recent athletes to have involvement in the military. Standing at 6-foot-9 and well over 300 pounds, Villanueva graduated from West Point. For five years, Villanueva served overseas in the Army as a captain. This included multiple stints in Afghanistan. Ultimately, Villanueva was given a Bronze Star Medal after helping injured troops get to safety in the midst of being fired upon by the opposition. Once his five-year involvement was over, Villanueva developed into one of the best offensive tackles in professional football.
Joe Louis
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Joe Louis had become a championship boxer prior to joining the military. He had a 53-1 career record when placed into the Special Services Division. Much of his involvement sat in the arena of entertainment. Louis was specifically placed into his unit in order to boost the morale of troops fighting overseas. He’d travel from base to base, where Louis would participate in staged boxing matches. Even more, Louis worked behind the scenes to try and secure equal treatment for fellow African-American troops who were sadly subjected to racism.
Roger Staubach
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The two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys had a far different life before becoming ‘the man’ for America’s team. After one year in military school, Staubach went to college at the Naval Academy. After starring on the field, a routine test revealed that Staubach was indeed color blind. This resulted in Staubach missing out on potential combat. Instead, he served as a volunteer for one year in Vietnam. He held the title of Supply Corps officer.
Jackie Robinson
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Jackie Robinson broke a number of barriers throughout his illustrious professional career. When enlisting for the Army, Robinson was the victim of constant racism. A situation arose where he stood up for himself in the face of a bus driver trying to force Robinson to move to the back of the bus. He was arrested, charged with multiple crimes he did not commit, and ultimately was prevented from seeing any combat overseas. After being acquitted of the false charges, Robinson ultimately transitioned to the world of sports.
David Robinson
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“The Admiral” earned this nickname for a reason. The son of a Naval Officer, it was only fitting that Robinson himself would opt to attend the Naval Academy for college. Though he was drafted No. 1 Overall by the Spurs, he had to delay his entry into the NBA for two years (to satisfy the required commitment for service in the Navy). He had grown to 7-feet tall by that point, which had made it unlikely for him to serve actively on any sort of battleship. Robinson — a brilliant student — ended up becoming a civil engineering officer at a submarine base. From there, he became a Hall of Famer/multi-time NBA champion with the Spurs.
Jesse Ventura
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Jesse ‘The Body’ Ventura is mostly known for his roles as an actor, a professional wrestler, and later as a politician. Few knew that the Minnesota native also spent time in the United States Military. It was in his blood. Both of his parents served in WWII, and his brother was stationed in Vietnam. Ventura himself spent six years in the Navy. His concentration focused on the underwater demolition team. He ended up leaving the Navy during the Vietnam War in 1975.
Yogi Berra
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Yogi Berra had to grow up in a hurry. Before becoming an elite catcher with the New York Yankees (15 All-Star appearances, 10 World Titles, three-time MVP), Berra was drafted into the Navy at 18 years of age. Eventually, Berra made his way all the way up being on a rocket launching boat. During D-Day, his unit was tasked with both protecting American troops, and also shooting down enemy aircraft. For his efforts in France, the French government even gave Berra a medal.
Jerry Coleman
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The late Jerry Coleman was nicknamed “The Colonel” — and for good reason. Coleman was a lieutenant colonel in the Marines. After serving in WWII, Coleman yet again returned to battle during the Korean War. Between both wars, Coleman flew over 100 combat missions. He’s the only Major League Baseball player to ever see combat in two separate wars. As a player, Coleman wasn’t too shabby, either. He made one All-Star team as a second baseman for the Yankees. During his career, Coleman also won four World Series Titles.
Pat Tillman
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The memory of Pat Tillman forever lives on in the hearts of football fans everywhere. A star athlete at Arizona State, Tillman eventually was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals. In the wake of the 9/11 attacks, Tillman turned down a multi-million dollar contract extension with the Cardinals in order to enlist in the Army (along with his brother). After a tour in Iraq, Tillman was then sent to Afghanistan. Sadly, in 2004, it was determined that Tillman was killed by friendly fire. He was awarded a Purple Heart and Silver Star medals for his service.
Nolan Ryan
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The flamethrower Nolan Ryan possessed was arguably the greatest arm of any pitcher in MLB history. In 1967, he surprised many when he skipped a year with the Mets in favor of serving in the Army Reserve (which was an obligation he couldn’t get out of). Interestingly enough, Ryan posted one of his worst career seasons the year after returning from military duty. He finished with a 6-9 overall record. We’d have to think that the time away from the game — along with a diminished ability to prepare — hindered his chances at having a stellar return season.
Rocky Marciano
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Rocky Marciano is still regarded as perhaps the best boxer not named Muhammad Ali. Marciano did something Ali never did — which was staying undefeated. Marciano notched a 49-0 career record before hanging up his gloves in 1955. In 1943, Marciano fought for the United States in WWII. For nearly three years, he worked on a vessel that carried supplies back and forth from the U.K. to France. Marciano was discharged from the Army at the conclusion of the war.
Roberto Clemente
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The late Roberto Clemente spent three years playing professional baseball before deciding to join the Marines. It was something Clemente did in the offseason, as his involvement in the Marine Corps Reserve primarily took place on the East Coast. For six years, Clemente was a private first class in the reserve. The arduous physical training enabled Clemente to strengthen both his body and core. This led to Clemente making 15 All-Star appearances. He also won two World Series titles, 12 Gold Glove Awards, and four batting titles.
Lee Trevino
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Golfer Lee Trevino grew up perfecting his craft in his native Texas. When it came time to graduate from high school, Trevino opted to join the military. Becoming a Marine was surely hard work. From the ages of 17-21, Trevino functioned as a corporal. Some of his responsibilities included working as a machine gunner. All the while, his love for golf never left. Trevino immediately hopped back into the sport once discharged from the military. The rest, as they say, is history.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
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You may be shocked to see “The Greek Freak” on this list. However, there’s an explanation for why he’s wearing army fatigues. Antetokounmpo hails from the country of Greece. It’s mandatory under Greek law that its citizens complete required military time. Due to the fact that Antetokounmpo was living abroad permanently in the United States, Greece allowed for him to serve a truncated sentence. Instead of multiple years in the Greek military, the two-time NBA MVP served for three months.
Arnold Palmer
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Legendary golfer Arnold Palmer is without a doubt an icon in the sport. He learned golf from his father as a young boy. His college roommate was killed in car accident, and this had a very profound impact on Palmer. In order to take his mind off the death of his friend, Palmer enrolled in the Coast Guard. This meant dropping out of Wake Forest. During his time as a yeoman, Palmer was still able to play golf on the weekends. After his three-year run with the Coast Guard, Palmer returned to college for one more year before eventually making his way onto the PGA Tour. As Palmer has alluded to in interviews, his time in the Coast Guard made him a far more mature person.
Omri Casspi
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Omri Casspi holds the distinction as being the first Israeli player to ever play in the NBA. Before he was able to make his dream a reality, Casspi had to serve in the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). At 18 years of age, he was slated to spend three years in the military. However, he was a known commodity at that point when it came to his athletic prowess. This facet enabled Casspi to miss out on any potential combat. He went through the general training, but was able to avoid warfare.
Son Heung-min
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Son Heung-min is one of the most prolific strikers in the world. Hailing from South Korea, he stars for London-based club Tottenham. Son helped South Korea win a gold medal in a prestigious soccer tournament. Though South Korea law requires its citizens to spend two years in the military, Son’s tenure was clipped to three weeks based upon helping his country earn glory from that tournament. His short tenure in the army included shooting training, individual fighting training, and even medical training.
