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 11:41 PM ^
Third place: maybe David Legwand.
you’re going with Legwand over Zach Werenski? Probably accurate if you ask anyone not a fan of UofM Hockey, but still.
also, I’m saying Aaron Krickstein should be in the discussion. Ranked as high as 6 in the world. Piper was just inside the top 6 for her country in her best event, not all swimmers at that Olympics
January 17th, 2022 at 1:34 PM ^
Was Bill Fralic. Is now Aaron Donald.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:36 PM ^
Davison, MI:
Tim Thomas (G) Boston Bruins
Ken Morrow (D) 1980 USA Hockey
Barry Stokes NFL Lineman
January 17th, 2022 at 2:09 PM ^
Davison as well, Brett Metcalf, Paul Donahoe, lots of great wrestlers.
Alex Facundo at Penn State right now should be a real force in college for the next 4 years.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:12 PM ^
Kyle Kuzma, current NBA player, went to Davison as well. He moved in like 10th grade to go to a prep school. He now says he is from Flint, but he went to Davison.
The are a lot of "Flint" people who are really from Davison.
January 17th, 2022 at 10:54 PM ^
There are also a lot of "people that think they know what they're talking about" on here.
Kuzma went to Bentley. That is a Burton district school. Not Davison.
January 17th, 2022 at 11:00 PM ^
There are also a lot of "people that think they know what they're talking about" on here.
Kuzma went to Bentley. That is a Burton district school. Not Davison.
That said, I completely agree that a lot of the Flint suburbian athletes try to list Flint as their hometown in efforts to boost their toughness or credibility. Which is nuts.
Jake Long was an east Flint suburb (Lapeer, east of Davison) beast who turned into the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:37 PM ^
Best? I would have to say Floyd Mayweather Jr. Nicest? Dave Rosema. Honorable mention David Harris (he did alot of work with the inner city youth).
January 17th, 2022 at 1:55 PM ^
Definitely agree on Dave Rozema. Run into him at the local golf course occasionally. Super nice and easy to talk to. One of my favorites I met at Tiger Fantasy Camp.?
January 17th, 2022 at 2:09 PM ^
Devin Booker might end up at the top of this list.
January 17th, 2022 at 4:09 PM ^
Hopefully Kobe Bufkin
January 17th, 2022 at 4:31 PM ^
Stanley Ketchel had a fascinating life.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:48 PM ^
One of the greatest Jewish boxers of all time.
January 17th, 2022 at 5:13 PM ^
Gerald R. Ford.
January 17th, 2022 at 5:59 PM ^
Hello Grand Rapids.
If you’re going Dave Rozema, don’t sleep on Mickey Stanley from my dad’s era.
As mentioned here, Floyd Mayweather Jr
Another distinguished (long and lucrative) career is Jared Veldheer.
Devin Booker, of course
From my high school, unfortunately Xavier Tillman and Duane Washington Jr And Kobe Bufkin!
January 18th, 2022 at 8:47 AM ^
User name fits!
January 17th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
Early years in Stone Mountain, GA: Chris Gardocki or maybe Jake the Snake
Marietta, GA: Shareef Abdur-Rahim
January 17th, 2022 at 3:03 PM ^
Speed reading your post I first thought you listed Jake from State Farm. Then I thought of Gardocki, the playground tough from Step Brothers
January 17th, 2022 at 1:39 PM ^
Greatest Grand Rapids athletes: Mickey Stanley, Stan Ketchel, Jerry Ford, the Mayweathers, David Harris.
From my high school: track teammate and Boston Marathon winner Greg Meyer, who is also in the U of M HOF.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:01 PM ^
I was just looking up GR athletes and has no idea that Wally Pipp was from GR. Also, his son went to U of M.
January 17th, 2022 at 4:46 PM ^
I forgot about Pipp.
He's the Yankees first baseman who lost his job to Lou Gehrig, right?
January 17th, 2022 at 6:11 PM ^
Can`t leave this unanswered: correct. He lost his starting 1B job due to a headache, then Gehrig played 2100+ straight games at 1B.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:32 PM ^
I've seen Wally Pipp used as a verb, as in someone who got sick and lost his job got "Wally Pipped."
January 17th, 2022 at 5:05 PM ^
Bill Dufek was an All Big Ten tackle at UofM from GR with an injury shortened NFL career. He could have played hockey in college. Rare size, strength and speed.
He beat Jimmy Jackson in 3 out 5 heavyweight high school wrestling matches. Jimmy Jackson went on to become a 3x NCAA Champion wrestling at Oklahoma St.
January 17th, 2022 at 6:05 PM ^
Good mention of David Harris.
West Catholic? In 1993 we beat the WC basketball squad by 51. That was fun.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:23 PM ^
Yes, GRWC, and we were seldom good at hoops, especially boy's basketball. My senior class was the first (and quite possibly only) to ever win the Grand Rapids City League championship.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:40 PM ^
Steiner brothers maybe? I can't think of anyone else.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:42 PM ^
Floyd Mayweather
Devin Booker
David Harris
Luke Glendening
and Wally Pipp
January 17th, 2022 at 10:08 PM ^
Gotta add Mike Knuble. GR/UofM/NHL
January 17th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
Sadly, probably Charles Rogers. Dude had all the talent in the world, but just couldn’t keep it together
January 17th, 2022 at 2:01 PM ^
Despite what my mgohandle suggests, I did live a short stint of my childhood in Saginaw. I would think that Sarena Williams would represent this honor. I mean Stuart Sweigart had a better NFL career than CR.
