True crime fanatics know our true crime criminal icons like the back of our hands. Sports fans, of course, know our athletic icons too. It’s rare that someone is really good in both worlds. OJ Simpson is a good example of someone who excelled in both areas.
It’s about time we talk about the sports backgrounds of six of our more well-known shady characters.
Better Criminals Than Athletes
We’ll only be listing people who were convicted of doing things, not just suspected for legality’s sake.
Alex Murdaugh:
Murdaugh, as we know, was charged with the double murder of his wife and son. Later, Alex was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.
What less people know is that Alex Murdaugh played football in college. He was a non-descript University of South Carolina Gamecock who had a knee injury early on that ended any gridiron dreams.
Ted Bundy:
Most serial killers are known for being socially inept, which typically punishes their victims with their inadequacies. Being a stellar athlete is not the norm.
Bundy took his rejection from his high school’s basketball and baseball badly. He did, however, have a little skill in the downhill skiing world. Stealing skiing equipment and forging lift tickets managed to put a bad boy edge on what is normally a pretty tame sport.
As a refresher, Bundy was sentenced to death for the murder of two women, the assault of a certain nature, and murder of a 12-year-old girl.
John Wilkes Booth:
Booth was a bit of an athletic prodigy. His athletic abilities really shone when it came to fencing and horsemanship. We’re covering a wide range of sports and criminal behavior in this article.
John Wilkes was charged with assassinating President Abraham Lincoln.
Suge Knight:
Suge Knight is a man of many talents. He’s well-known for his rap career, his criminal behavior, and slightly less so for his athletic talents.
In terms of music, Knight is the co-founder and former CEO of Death Row Records. Think West Coast gangsta rap.
His rap sheet is a little lengthy, with him throwing in some voluntary manslaughter, robbery, and laying hands on a lot of people. His first charge was in 1995, when he was sentenced to five years’ probation for assaulting two men. Knight is currently in prison for voluntary manslaughter.
What many may not know is that Suge was in the NFL. After two years playing at El Camino College and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, In 1987, Knight went undrafted. Suge was invited to the Rams training camp, was subsequently cut, and then brought back to play for a few games during the NFL Player’s Strike.
Jeffrey Dahmer:
Everyone knows Jeffrey Dahmer was a criminal. The infamous serial killer was first charged with exploitation and second-degree assault of a certain nature with a 13-year-old boy. Of course, there were also the other 15 murder charges.
Did you know that Dahmer was a decent tennis player?
Al Capone:
Capone was a semi-pro baseball player before he turned to life as a criminal. He also had quite a knack for golf.
Al was charged with violating prohibition laws 5,000 times, tax evasion, contempt of court, and carrying concealed weapons.
Love true crime-sports fusion articles? So does this author! Find more of her work here. For an article on a South African soccer player who lost his life, click here.
