Top 10 Athletes From Nebraska
Honorable Mention to Johnny Hopp of Hastings. A right fielder and 1st baseman, he won Pennants with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1942, 1943 and 1944, and with the Yankees in 1950 and 1951, winning the World Series in all but 1943. He batted .296 lifetime.
Honorable Mention to Bob Cerv of Weston. The Yankees seemed to keep "loaning him out," soccer-style, to other teams. He first played for the Yankees in 1951 and last in 1962, a period that included 10 Pennants, but only appeared in 3 World Series, winning in 1956 and losing in 1955 and 1960. (He was injured for the 1961 run-in, but did get another ring.)
He was an All-Star in 1958 with the Kansas City Athletics, and was still with them in the Winter of 1960 when he was invited to appear as the A's' representative on the TV show Home Run Derby. As it turned out, though, he ended up with the fewest career home runs of any player who appeared on that show: 105.
Honorable Mention to Justin Louis "Joba" Chamberlain of Lincoln. Few Yankee prospects created as much of a sensation as he did in August and September 2007. Then came The Bug Game in Cleveland, and he was never the same. Actually, what really wrecked him was the dumb decision to convert him from a reliever to a starter with an innings limit. (And people say Brian Cashman is a "genius.")
Nevertheless, he did appear in 4 postseasons with the Yankees, including pitching in the clinching Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, and 1 more with the Detroit Tigers. And he did win another ring in 2015, with the closest thing he had to a local team where he grew up, the Kansas City Royals, although he didn't appear in the postseason.
But injuries ruined him, and he hasn't pitched since July 3, 2016. Presuming he never returns -- he's 32, so we can't be completely sure that he's done -- it's with a record of 25-21, with 7 saves.
Honorable Mention to Billy Southworth of Harvard. A rather ordinary outfielder in the 1910s and '20s, he is nonetheless 1 of just 17 men to win a World Series as both a non-managing player and a non-playing manager, and the 1st of 6 to do it with the same franchise, winning it with the St. Louis Cardinals as a player in 1926 and as their manager in 1942 and 1944.
Nevertheless, he did appear in 4 postseasons with the Yankees, including pitching in the clinching Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, and 1 more with the Detroit Tigers. And he did win another ring in 2015, with the closest thing he had to a local team where he grew up, the Kansas City Royals, although he didn't appear in the postseason.
But injuries ruined him, and he hasn't pitched since July 3, 2016. Presuming he never returns -- he's 32, so we can't be completely sure that he's done -- it's with a record of 25-21, with 7 saves.
Honorable Mention to Billy Southworth of Harvard. A rather ordinary outfielder in the 1910s and '20s, he is nonetheless 1 of just 17 men to win a World Series as both a non-managing player and a non-playing manager, and the 1st of 6 to do it with the same franchise, winning it with the St. Louis Cardinals as a player in 1926 and as their manager in 1942 and 1944.
He also managed the Boston Braves to their last Pennant before leaving town, in 1948. He was elected to the Hall of Fame as a manager.
Honorable Mention to Mel Harder of Omaha. An apt name for a pitcher, and he did have quite the fastball. And quite the curveball. He had a 223-186 career record, all with the Cleveland Indians, appearing in 4 All-Star Games in the 1930s. The Indians retired his Number 18, and elected him to their team Hall of Fame, although he has not yet been elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mention to Alex Gordon of Lincoln. He's a 3-time All-Star and a 5-time Gold Glove. Although it's his fielding that made him a star with the Royals' 2014 Pennant winners and 2015 World Champions, with 160 career home runs, he is already the all-time leader among players born in Nebraska, and he's turning only 34 this weekend.
Honorable Mention to George Sauer of Lincoln and Randy Rasmussen of Elba. A receiver and a guard, they were members of the Jets team that won Super Bowl III.
