John Havlicek
Havlicek was such a great athlete that he was all-state in football, basketball and baseball in sports-crazy Ohio. Reportedly he could throw a football 80 yards and also outrun anyone on the field. He was recruited by Woody Hayes to be the quarterback for the powerhouse Buckeyes, but turned him down to play hoops instead (mom preferred basketball).
The irascible Hayes said he would not bother John to play again, but he had his assistants do that for three more years, without success. Hayes would later tell recruits in the early 1960's that the best quarterback in the Big 10 wasn't even playing football, in reference to Havlicek.
Hondo actually was drafted by the Brows and tried out as a receiver with the perennial champions before his rookie season with the
Celtics in 1962. At a trim 6-5 and 203 pounds he ran a 4.6 40-yard dash and had excellent hands. To show how good an athlete he was, despite not playing in college John was the last receiver cut from a contender loaded with wideouts, and was invited back for years but never tried out again.
