Former Pueblo East Kain Medrano was a heck of a football player.

But for a kid poised to be taken at some point this weekend in the NFL Draft, the kid could also play a little basketball. And for a linebacker, he can run like the wind.

Medrano was a well-rounded athlete in high school, a common theme amongst Colorado kids that make their way into the National Football League. Quite frankly, playing multiple sports – especially for high-level football players – is a huge benefit to kids of all shapes and sizes.

Medrano is far from the only example. But when talking with Kevin Shaffer on Colorado Preps Weekly earlier this week, he talked about his track season in his junior year and how it provided a boost to his college and pro football dream.

“I had a big upside in track,” Medrano said. “I won shot and [discus] my junior year and we placed pretty well in relays.”

He then referenced how much fun he had in his senior year. Pueblo East made it to the Class 3A football state title game, the 4A boys basketball Final 4 and then won another discus title in track to go with a state title in the 4×100- and 4×200-meter relays.

It’s a year that sounded fun, but it also helped him develop into the athlete that eventually became the fastest linebacker at the NFL Combine. He ran a 4.46 40-yard dash, faster than anyone else in his position group.

Medrano is far from the only high school kid to benefit from playing in multiple sports. It’s something that Denver Broncos great Champ Bailey alluded to last week when he was promoting his work with Positive Athlete. While understanding that running track and playing basketball can help with the development of physical abilities, Bailey liked the idea of the exposure to different styles of coaching and leadership.

Not everyone is going to guide an athlete the same way, so learning how live in different leadership styles is crucial to an athlete seeking to excel at a high level.

“It’s one thing to have a certain coach in football,” Bailey said. “But what I like is the variety of leadership you get exposed to. The variety of things that it takes to have a successful practice over and over again. The demands are there, but what the coaches are looking for is always a little bit different.”

Some very notable Colorado high school athletes played multiple sports at various times in their prep years:

  • Roger Rosengarten, Valor Christian – football, basketball
  • Luke McCaffrey, Valor Christian – football, basketball, lacrosse, track and field
  • Trey McBride, Fort Morgan – football, basketball, baseball
  • Chad Muma, Legend – football, basketball, track and field
  • Dalton Keene, Chatfield – football, track and field
  • Dalton Risner, Wiggins – football, basketball, baseball, track and field

And the list goes on and on.

This weekend’s NFL Draft is a good reminder that playing multiple sports enhances a full athlete. The proof is in the pudding.