Honorable Mention to Marlin Briscoe of Omaha. With the 1968 Denver Broncos, he became the 1st black quarterback to start in the AFL. He was converted into a receiver, and was an All-Pro with the 1970 Buffalo Bills, and won Super Bowls VII and VIII with the Miami Dolphins. Having played at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (not the main campus in Lincoln, a.k.a. the Cornhuskers), he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mention to Marlin Briscoe of Omaha. With the 1968 Denver Broncos, he became the 1st black quarterback to start in the AFL. He was converted into a receiver, and was an All-Pro with the 1970 Buffalo Bills, and won Super Bowls VII and VIII with the Miami Dolphins. Having played at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (not the main campus in Lincoln, a.k.a. the Cornhuskers), he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Honorable Mention to Jay Novacek of Gothenburg. A star tight end at the University of Wyoming, he was a 5-time Pro Bowler, helping the Dallas Cowboys win Super Bowls XXVII, XXVIII and XXX. He is in the College Football Hall of Fame, but not yet in the Pro Football Hall.
Honorable Mention to Eric Crouch of Omaha. He quarterbacked the University of Nebraska to the 1999 Big 12 Conference Championship, and won the 2001 Heisman Trophy. He is the 'Huskers' all-time leader in total offense, 1 of 13 players to both rush and pass for 1,000 yards in a season, and 1 of only 3 quarterbacks to both rush for 3,000 yards and pass for 4,000 yards in a career. But NFL teams didn't see his college accomplishments. They only saw that he was a shade under 6 feet tall, and though the was too short to play quarterback in the NFL.
The St. Louis Rams drafted him, even though they already had Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger -- shades of 1963, when the Los Angeles edition of the Rams drafted Heisman winner Terry Baker when they already had Roman Gabriel. They compounded it by switching Crouch to receiver, when they already had Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, part of their "Greatest Show On Turf" offense. It was a wasted pick, and after getting hurt in a preseason game in 2002, he left without playing a regular season down.
He bounced around, and the closest he came to playing major league football was with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2006. He is now an analyst for Fox College Football.
The St. Louis Rams drafted him, even though they already had Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger -- shades of 1963, when the Los Angeles edition of the Rams drafted Heisman winner Terry Baker when they already had Roman Gabriel. They compounded it by switching Crouch to receiver, when they already had Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt, part of their "Greatest Show On Turf" offense. It was a wasted pick, and after getting hurt in a preseason game in 2002, he left without playing a regular season down.
He bounced around, and the closest he came to playing major league football was with the Toronto Argonauts of the CFL in 2006. He is now an analyst for Fox College Football.
Honorable Mention to Kenny Sailors of Bushnell. The point guard may have been the originator of the jump shot as we've come to know it. He led the University of Wyoming to the NCAA Championship in 1943, being named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player and the national Player of the Year. Wyoming retired his Number 4, and a statue of him now stands outside their Arena-Auditorium. He played in the NBA in its 1st 5 seasons, 1946 to 1951.
Honorable Mention to Bob Boozer of Omaha. A high school teammate of Bob Gibson, the forward led Kansas State University to the 1958 Final Four, and won a Gold Medal with the U.S. team at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. That entire team, Boozer included, was elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. KSU retired his Number 30.
He later played for the Knicks, reached the NBA Finals with the 1966 Los Angeles Lakers, was an original 1966-67 Chicago Bull, was a 1968 All-Star, and finally won an NBA Championship with the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks. He appears not to be related to fellow NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer.
Honorable Mention to Jim Hartung of Omaha. At 5-foot-4-1/2, there was no way he was going to play football for the Cornhuskers, let alone an NFL team. But he was a member of the 1984 U.S. men's gymnastics team, the only one ever to win an all-around Olympic Gold Medal.
Honorable Mention to Gil Dodds of Falls City. A middle-distance runner, he won the James E. Sullivan Award for the outstanding amateur athlete in America in 1943. From 1944 to 1948, he held the world record for an indoor mile run, 4 minutes, 5.3 seconds. In 1948, just before the Olympic Trials, he developed the mumps and couldn't race, costing him his last chance, after World War II had canceled the Games for 1940 and 1944.
