1. Craig Breslow, RP, Oakland Aâ€™s

â€¢ Age: 30

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: Ranks among the A.L. leaders in games pitched, 2.93 ERA in five major league seasons.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Yale, molecular biophysics and biochemistry, 3.5. He was accepted to NYUâ€™s med school.

â€¢ SAT/MCAT score: 1420 SAT, 34 MCAT (The average score for med school applicants is about 28.)

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish and Spanish.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œRunning the Strike 3 Foundation, a nonprofit that raises awareness and support for pediatric cancer research.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe House Advantage: Playing the Odds to Win Big in Business, by Jeffrey Ma.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œBe in med school or preferably have graduated from med school.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI submitted the IRS Form 1023 myself during spring training. The 1023 is a comprehensive document which files for tax deductibility (for a nonprofit organization). (I filled it out) after being largely unable to find an accountant with the time to do this during tax season.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œ(My) 2003 minor league teammate and former Yale teammate Jon Steitz, son of Nobel Prize winner Tom Steitz.â€

â€” Stan McNeal

â€” Sporting News selects the most beloved player ever for each MLB team

2. Myron Rolle, S, Tennessee Titans

â€¢ Age: 23

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: Lott Trophy finalist, AP third-team All-American as a junior in â€™08. 2010 No. 207 overall NFL draft pick.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Florida State, exercise science (premed), 3.75. He graduated in 2Â½ years, then received a masterâ€™s in medical anthropology from Oxford.

â€¢ SAT score: 1340

â€¢ Languages: â€œJust two. Spanish and English. Iâ€™m decent (in Spanish).â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œPhilanthropic medicine. Social equalityâ€”I guess thatâ€™s more of a human rights issue. ... I love Frank Sinatra. I think I could spit out about 10 of his songs, just (doing) karaoke right now.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œBe a neurosurgeon, but Iâ€™d be a traveling neurosurgeon. Practice medicine in the States but take it overseas as well.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œChristian Ponder, my quarterback at Florida State. We both graduated at the same time, in 2Â½ years as undergrads.â€

â€” Dennis Dillon

3. Ross Ohlendorf, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates

â€¢ Age: 28

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: Was the only Pirates starter with a winning record (11-10 with a 3.92 ERA) in 2009, his first full major league season. On September 5, 2009, became the 40th pitcher to strike out three batters on nine pitches.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Princeton, operations research and financial engineering, 3.8

â€¢ SAT score: 1520

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: He worked as a volunteer intern in the U.S. Department of Agriculture last offseason. In addition to having worked on a cost-benefit analysis of a program that traces disease in livestock and its effect on farmers, he helps his father manage the familyâ€™s herd of longhorns near, of course, Austin, Texas. â€œRanching,â€ he says, â€œis pretty much all I do in the offseason.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe Nine Tailors, by Dorothy L. Sayers.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œ(Do) something in business or finance.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI read on the day I pitch.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œPirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen.â€

â€” Bob Hille

4. George Parros, F, Anaheim Ducks

â€¢ Age: 30

â€¢ On-ice accomplishments: One of hockeyâ€™s top enforcers: 694 career penalty minutes in 289 games.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Princeton, economics, 3.18

â€¢ SAT score: 1250

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish and Spanish. I donâ€™t really speak Greekâ€”I just think I can.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œMost likely (be) a business consultant. Either that or some sort of trader on an equity desk. ... In junior (hockey) I took a job as a runner at the Chicago Board of Trade to see if I liked it.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI do crosswords on the road and take some heat for that. I hate the New York Times one. USA Today is good for me. The New York Times one, it annoys me because theyâ€™ve got 16th century poets and stuff.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œ(Ducks goalie) Jonas Hiller. He can speak five languages or something.â€

â€” Craig Custance

5. Ryan Fitzpatrick, QB, Buffalo Bills

â€¢ Age: 27

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2004 Ivy League MVP, first Harvard quarterback to rush for more than 1,000 career yards. In 2005 with the Rams, became the fifth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 300-plus yards in his debut.

