OT: Who is the greatest athlete from your home town?
I saw this topic on another site, so I thought it would be fun if I would bring it here.
I know that the larger cities have multiple GREAT athletes, but feel free to name 1 - 3 athletes, if possible, for the smaller towns/cities.
I'll start it off with:
Hamtramck: Rudy Tomjanovich
January 17th, 2022 at 1:13 PM ^
Drew Henson
Basically the only athlete of note from my white ass hometown lol.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:14 PM ^
See my "same comment, lower bar" comment below.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
Keep scrolling ...
January 17th, 2022 at 5:26 PM ^
Eric Boughner running back for Rochester High. Rochester, Michigan
RO! RO!
January 17th, 2022 at 9:16 PM ^
Andrew Good was the ace on our state title winning team in 98 and he was drafted and started a dozen games in the majors. Paul Davis drafted in the NBA in 2006 and bounced around for a few years.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:20 PM ^
hey i'm from there too (Brighton)! he's the right answer but also a couple good UM players Dave Pearson and Clint Copenhaver.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
Me too!
When I saw this thread I was wondering if Drew Henson counts. I don't think he moved to Brighton until right around his freshman year in high school.
If that counts, then yeah its probably Drew Henson.
Cullen Finnerty would probably make a short list.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:37 PM ^
BHS Class of '83 here. We didn't have a lot of D1 talent in Brighton back in my day. The baseball team was pretty good. Several could have played college ball....but their senior season was canceled due to a drinking incident in Florida. One of the guys ended up getting on the MSU squad and played several years in the Yankees system (but no MLB games).
January 17th, 2022 at 1:14 PM ^
Owosso, Brad Van Pelt.
I am also from Alpena, probably we have a hockey player.
Edit. Went internetting. Found some info on Alpena (I was born and grew up there).
- Paul Bunker, 1901 and 1902 All-American football player; College Football Hall of Famer; born in Alpena
- Leon Czolgosz, assassin of U.S. President William McKinley; born in Alpena
- Brian Dutcher, basketball coach for San Diego State; born in Alpena
January 17th, 2022 at 10:20 PM ^
Damn. Just went down the worm hole of the McKinley assassination thanks to your comment.
Google James Parker. Heroic man, very interesting.
January 18th, 2022 at 12:58 AM ^
I live in Alpena now, originally from Posen who most of this board outside of you have never heard of. I didn't realize Dutcher was born here. Kevin Young was a first baseman for the Pirates back in the 90s and maybe early 2000s who was born in Alpena too. And Blaise Ilsley is from Alpena and was the pitching coach for the Cardinals not that long ago. Not exactly household names but it's something.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:14 PM ^
Bill Murray
January 17th, 2022 at 1:54 PM ^
Yea, he was a great athlete in...
January 17th, 2022 at 2:14 PM ^
Isn't he a really decent golfer?
January 17th, 2022 at 2:36 PM ^
He's pretty good, sure.
But Evanston has produced many far greater athletes (like Mike Kenn) especially since Bill Murray is not know for being an athlete.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:44 PM ^
Except he is not from Evanston. (Also I was joking as I could not think of any athletes.)
I have now googled and found that wwe jobber Barry Horowitz is somehow listed as being from Wilmette as well. So it’s probably him.
January 17th, 2022 at 4:17 PM ^
Bill Murray was born in Evanston
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Murray
With that, is he really "from" Evanston? He's from the general area. He also went to Loyola Academy, which produced their fair share of successful athletes.
January 17th, 2022 at 5:13 PM ^
No. He is really from Wilmette. Not too many hospitals in Wilmette for one to be born in. (Not any.)
He even wrote it on a wall once in case you're keen to have further confirmation.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:19 PM ^
Gene Kelly followed closely by Jeff Goldblum.
January 17th, 2022 at 5:35 PM ^
He had the greatest 10 second basketball career in history for the original Tune Squad before he retired…
also, a regular at celeb golf tournaments….
….and he sails! He’s a sailor!!
January 17th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
Kurt Gibson or Pat Lafontaine
January 17th, 2022 at 1:20 PM ^
LOL, you managed to misspell both; Kirk Gibson and Pat LaFontaine
January 17th, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^
Ha, came here to sarcastically post MGoStretch. I didn’t anticipate Waterford coming off the board so quickly.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:15 PM ^
Deion Sanders for my hometown. Sammy Watkins for my High School
Edit: Matt Prater went to high school in my area too.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:16 PM ^
My neighbor. He’s so strong, he’s great at throwing his snow into my driveway.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
Harrisburg PA:
L'Sean McCoy
Ricky Watters
Marques Colston
January 17th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
Terry Crews!
There are a lot from Flint, so tough to pick one. Basketball Glen Rice. Baseball Jim Abbott. Football Andre Rison
January 17th, 2022 at 2:06 PM ^
Mark Ingram, Jon Runyan, BJ Armstrong, Mateen Cleaves (Yikes), Javele McGee, Monte Morris.
Jake Long was from the town over and his best friend won a state title at Davison 2 years ago.
Flint has a ton.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:41 PM ^
how about all the rolston brothers? big in hockey and i think greg came to U of M on a baseball scholarship but was a better hockey player.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:23 PM ^
Jim Harbaugh?