Honorable Mention to Gil Dodds of Falls City. A middle-distance runner, he won the James E. Sullivan Award for the outstanding amateur athlete in America in 1943. From 1944 to 1948, he held the world record for an indoor mile run, 4 minutes, 5.3 seconds. In 1948, just before the Olympic Trials, he developed the mumps and couldn't race, costing him his last chance, after World War II had canceled the Games for 1940 and 1944.
Only 3 men born in Nebraska have played in the NHL, all centers from Omaha: Johnny Matz, 30 games for the 1924-25 Montreal Canadiens; Jed Ortmeyer, who played for the Rangers from 2003 to 2007, and continued in the League until 2012; and Jake Guentzel of the Penguins, who helped them win the Stanley Cup as a rookie last year. As of right now, 119 career points between them.
Now, the Top 10:
10. Johnny Rodgers of Omaha. Known as "Johnny the Jet" at Omaha's Tech High, and "Johnny R Superstar" at the University of Nebraska (while Jesus Christ Superstar was on Broadway), he was a great college running back, and maybe the best kick returner in college football history.
Now, the Top 10:
10. Johnny Rodgers of Omaha. Known as "Johnny the Jet" at Omaha's Tech High, and "Johnny R Superstar" at the University of Nebraska (while Jesus Christ Superstar was on Broadway), he was a great college running back, and maybe the best kick returner in college football history.
(This was helped by this being the early days of artificial turf in the NCAA, and Memorial Stadium was switched to the plastic stuff in 1970, just in time for his sophomore eligibility to kick in. Freshmen didn't become eligible for any varsity sport until 1972.)
Rodgers helped Bob Devaney's 'Huskers to undefeated Big 8 and National Championship seasons in 1970 (11-0-1) and 1971 (13-0, including a spectacular performance against arch-rival Oklahoma in the "Game of the Century"), before a "drop" to 9-2-1 in 1972 (but still Big 8 Champions), winning the Heisman Trophy as a senior. Overall, he went 33-2-2 on the varsity, including winning the Orange Bowl all 3 times.
His last game for Nebraska? The 1973 Orange Bowl, in which he ran for 3 touchdowns, caught a touchdown pass, and threw a touchdown pass -- and left the game with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd quarter. Nebraska beat Notre Dame 40-6.
He seemed set up for a great NFL career. But instead of signing with the San Diego Chargers, who drafted him in 1973, he signed for much more money with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He played 4 seasons with them, was named an All-Star all 4 times, won the CFL Most Outstanding Rookie in 1973, and the League title, the Grey Cup, in 1974.
Having seen that he proved his point, the Chargers opened the vault for him in 1977. Here, Johnny R's luck ran out: Not only did the Als win the next Grey Cup without him, but injuries allowed him only 11 appearances in 1977 and 6 in 1978. He played his last pro game at age 27. He got even less of a chance to make a professional mark than did Gale Sayers. (More about him in a moment.)
But he had plenty of contacts among Nebraska alumni, and built a fine business career for himself. The University retired his Number 20, and dedicated a statue of him outside Memorial Stadium. The Alouettes also gave him a "day" -- unfortunately, it was September 11, 2001, and, for a few days, he was stranded in Canada. The year before, he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame and the greatest player in Big 8 history. In 2008, ESPN named ranked him 23rd on their list of the Top 25 College Football Players of All Time.
9. Pat Fischer of Omaha. He was only 5-foot-9, and was thus known as The Mouse. But with the 1960s St. Louis Cardinals football team, he, a cornerback, and safety Larry Wilson formed a tough defensive backfield. He later helped the Washington Redskins win the 1972 NFC Championship. A 3-time Pro Bowler, he was named to the Redskins Ring of Fame. Despite 56 career interceptions, he is not yet in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, unlike Wilson, who had 4 fewer.