January 17th, 2022 at 2:26 PM ^
I can see the Serena argument, but I disagree. Tennis players are great at tennis, but IMO they don’t compare to football/basketball players when it comes to pure athleticism. Schweigert may have had a better career than Rogers, but the question wasn’t ‘who had the best career’ - that would be Lamar Woodley, IMO. The question was ‘’best athlete’ and CR was the best pure athlete of the bunch. I watched that kid get out of his car a minute or so before hand, slowly walk to the track and then smoke everyone by 2ish seconds in the 200 (and the kids he was running against weren’t total chumps, btw).
January 17th, 2022 at 2:44 PM ^
Fair argument. CR was undoubtedly a fantastic athlete, but I guess I was using Stuart Schweigert as barometer because he was also a fantastic athlete (but also was able to produce more professionally).
With that, you are correct, production doesn't equal athleticism.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:07 PM ^
Schweigert was impressive too - no question, but to me CR was just such a natural that he made everything look effortless. Reasonable minds can disagree, and I may be slightly biased, however, as it probably helps soften the blow of being one of the kids he smoked by 2ish seconds that afternoon.
January 17th, 2022 at 11:19 PM ^
Facts-
Schweigert beat Rogers in the 100 meters in 1999.
January 17th, 2022 at 8:10 PM ^
Have to disagree. McEnroe doesn't scream athlete. Nor do Chris Evert and Jimmy Connors. They were great tennis players. Serena is the goat because she is that and a dominant athlete.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:18 PM ^
Wow I forgot about Rogers…
I said Jrich or Woodley, but Schweigert was great too. He beat Rogers in the track finals for the state championship
January 17th, 2022 at 4:14 PM ^
that was an epic year for Michigan track. But Stu didn't win anything. Kelly Baraka won the 100, Rogers was second and Stu was 3rd. Rogers won the 200 with Baraka second and Stu 3rd again.
https://www.mhsaa.com/MHSAA_ARCHIVE/sports/btr/00b1res.html
I ran the 110m hurdles at that meet. I did not qualify for the final.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
Craig Biggio
January 17th, 2022 at 1:43 PM ^
Boomer Esiason
Oh, and does Ralph "Daniel LaRusso/Karate Kid" Macchio count?
January 17th, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
Mesa, AZ: Danny White or Todd Heap
January 17th, 2022 at 1:44 PM ^
I grew up in Southfield so I am going to say Ted Simmons
January 17th, 2022 at 8:40 PM ^
Fabulous hitter. Finally made it into the HOF.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
Trick question for me. From my home town, not sure. Played at my home town school? Donovan Edwards.
January 17th, 2022 at 1:49 PM ^
Muskegon: Bennie Oosterbaan, Earl Morrall, Ronald Johnson, Cameron Martinez, Todd Herremans
High School (Mona Shores): Justin Abdelkader, Tyree Jackson, Brady Rose
Watching Ronald Johnson in high school was jaw dropping. Really wish we could have seen him in a Michigan uniform.
Brady Rose is pound for pound one of the best football players I have seen. In a game two years ago he scored a touchdown in every way possible. Kick return, punt return, pick 6, rushing TD, passing TD. Lead Mona Shores to back-2-back state titles (fyi, our football teams first year of making the playoffs was about 5 years ago.)
January 17th, 2022 at 2:52 PM ^
great names there. some adds:
- ruvell martin played 7 years in the nfl
- my high school classmate, bobby morse, was a four-year starter at michigan state and playe four years in the nfl.
- longtime orioles and angles second baseman bobby grich was born in muskegon.
- and my favorite "wait, what?" name - nba hall of famer don nelson. it's true!
- college football hall of fame coach (does that count?) bob zuppke
not too bad for a midsize town.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:17 PM ^
Don Nelson was born in Muskegon too, but I don’t know if he ever actually lived there aside from birth.
January 17th, 2022 at 3:46 PM ^
We ended up with Donovan Warren after RoJo committed to USC. We did ok.
January 17th, 2022 at 9:55 PM ^
A lot of really good to geat college football players came out of Muskegon. Not practical to name them all here.
Others Michigan fans might remember: Terrance Taylor, William Flora (played with Oosterbaan - could have gone to NFL but became physician), Jack Weisenberger - fullback on the 1948 champions (Muskegon Heights).
Others not related to Michigan: Jay Achterhoff (Notre Dame and NFL), Steve Sieradzki (signed with the Yankees to play both baseball and football (didn't make it to the majors in either but still...)
Quite a few other really good athletes. Too many to mention.
January 18th, 2022 at 8:29 AM ^
Came here to say some of the same names - Abdelkader and Earl Morrall being the most famous, as well as Bobby Morse and Terrance Taylor.