January 17th, 2022 at 1:24 PM ^
Tyrone Wheatley.
In additional to his football skills, he was an even bigger track star. He had a state title in football but 7 individual state titles in track. His jnuior and senior year he won the state title in long jump, the 100 meter dash, 110 meter hurdles. And his senior year he also won the 200 meter dash.
For those unfamiliar with track, at large meets like the state finals preliminary and semifinal heats as well as field events are held in the morning with finals in the afternoon. Here's what his day likely looked like.
9 a.m. 100 dash prelims
9:15 a.m. long jump warm ups/run throughs/measurement
9:30 a.m. 110 meter hurdle prelims
9:45 a.m. possibly back to long jump pit
10:00 a.m. 200 meter dash prelims
10:15 back to long jump if his jumps weren't completed.
11:00 a.m. 100 meter dash semi finals
11:30 110 meter hurdle semis
Noon: 200 meter dash semi finals
12-1 Lunch break/final long jump run throughs if needed
FINALS FOR ALL RACES
1 p.m. 100 meter dash finals
1:30 p.m. 110 meter hurdle finals
3ish-4ish pm 200 meter dash finals
It is likely he won 9 races that day + long jump with 6 heats won + long jump won in the morning followed by winning 2 of the first 3 events of the day in finals.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:25 PM ^
Hometown - Jon Jansen
High School - Mark Campbell
January 17th, 2022 at 2:37 PM ^
Mrs. Leary and Mr. Miauri would be proud of you!
January 17th, 2022 at 4:06 PM ^
Mr. Miauri played guitar for Mitch Ryder as a Detroit Wheels. Is that athletic?
I had Mrs. Leary when she was Ms. Dwyer. Is that old?
Jansen and Campbell from the town I grew up in. Gary Sabaugh (Pro Wrestler)
Jereth Glanda - caught pass as a long snapper in the Sugar Bowl is from the town I live in now.
January 17th, 2022 at 9:12 PM ^
I didn't know Mr. Mi played guitar in a band! I just know he brought it out whenever our class asked him for it.
I caught Mrs. Leary and some of the other ones at the tail ends of their career. The Levleys, Schoenherr, Mr. Mi, and Mrs. Caste all retired my graduation year. Loved them to death!
January 17th, 2022 at 1:25 PM ^
Three answers:
Where I was born (Manistee): Dave Campbell - UM alum, MLB player and announcer
Where I grew up (John Glenn HS): Tony Boles
Where I live now (Northville): Lou Groza award winner Jake Moody
January 17th, 2022 at 1:59 PM ^
Jake is the most well known and was a very good baseball player also but Steve Juday from the 1960’s, who unfortunately QB’d the Spartans to a national title, is probably the answer. Tony Briningstool who played at State and has a son playing at Clemson was a freak athlete. He had to average over 20 tackles per game. Unblockable.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:47 PM ^
Tony Bringinstool was a year ahead of me at Northville. His older brother was my position coach. I had the pleasure of being hit by him in practice. He would make the loud mouth sound as he ran. Tony went to MSU where he backed up Percy Snow for a couple of years before blowing out both shoulders and leaving the game. He gets my vote though I know Jake Moody’s mom and aunt from high school as well.
I now live in Starkville, MS. AJ Brown, Travis Outlaw, Cool Papa Bell, and Antuan Edwards are the best from the town. Jerry Rice, from nearby Crawford, is the best from the county.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:26 PM ^
St. Louis claims Cool Papa Bell, too. He played and then lived here. He's the guy who Satchel Paige said was so fast, he would turn out his bedroom light and be under the covers before it got dark.
January 24th, 2022 at 5:02 PM ^
That's the guy. I knew his grandson before he died. The Bells still live around here.
Watching the NFL playoffs this weekend, I was reminded that my daughter graduated with NFL starters (Willie Gay of the Chiefs, as well as, AJ Brown of the Titans). There's a lot of talent around here.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^
Nims Purja. I'm from Dana, Nepal.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:22 PM ^
Faus, did you leave Dana before or after Yac Donalds was established?
January 17th, 2022 at 1:26 PM ^
I'm from Kalamazoo, plenty of good options here:
Greg Jennings
Derek Jeter
Isaiah Livers
January 17th, 2022 at 2:51 PM ^
Me, too. I would add for the older people like me on the board:
Pete Metzelaars. 15 year NFL tight end. When he played at my high school in the late 70's, he was a six foot six 240 pound option quarterback with speed. Terrifying.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:17 PM ^
Go Mustangs!
January 17th, 2022 at 3:15 PM ^
I'd say Jeter is the hands down winner of Kalamazoo for all time.
January 17th, 2022 at 6:26 PM ^
I have to go with the near unanimous Hall of Famer and 6th most hits in MLB history guy here
January 17th, 2022 at 1:31 PM ^
Pitcher Bobby Witt.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:33 PM ^
Steve Smith.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:33 PM ^
Probably Carly Piper - she's an Olympic gold medalist and one-time world record holder (as part of a relay.)
Second place: Prince Fielder. Third place: maybe David Legwand.
Will Johnson has a chance to be on the list one day.