8. Mick Tinglehoff of Lexington. A 6-time All-Pro, the center helped the Minnesota Vikings win their only NFL Championship, in 1969, and their only 3 NFC Championships, in 1973, 1974 and 1976 -- but they lost all 4 Super Bowls. The Vikings retired his Number 53 and named him to their Ring of Honor, and he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
7. Charles Arthur "Dazzy" Vance of Hardy. Although he pitched well in the minor leagues, he didn't make his major league debut until he was 24. And until he was 31, he had a career record of 0-8, including a lackluster 10 games with the Yankees from 1915 to 1918.
But with the Brooklyn Dodgers, he became a star. In 1924, at 33, he won the Triple Crown of pitching, leading the National League in wins with 28, ERA and strikeouts. He led the NL in strikeouts 7 times, dazzling batters, thus, "Dazzy." He was, in 1933 and 1934, briefly a teammate of the Dean brothers on the St. Louis Cardinals, who thus had Dazzy, Dizzy and Daffy. And it was on those 1934 "Gashouse Gang" Cardinals that he won his only Pennant.
He finished 197-140 -- meaning he won no games before he was 31, but from then until he was 44, he won almost 200, including a no-hitter in 1925. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame during his lifetime. In 1981, baseball historians Lawrence Ritter and Donald Honig included him in their book The 100 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time.
6. Richie Ashburn of Tilden. What Phil Rizzuto was to the New York Tri-State Area, Ashburn was to the Delaware Valley: A beloved ballplayer who became a beloved broadcaster, and had to wait too long to reach the Baseball Hall of Fame, but finally reached it.
Known as the White Mouse for his always-light hair, the nickname became, as it was for the similarly very blond Yankee pitcher Eddie Ford, "Whitey" -- or, as his broadcast partner Harry Kalas would eventually make it, "His Whiteness."
There were no Gold Gloves for most of his career, but he was a 6-time All-Star, led the National League in stolen bases in 1948, and led it in batting average in 1955 and 1958. He was the sparkplug of the Phillies' 1950 "Whiz Kids," the youngest team by average age ever to win the NL Pennant. (They were also the last all-white team to win the NL Pennant; the '53 Yankees were the last all-white team in the AL to do so.)
He finished his career with a .308 lifetime batting average and 2,574 hits. Those numbers serve as the "address markers" on the street sign that marks Ashburn Alley, a.k.a. the center field concourse at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies retired his Number 1, and named him to their Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame; in each case, he was their 2nd honoree, behind his teammate, pitcher Robin Roberts.
His broadcasting doesn't enter into this list, but it's worth mentioning, as he called games for the Phils from 1963 until his death in 1997, 2 years after he was finally voted into Cooperstown. He had his share of catchphrases: "Oh, brother!" "Bet your house on it!" "He looks runnerish." And "Hard to believe, Harry." When a player he didn't consider a good hitter got a hit, he would say, "I'm going down and picking up a bat!" He also liked to say, "The game's easy, Harry, when you get good pitching, you get good fielding, and you score a few."
Like Rizzuto, he had a habit of announcing birthdays (or anniversaries, or retirements, or get-well wishes), and of talking about restaurants he liked. One time, the radio station -- his employer, not the team -- told him he couldn't mention Celebre's, an Italian restaurant near the Philadelphia sports complex, on the air, because a certain pizza chain was a sponsor and didn't like the competition. He got around it by combining his tendencies: "And I'd like to wish a happy birthday to the Celebre's twins, Plain and Pepperoni!" Twenty minutes later, the free pizzas arrived in the booth, and there was nothing the station could do.
5. Guy Chamberlin of Blue Springs. One of the most interesting figures of the dawn of pro football, he could play pretty much any position, but mainly played at end, on both sides of the ball, well enough to be a 4-time All-Pro.
He led the Canton Bulldogs to the 1919 Ohio League title, the last time the "world championship" of pro football was won before there was an NFL. He joined the Decatur Staleys when the League was founded in 1920, making him an original Chicago Bear. He helped the team win the 1921 NFL Championship, then went back to Canton as player-coach, winning titles in 1922, 1923 and 1924. Then he moved to the Philadelphia-based Frankford Yellow Jackets, and played and coached them to the 1926 NFL Championship. So that's 5 NFL titles, with 3 different teams.
