Do you love sports almost as much as you love your hometown of Columbus, Texas? Your two loves can come together when celebrating sports stars from Columbus. The city has churned out some big names in professional sports, and that’s reason to celebrate. Get the details on three of the biggest names to come from this part of Texas.
Aaron Schobel
The Schobel family is well known here in Columbus. First, of course, there’s Schobels Restaurant, a Columbus mainstay since 1979. Then there’s Aaron Schobel, one of the biggest names to come out of Columbus and the son of two of the restaurant’s co-owners.
A high school standout, he went on to earn All-Western Athletic Conference honors with Texas Christian University. Then he was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and enjoyed a fantastic career, including two Pro Bowls appearances.
Known as a defensive end that never gave up, the play wasn’t over until the referee blew the whistle when he was on the field. That grit and determination helped him sack quarterback Tom Brady more than any other player. That’s quite an accomplishment.
Matt Schobel
Aaron’s brother, Matt Schobel, was a standout athlete at Columbus High School, excelling in basketball, track, and football, where he was a quarterback. He initially signed with Texas A&M but transferred to Texas Christian University.
His career took off at TCU. The coaches noticed that he had excellent speed and agility for a man of his size, so they moved him from quarterback to tight end. He embraced the change and racked up impressive statistics.
The Cincinnati Bengals took note, taking him in the 2002 NFL Draft. After four years with the Bengals, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Doug Rau
When Doug Rau was born in Columbus at the end of 1948, his parents surely had big dreams for him. However, they probably didn’t imagine he’d end up being one of the biggest superstars in Texas. Baseball fans and Major League Baseball scouts took notice when he pitched at Texas A&M University. His performance led the Dodgers to select him in the first round of the secondary phase of the amateur draft.
He broke out in 1972 and went on to become a starter for the club the following year. The team took home the National League pennant that same year, and Rau cemented his place in the starting rotation. As a starter, his team took home additional pennants and appeared in the World Series. Unfortunately, injuries caused him to hang up his cleats after the 1981 season. Even though his career was cut short, he made quite the mark on Major League Baseball.
It’s clear that big things can happen in Columbus. It’s a great place to live and helps people unlock their talents so that they can embark on successful careers.
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