OT: Greatest sports figures from your hometown?
It's kind of a slow day today, so I thought i'd throw this out there.
Seeing Bennie Oosterbaan's #47 jersey get unretired and donned by Jake Ryan got me thinking about this.
I'm from Muskegon and graduated from Muskegon High School, Bennie's alma mater. UM's Terrance Taylor, USC's Ronald Johnson, and MSU's Earl Morrall all called Muskegon their home.
Watching Oosterbaan get acknowledged instilled in me a great deal of pride not only for my high school, but my entire community. I wish I had a time machine so I could go back in time and watch arguably the greatest all-around Michigan athlete of all time get to play.
So what about you all? The MGoWorld is a vast one, filled with many a MGoPeople. Who are some of the greatest sports figures from your hometown/town?
September 9th, 2012 at 8:26 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:52 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 12:23 AM ^
Yup, Spokane. Actually went to my high school, graduated the year before I got there
September 9th, 2012 at 8:24 PM ^
Hey, I was a Big Red too. What year, dude?
I think its fair to also claim Justin Abdelkader and Nate McClouth. and Mark Hughes of the 89 M championship team.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:17 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 12:16 AM ^
Ryan Vanbergen (Whitehall). Graduated only a year ago and my fellow Muskegoners forget about him.
Mike Teeter graduated from Fruitport and played at Michigan in the 80's. Spent about 5 years in the NFL.
Ruvell Martin went to MCC. Currently on the Bills roster as a backup WR.
Sherman Poppen was a Big Red. He invented the Snurfer which many argue is an ancestor to the snowboard.
September 14th, 2012 at 4:28 PM ^
Muskegon also had Bobby Morse, played for MSU in the 80's, set the Saints franchise record for longest kickoff return for a TD.
Don Nelson was born in Muskegon.
Dan Blysma the Penguins coach was from Muskegon - West Michigan Christian High School when not playing junior hockey.
Muskegon has done quite well. I'm glad Bosch mentioned Ruvell Martin - I played with him at MCC and he was a very good athlete obviously. Too bad he was forced to play QB for us since we didn't have an alternate that could have taken advantage of him as a receiver.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:17 PM ^
No one's even heard of my hometown, let alone anyone famous coming from there...
September 9th, 2012 at 8:18 PM ^
Buffalo, NY:
Warren Spahn
Bob Lanier
Pat Kane
Greg Oden (I think he was technically born here but moved away at a young age)
September 9th, 2012 at 8:19 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:20 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^
Derek Jeter , Greg Jennings, Lindsay Tarpley, T.J. Duckett and Adam Hall all have Kalamazoo roots.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:21 PM ^
Former: Matt House - DB coach for Pitt, Harrison, MI
September 9th, 2012 at 8:22 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:22 PM ^
DOWAGIAC MI!!! Chris Taylor--NCAA Heavyweight wresting national champ and bronze metal in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Was the heaviest Olympian ever until just a few years ago.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:28 PM ^
But a couple others from nearby podunk towns....
Rachel Sheffer, Watervliet (UM WBB starting forward)
Latonya Coates, Bangor (National HS softball strikeout leader with 1,999)
Anthony "Pig" Miller, Bobo Brazil, Wilson Chandler, Robert Whaley (the best that never was), Benton Harbor
Jason Babin, Paw Paw
I saw Greg Jennings drop 52 on one of BH's best bball teams ever his senior year.
Oh yeah, Kate Upton.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:41 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
Even after the rape thing he could never straighten his life out. Bounced around JC's, kicked out of Cinci, brief (I mean BRIEF) stint with the Jazz. He was a terror in hs. That team had another 6'10" kid on that team who had to sit his senior year because he used a year of eligibility in Canada, twins that both went on to start at Ferris, and another kid who played at JC.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:00 PM ^
Wow, this is just depressing, forgot a lot of this that happened...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Whaley
Ironically, I know live in SLC.
September 9th, 2012 at 10:08 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 11:58 PM ^
That's right. Only lasted one year, IIRC. Whaley was supposed to join him at Mizzou, but got his scholarship pulled for the rape case.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:23 PM ^
A guy from Benton Harbor scored a TD for the Lions today.