â€¢ Alma mater, major: Harvard, economics

â€¢ SAT score: 1580

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œIâ€™m an Apple technology junkie.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œProbably (have) done the Wall Street thing for a few years and then maybe branched out a little bit. But finance is what Iâ€™d be involved in.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œThatâ€™s probably a better question for my wife. But I love Scrabble. Iâ€™m playing Scrabble on my iPad constantly.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œCorey Chavous. The amount of knowledge that dude had about any football player in the locker room was crazy. He knew the name of my high school and my high school coach. He remembers everything about everybody.â€

â€” Clifton Brown

6. Matt Birk, C, Baltimore Ravens

â€¢ Age: 34

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 6-time Pro Bowl selection

â€¢ Alma mater, major: Harvard, economics

â€¢ ACT score: 34

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œI just finished Band of Brothers. I never saw the miniseries, but I just read the book by Stephen Ambrose. It was unbelievable.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œI was offered a job out of college to do Wall Street and that whole thing, but then football came along, so I figured I was just delaying Wall Street for about six months. I didnâ€™t think Iâ€™d even make the team. Everything happens for a reason.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI absolutely cannot dance. (But) just because I canâ€™t doesnâ€™t mean I donâ€™t.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œRobert Smith was pretty smart, and Pete Bercich with the Vikings. He and Robert used to have crazy discussions about physics, the fourth dimension. They might as well have been speaking another language.â€

â€” Clifton Brown

7. Shane Battier, F, Houston Rockets

â€¢ Age: 32

â€¢ On-court accomplishments: 2-time Naismith award winner (high school and college), 2001 No. 6 overall NBA draft pick, 2-time All-NBA defensive second team

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Duke, religion, 3.5

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish and German.â€

â€¢ Off-court/intellectual interests: â€œFinance, sabermetrics, golf.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œBe working with youth in some capacity. Similar to the mission of my foundation, I would want to encourage and inspire a new generation of potential leaders through higher education and effective leadership skills.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI have a subscription to Laptop magazine.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œBrent Barry.â€

â€” Steve Greenberg

8. Chris Young, SP, Padres

â€¢ Age: 31

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: First athlete to be named All-Ivy League in baseball and basketball. 1-time All-Star.

â€¢ Alma mater, major: Princeton, politics. He completed his thesis, The Impact of Jackie Robinson and the Integration of Baseball on Racial Stereotypes in America: A Quantitative Content Analysis of Stories about Race in The New York Times, while playing in the minor leagues.

â€¢ SAT score: 1300

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œReading.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe Big Short, by Michael Lewis.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œ(Go to) business or law school and then who knows?â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI do my research, whether buying a TV, going out to eat or preparing for a game. I spend time researching to make sure I am well prepared.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œGreg Maddux has the highest baseball IQ of any player Iâ€™ve been around.â€

â€” Stan McNeal

9. Brad Ausmus, C, Los Angeles Dodgers

â€¢ Age: 41

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 1-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove winner. Has the third-most putouts by a catcher in MLB history (12,828), ranks seventh all-time in games played at the position (1,936).

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Dartmouth, government. â€œDonâ€™t know what my GPA was, but I never received a grade below â€˜Bâ€™ in any class.â€

â€¢ SAT score: 1220

â€¢ Languages: â€œI am not fluent in any language other than English, but I can hold a conversation in Spanish.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œI just read The Lost City of Z, by David Grann. Moving on to The Accidental Billionaires, by Ben Mezrich.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œIâ€™ve been playing baseball so long, Iâ€™m not sure what I would be doing without it. I always assumed that I would have gone to law school after college. My friends and family will tell you I like a good argument.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammates Iâ€™ve had: â€œEric Bruntlett, Stanford grad, and Mark Loretta (Northwestern).â€

â€” Ken Bradley

10. Grant Hill, G, Phoenix Suns

â€¢ Age: 37

â€¢ On-court accomplishments: 1994 No. 3 overall NBA draft pick, 1995 NBA rookie of the year, 7-time All-Star, 3-time NBA sportsmanship award winner. â€œI have many on-field accomplishments that make me proud. The sportsmanship award is one Iâ€™m most proud of since I was voted amongst my peers.â€

â€¢ Alma mater, major: Duke, history

â€¢ Off-court/intellectual interests: â€œBuying and collecting art, looking at potential business deals, reading biographies and historical books.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe Panic of 1907: Lessons Learned from the Marketâ€™s Perfect Storm.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI love going to the bookstore.â€

â€” Steve Greenberg

11. Alex Smith, QB, San Francisco 49ers

â€¢ Age: 26

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2004 Mountain West player of the year, 21-1 record as a college starter. 2005 No. 1 NFL draft pick, recaptured the 49ersâ€™ starting job midway through last season.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Utah, economics, 3.74. Graduated in two years.

