OT: Greatest sports figures from your hometown?

Submitted by Dilla Dude on

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?

 

Don

September 10th, 2012 at 12:19 AM ^

I was going to say absolutely nobody of any note ever out of G.P. but then I remembered Kevin Lynch and Jeff Rohrkemper, so there's that.

I Bleed Maize N Blue

September 10th, 2012 at 2:41 AM ^

Besides Rohrkemper, other GP North alumni include:  Carly Piper, 2004 Olympic gold medalist in 4 x 200m freestyle swimming; hockey players David Legwand (Nashville Predators) & Andy Miele (Miami Redhawks, Portland Pirates, affiliate of Phoenix Coyotes).

Ugh, also a Sparty whom I shall call "Slashes Downed Opponents" (Rochester Americans, affiliate of Buffalo Sabres).

Chris Getz, baseball, GP South, U-M (KC Royals).

Aaron Krickstein, tennis, went to University Liggett.

Brewers Yost

September 10th, 2012 at 1:38 AM ^

We have had a fair amount of notable athletes but off the top of my head:

Bob Chappius, Kevin Koger, Willis Berringer, Chris Wormley (in a couple years),Jimmy Jackson, Dennis Hopson, Greg Wojciechowski (wrestling). Dane Sanzenbacher, Jon Amaechi (first openly gay NBA player)

From my time: JoJuan Armour (Great MAC player, made NFL but is a headcase), Also can't remember his name but played Bball for OSU then Cincy also went to Central Catholic

 

Vasav

September 10th, 2012 at 2:40 AM ^

Rebecca Soni by far is our best, (2x Olympic gold medalist swimmer)

Andrew Bynum's a clear second. We're not an old town, a suburb of Trenton that really only got developed in the 1980s, so I'm pretty confident in saying those two are our best.

NoMoPincherBug

September 10th, 2012 at 3:34 AM ^

Southgate Aquinas alum.  Kevin Nash wrester/actor was there before my time.  Paul Assenmacher former MLB pitcher (I caught for him one time when he was in majors came by the HS for practice).  Mark Montgomery former MSU bball player and assistant coach...now at NIU as HC (used to party at his house and shoot hoops with him at the gym, nice guy, went on some "beer runs" with him at local party stores).  Jon Garrivigila Mr. Basketball... Keith Mitchell former Michigan TE played at Anderson with my older brother.

810steveo

September 10th, 2012 at 3:40 AM ^

Jon Runyan from Carmen-Ainworth, Rick Leach Southwestern, Sam Webb Central, the Byrd Family Hamady my Alma Meter, Shaun Smith Northern, Quintin Patilla Carmen-Ainworth, Leval Lucus-Perry Powers, Tweety Nolan Northern, Eric Turner Central, also down the road at Grand Blanc Justice Hayes the number two back of the Genesee County Backfield.

johnvand

September 10th, 2012 at 8:43 AM ^

Travis Conlan, yo.

Played pickup hoops with him once or twice when he was in high school.  Made the rest of us scrawny white kids look like scrawny white kids.

Giff4484

September 10th, 2012 at 9:18 AM ^

My area has produced.

Rocket Ismail

Qadry Ismail

Bob Sura

Greg Skrepenak ( Former Michigan and NFL O lineman)

Mike Mussina

Ron Powlus

Mike Munchak

Gerry McNamara

Jim Crowley 1/4 of the Notre Dame 4 horseman

PJ Carlesimo

Evil Empire

September 10th, 2012 at 9:25 AM ^

I was born in Detroit, but did most of my growing up in Solon.  Mad Dog was before my time but I believe his "kick ass and take names" quote in Bo's book comes from a HS coach of his who was still around when I was in school...the youth minister at my Catholic parish btw.

I now live in Mentor, OH, home of former Baldwin-Wallace QB Jim Tressel.  When Lee Tressel coached at Mentor High he encouraged his player Bill Kolesar to attend Michigan because Lee didn't like Woody Hayes.  So we have Lee Tressel to thank for Bill's son John.

74polSKA

September 10th, 2012 at 10:03 AM ^

Baltimore Ohio.  Larry Pegram is an AMA superbike rider/team owner.  He's my age and had a Baltimore address but went to a different school.  Does that count?  I'm from a town of 3500 so we haven't had much of an impact on the world, unless you count acid rain from our paper mill!