September 9th, 2012 at 10:03 PM ^
Forgot about Joique Bell. He was a Harlon Hill winner (D2 Heisman) at Wayne State.
September 9th, 2012 at 11:13 PM ^
Sinbad!
September 9th, 2012 at 11:43 PM ^
Rob Fredrickson played in the NFL, and Mike Gillette was a kicker for Michigan (is #3 on the most field goals made at UM, hit at least one game winner and also hit a 56 yarder)
September 9th, 2012 at 8:32 PM ^
September 10th, 2012 at 8:16 AM ^
I went to high school and played football with Paul "the Assasin" Butcher. He was a WR/DB, then went to Wayne State, physically blew up and became a linebacker/special teams player. In the pros, he earned his reputation as a special teams kamikaze. Madden put him on his All-Madden squad. He played for the Lions, Rams, Colts, Panthers, and Raiders.
Side note: I just learned that his son is an actor/singer and has appeared in quite a few shows.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:37 PM ^
Evan Jager, 2012 Olympian. We ran together in HS and now he gets a packed gym, cheerleaders and a band when he comes back home. Still crazy to think about, especially since it's all so new (the really blowing up part, he's been running professionally for a few years now).
September 9th, 2012 at 8:38 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:44 PM ^
Luke, Tyler, and Cody Zeller would have to be mine. Though I wasn't born there and they were, I did move when I was really little to there town though and I've lived there ever since.
September 9th, 2012 at 8:52 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 8:55 PM ^
I'm from Garrett, Indiana... so Chuck Bavis, who played at Purdue and would have been a top 10 pick in the NBA if not for a drunk driving accident. He held some guy named Lew Alcindor to his lowest carreer points total in college.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:05 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 9:12 PM ^
Desmond Howard, Elvis Grbac, Clark Kellogg, Andy Canniavino, David Lighty, London Fletcher, Mike and Bob Golic all went to my high school here in Cleveland.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:38 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 9:39 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 9:27 PM ^
Mark Werner, Michigan safety and punter '67-'69
Matt Frantz, OSU kicker '86-'87, was wide left to give M the 26-24 win and a Rose Bowl trip in '86. Thanks, Matt.
Amanda Borden, gymnast, gold medal in '96 Olympics
Kim Carlisle, swimmer on '80 US Olympic team, at one time 4th in the world in the 100m backstroke
Jeff Immelt captained our basketball team--not sure if he qualifies as a "great sports figure" but at least he's in the news.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:20 PM ^
Long Island, New York...The best athlete, football player, and lacrosse player america has ever produced...Jim Brown.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:20 PM ^
Adrian, MI. Kellen Davis, TE for Da Bears. After that, Steven Threet.
September 9th, 2012 at 10:09 PM ^
is a strong word, but I had the misfortune of coaching against that kid when he was a high school freshman. Adrian has always had a solid football program, but he was obscenely tall and athletic at that point. The game plan was toss the ball as high as they could, watch him catch it, and run...to the endzone. We played a tight game and I had a safety without a brain or an additional foot and a half in height to defend him. Told the ss TO STAY BEHIND everyone at all costs, not even his grandmother was allowed to get behind him to go to the restroom. Well...he decided he was going to out jump Kellen. We lost. Stupid kids =] But I remember Kellen being such a nice kid after the game, very sportsmanlike, was a fun player to watch.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:21 PM ^
is home to a number of Red Wings and I believe a Lion or two, but the only ones from Novi High School are Mitch Maier, a reserve outfielder for the Ryals, and a girl I graduated with who went to the olympics in ice dancing.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:27 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 9:49 PM ^
you spelled watertucky wrong.
September 10th, 2012 at 8:28 AM ^
It's pronounced "Waterhood"...{smiles}
Poor Waterford, never gets any respect.
September 9th, 2012 at 9:36 PM ^
Am I the only one from East Lansing on here? Or the only one willing to admit it? Todd Martin, who I went to high school with, made it to #3 in the world in tennis. Ben Poquette made it to the NBA. After that, it's pretty slim pickings.
September 9th, 2012 at 11:04 PM ^
September 9th, 2012 at 11:21 PM ^
My brother blocked for Kinder at EL. I knew Kinder went to Notre Dame, but I didn't realize he made it to the NFL.