Has any US Supreme Court justice had a career besides law?

Answer 1

Most US Supreme Court justices spent their entire career in law and/or politics; however, one interesting exception is Byron "Whizzer" White, whom President Kennedy nominated to the Court in 1962. He served until 1993.

Byron White didn't attend law school until the end of World War II. Before enlisting, he played professional football for the Pittsburgh Pirates (now Steelers) in 1938, where he was a first-round draft pick from the University of Colorado. White, who got the nickname "Whizzer" from a sports reporter, lead the league in rushing his rookie year.

White played for the Detroit Lions in 1940 and 1941. He was one of the highest paid players in the NFL, earning $15,000 a year.

He also holds the NFL record for the most lost yards on a single play. The Lions' half-back, looking for an opening in the Rams' defensive line, ran the ball backwards 51 yards, ending up on his opponent's one yard line. The Rams took possession of the ball and scored on the next play.

Byron "Whizzer" White was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

Samuel Freeman Miller, who served on the Court from 1862 until his death in 1890, was a physician for ten years before becoming a lawyer.