â€¢ Languages: â€œA little Spanish. I wouldnâ€™t say Iâ€™m fluent, but growing up in San Diego, I can get by.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œTraveling. This offseason alone I went to the Dominican Republic, London, France, Italy, Prague and Maui.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œOne of my aspirations was to go to law school. Iâ€™m not totally sure I wouldâ€™ve practiced law, but I wanted to get my J.D.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œMy teammates would probably say the reading. I mean, I read a lot. Iâ€™ve got a lot of random, useless knowledge.â€™â€™

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œ(49ers center) Eric Heitmann. Heâ€™s just a bright guy, a Stanford grad.â€

â€” Clifton Brown

12. Jody Gerut, OF, San Diego Padres

â€¢ Age: 33

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2003 Sporting News A.L. rookie player of the year, .262 career batting average with five clubs.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Stanford, history, 3.1

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish, Spanish, bits of five or six others, including Chinese.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œHistory, politics, finance, military industrial conflicts.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe 16% Solution: How to Get High Interest Rates in a Low-Interest World with Tax Lien Certificates, by Joel S. Moskowitz.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œBe in the financial services industry, either a planner or working for a private hedge firm.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI have a carry-on suitcase filled with informationâ€”full of fast knowledgeâ€”with me everywhere I go.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œCraig Counsell.â€

â€” Stan McNeal

13. Craig Counsell, IF, Milwaukee Brewers

â€¢ Age: 40

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2001 NLCS MVP. Scored the winning run for the Marlins in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series and was on base when the Diamondbacks scored the winning run in the 2001 World Series.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Notre Dame, accounting, 3.0

â€¢ SAT score: 1260

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œPolitics.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable, by (Nassim) Nicolas Taleb.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œHave gone to law school and become some kind of lawyer. I wouldnâ€™t be an accountant, I know that.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI majored in accounting.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œSmartest guy Iâ€™ve met in baseball is Ross Ohlendorf.â€

â€” Stan McNeal

14. Peyton Manning, QB, Indianapolis Colts

â€¢ Age: 34

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 1998 No. 1 overall NFL draft pick, 4-time NFL MVP, 10-time Pro Bowl selection

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Tennessee, speech communication (minor in business), 3.61. Graduated in three years.

â€¢ SAT score: 1030

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish and French.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œReading.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œFDR: The First Hundred Days.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve ever had: â€œMarshall Faulk. I had never played with a guy who just knew everyone elseâ€™s jobs.â€

â€” Mike Chappell

15. Pau Gasol, F, Los Angeles Lakers

â€¢ Age: 30

â€¢ On-court accomplishments: 2002 NBA rookie of the year, 3-time All-Star, 2-time NBA champion, 2-time FIBA Europe player of the year.

â€¢ Alma mater: University of Barcelona medical school. He left early to pursue his basketball career, but the dean has said he is welcome to return.

â€¢ Languages: â€œSpanish, English and Catalan.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œThe Facebook Effect, by David Kirkpatrick.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œHave loved to have a career in the medical field.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œShane Battier.â€

â€” Sean Deveney

16. Douglas Murray, D, San Jose Sharks

â€¢ Age: 30

â€¢ On-ice accomplishments: Played for Sweden in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

â€¢ Alma mater, major: Cornell, hotel management. â€œI have one class I have to takeâ€”I have not gone back and taken it, but it will be taken care of. My father has been on me quite a bit.â€

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish, Swedish and German.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œTry to get into finance first ... (and) build the foundation to move on and start my own company.â€

â€¢ The smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œ(Sharks forward) Patrick Marleau is someone who is much smarter than he lets on.â€

â€” Craig Custance

17. Sean Bedford, C, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

â€¢ Age: 22

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2009 All-ACC first team, on the preseason watch lists for the Outland and Rimington trophies.

