Red Sox draft pick preparing for Super Bowl with Panthers

Carolina Panthers rookie linebacker Shaq Thompson is preparing for Super Bowl 50, but if the decision had been up to his mother, he would have gone down a different path.

Thompson was selected in the 18th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox, as the team took a late gamble on a player who demonstrated great athleticism. Thompson, however, stuck with football and was selected in the first round of the NFL draft three years later.

"Shaq was obviously an elite athlete," Amiel Sawdaye, VP of amateur and international scouting for the Red Sox, told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "His mom really wanted him to play baseball. His brother was in the NFL briefly and got injured, and I think his mom was really concerned - the typical injury concerns that go along with football."

Thompson did give the Red Sox a brief shot. He agreed to a deal after being drafted and appeared in 13 games in rookie ball prior to his freshman season. He went hitless in 39 at-bats, striking out 37 times.

"They knew it wasn't going to be easy," said Thompson's former manager, George Lombard. "If we could get him interested enough, get him back, and if the football thing didn't work out, then we've got a pretty good athlete. And he was still young and we felt as if maybe we could mold this kid."

The career path appeared to be a wise decision for the now 21-year-old, who is one win away from a Super Bowl ring.

"I loved baseball when I was younger, but I just grew out of it," Thompson said. "I guess I wanted more contact. I wanted to be like my brother. I wasn't as good at baseball."