MikeCohodes

September 10th, 2012 at 10:14 AM ^

I went to Stevenson HS (the one in IL not the one in MI) and we had a number of famous athletes:

Tamika Catchings - WNBA all star, Team USA player

Andrea Jaeger - #2 women's tennis player in the early 1980s

NFL coaches Rex and Rob Ryan

Matt O'Dwyer - 10 season NFL lineman, went to Northwestern in the early 90s.

A couple other not so famous former football and hockey players bounced around the pros for a couple seasons as well.

Oh and OJ Simpson's (alleged) murder victim Ron Goldman went to my high school too.

 

chatster

September 10th, 2012 at 10:14 AM ^

One-time residents with sports pedigrees include:

A. W. Tillinghast (golf course architect of Bethpage State Park, Ridgewood Country Club, Baltusrol Golf Club, Winged Foot Golf Club and many other notable courses)

Craig Beardsley (once set world record in 200-meter butterfly; won gold medal at Pan American Games; member of 1980 Olympic Team that never got to compete in Moscow)

Dan Pasqua (drafted by New York Yankees; International League MVP and Rookie of the Year in 1985 for the Columbus Clippers; played in MLB for Yankees and Chicago White Sox)

Cory Booker (USA Today high school football All-American; played football at Stanford; Rhodes Scholar; Mayor of Newark, New Jersey and speaker at Democratic National Convention)

Eric Katzman (All-State pitcher; pitched for Michigan Wolverines from 2007-2010; started in exhibition game Michigan played against the New York Mets in February 2008) 

MGoCombs

September 10th, 2012 at 10:17 AM ^

Hazel Park has some great athletes that decided to take their talents elsewhere for high school, like none other than Shane Morris. Also, Connor Barwin of the Houston Texans.

Those who actually attended the high school include Cy Young winner Bob Welch and Gold Medal wrestler Steve Fraser. I am sure I am forgetting some.

Canadian

September 10th, 2012 at 10:30 AM ^

Colton Fretter. Small town of 3000 people in southwestern Ontario. Won provincial hockey championships every year coming up. Colton grew up a die hard Michigan fan but wasn't recruited by Coach Berenson so he went on scholarship to state. Played four years in el and I do believe he wore a letter his senior season.

Waveman

September 10th, 2012 at 10:39 AM ^

My high school produced Mark Stepnoski as well as a couple of pretty good hawkeyes in Bob Sanders and Eric Hinkle. The best known athelete from Erie is probably Fred Biletnikof, but Mike McCoy was a good one too. We had a few Olympians: Bruce Baumgartner, Nate Carr, and Caryn Kadavy. Javon Johnson and Eric Hicks of the NFL, and US Open of Bowling champion, Bob Learn Jr.

Seth

September 10th, 2012 at 10:45 AM ^

Well I drove by Country Day every morning on my way to school so this has to count:

My high school produced Aarbon Webster more recently. We had a couple of Olympic skaters get big for like, a year, one of which was Meryl Davis.

SemperBlue88

September 10th, 2012 at 11:28 AM ^

To add to the Benton Harbor list... don't forget Chet Walker. He was a starter on the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers (many considered the best NBA team of all time) and was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in February.

davking1980

September 10th, 2012 at 11:35 AM ^

Home to bball asst. coach LaVall Jordan.

Graduated a year ahead of me.  Lost to Battier era Country Day in state finals their senior years.  That team had 4 guys that should have played at least D1 college ball but LaVall was the only one that had his shit together.

Trebor

September 10th, 2012 at 3:03 PM ^

Orignally (and currently) from Pittsburgh - Obviously tons of football players, but probably has to be Dan Marino. Guys like Tony Dorsett and Joe Montana were born in the western PA area, but not actually in Pittsburgh. Same with both Ken Griffey Jr. and Sr.

Grew up in Monroe, MI - The only really famous people to come from Monroe are Christie Brinkley and Kaye Lani Rae Rafko (Miss America 1988). Also a bunch of people related to George Custer (his wife, for instance - George himself grew up in Monroe but was born in Ohio). For sports, maybe Bronco McKart (won a few WBO titles)?

Crash

September 10th, 2012 at 4:02 PM ^

Don't think I saw anyone else mention Brighton, MI.  The only two I can think of are Drew Henson and Dave Pearson.  Both played football for our wolverines.  Ohh, and it's a bit of a stretch but... Doug Rice played for the Detroit Ignition (indoor soccer).

jeffv437

September 12th, 2012 at 12:57 PM ^

Not only do we give the world the munchkins for the wizard of oz but we have sent some wizards to UM one for basketball Zack Novak and one who swims Kyle Whitaker.

Go Trojans Thats CHS Trojans