â€¢ Major, GPA: Aerospace engineering and public policy (minor in law science and technology), 3.8

â€¢ SAT score: 1520. â€œI didnâ€™t study. I took it three times. First one in seventh grade and got an 1130. The next time in 10th grade and got a 1400.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œIâ€™ve always been fascinated with the space program. ... Iâ€™d love to be an astronaut. At the moment, being (6-1, 281), none of them are quite as big as I am.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œRight now, Iâ€™m reading The Prince, by Machiavelli. After that, Iâ€™ll move on to Paradise Lost, by Milton. I try to keep it to one a week, and if I have spare time, Iâ€™ll pick it up more.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œWhen I was 7 or 8 years old, I could give you the name of not only every NASA mission from the first Mercury flights to the end of the Apollo program, I could name the crew and give a brief synopsis of each mission.â€

â€” Matt Hayes

18. Sam Acho, DE, Texas Longhorns

â€¢ Age: 22

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: On the preseason watch lists for the Lombardi award and the Lott, Nagurski and Outland trophies.

â€¢ Major, GPA: Business and marketing, 3.62. On target to graduate in December, after 3Â½ years.

â€¢ SAT score: 1220

â€¢ Languages: â€œEnglish, Spanish and Igbo. My parents are from Nigeria; Igbo is one of three major dialects there. Iâ€™m not fluent, but I can get by.â€

â€¢ Off-field/intellectual interests: â€œShakespeareâ€”there are a couple soliloquies from Richard III that I fell in love with and still remember. And I love everything about marketing.â€

â€¢ If I donâ€™t become a professional athlete, Iâ€™ll ... â€œDefinitely continue my career in marketing. I want to start my own firm.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œI drove to Waco to sit in on a business law masterâ€™s class with my sister at Baylor.â€

â€” Steve Greenberg

19. Matt Bonner, F, San Antonio Spurs

â€¢ Age: 30

â€¢ On-court accomplishments: 1-time NBA champion

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: Florida, business, 3.96

â€¢ SAT score: 1350

â€¢ Off-court/intellectual interests: â€œReading, Scrabble, writing, math games, record collecting, pingpong.â€

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œExtremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer.â€

â€¢ If I werenâ€™t a professional athlete, Iâ€™d ... â€œ(Be a) college professor.â€

â€¢ Nerdiest thing about me: â€œIâ€™m a huge cribbage and corduroy enthusiast, and my favorite show ever is The X-Files.â€

â€¢ Smartest teammate Iâ€™ve had: â€œBrent Barry or Tim Duncan.â€

â€” Sean Deveney

20. Greg McElroy, QB, Alabama

â€¢ Age: 21

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 17-0 as a starter, 2009 national championship quarterback

â€¢ Major, GPA: Marketing, 3.86. Graduated in three years. Pursuing a masterâ€™s in sports management.

â€¢ SAT score: 1320

â€¢ What Iâ€™m reading now: â€œSportsBusiness Journal and Forbes magazine.â€

â€¢ If I donâ€™t become a professional athlete, Iâ€™ll ... â€œIâ€™d like to work in a front office of a pro franchise. Iâ€™ve thought about going to law school, to maybe be a general counsel or a general manager. Iâ€™d also like to get involved in politics.â€

â€” Dave Curtis

Honorable mention: Because smart folks know 20 just isnâ€™t enough

Brian Bannister, P, Kansas City Royals

â€¢ Age: 29

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: Finished third in 2007 A.L. rookie of the year voting.

â€¢ Alma mater, major, GPA: USC, fine arts, 3.7

Matt Howard, F, Butler

â€¢ Age: 21

â€¢ On-field accomplishments: 2008 Horizon League newcomer of the year, 2009 Horizon League player of the year

â€¢ Major, GPA: Finance, over 3.7

Ryan Newman, NASCAR driver

â€¢ Age: 32

â€¢ On-track accomplishments: 14 Cup wins, 46 poles. Won the 2008 Daytona 500. 3-time Chase qualifier. Alma mater, major: Purdue, vehicular structural engineering

This story first appeared in the Sept. 27 edition of Sporting News magazine. If you are not receiving the magazine, subscribe today at http://www.sportingnews.com/magazine/subscribe, or pick up a copy, available at most Barnes & Noble, Borders and Hudson Retail outlets.