He was named to the NFL's 1920s All-Decade Team, and to the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. He even defied bad luck, wearing Number 13 -- which means that Wilt wasn't the 1st Chamberl(a)in to wear 13 on a World Championship team in Philadelphia.
4. Sam Crawford of Wahoo. Because of his hometown, he was known as "Wahoo Sam." It makes him sound like a hothead, or even a fool. Far from it: He was one of the most intellectual players of all time, which made him a rarity at the turn of the 20th Century.
With the Cincinnati Reds in 1901, he led the National League in home runs. With the Detroit Tigers in 1908, he led the American League, becoming the 1st man to lead both Leagues. Not considered a big deal at the time, and he only finished with 97 -- it was the Dead Ball Era, which means you won't be surprised to find out that 51 of them were inside the park -- but he batted .309 lifetime, had 2,961 hits (those extra 39 he needed for 3,000 would have made him a lot more famous), and hit 309 triples, still an all-time record.
He helped the Tigers win Pennants in 1907, 1908 and 1909, in an outfield that included Ty Cobb and Davy Jones. (Not the sailor, or the Monkee.) He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Reds elected him to their team Hall of Fame, and the Tigers list his name along with the other Hall-of-Famers who played for them, but don't have their numbers retired (he played before they were worn), on a wall at Comerica Park.
3. Gale Sayers of Omaha. He set a State long jump record in high school, but chose football. Had he been able to enjoy an injury-free career, we might now be talking about him as not merely the greatest athlete from his home State (which he may have been), or the greatest football player the University of Kansas has ever produced (only John Riggins comes close), but the greatest running back of the NFL's 1st 100 years.
The Chicago Bears drafted him in 1965, and he scored a record-breaking 22 touchdowns that season, including 6 in a single game against the San Francisco 49ers despite a torrential rain that turned Wrigley Field into a mud pit. He was named NFL Rookie of the Year, led the League in rushing twice, and was named to 4 Pro Bowls. His average of 5.0 yards per carry is 2nd only to Jim Brown.
But he wrecked both knees, and ended up playing only 68 games -- enough to add up to, by today's standards, only 4 full seasons. He only appeared in 4 games past his 26th birthday, and none past his 28th. His career rushing yards total was just 4,956; had he a full career, he almost certainly would have followed Brown as the 2nd man to 10,000 yards.
Kansas retired his Number 48, and the Bears his Number 40. He remains the youngest man ever elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 34. He was named to the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team and its 75th Anniversary Team. In 1999, despite having played so little The Sporting News ranked him 22nd on its list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 2010, the NFL Network also ranked him 22nd on its list of the 100 Greatest Players.
Like Johnny Rodgers, Sayers used his contacts to become a very successful businessman. Unfortunately, he has joined the sad, ever-lengthening list of former football players whose head injuries have led to dementia. He continued to sign autographs until he no longer could.
2. Bob Gibson of Omaha. Like Wilt Chamberlain, he played college basketball, in his case for Omaha's Creighton University. Also like Wilt, he played for the Harlem Globetrotters. Unlike Wilt, he couldn't stand the clowning, and wanted to play serious sports only. And since baseball paid more than basketball at that point, he chose baseball. And when Bob Gibson played baseball, it was a serious sport.
He didn't regret his choice of sports, but many men did. More so than even Don Drysdale, he was considered the meanest pitcher of his generation. He once said, "I didn't throw at a lot of guys, but when I did, I made sure I hit them." He also presaged Charles Barkley with this remark: "Why do I have to be a role model for your kid? You be a role model for your kid."
He helped the St. Louis Cardinals win the 1964 and 1967 World Series, and was named the Series MVP both times. In Game 1 in 1968, he set a Series record with 17 strikeouts. He seemed unbeatable, having already won Game 7 in both 1964 and 1967, but the Detroit Tigers got to him in Game 7 in 1968.
That 1968 season saw him put together the lowest earned-run average of the post-1920 Lively Ball Era, 1.12. For his career, he was 251-714, with 3,117 strikeouts, making him the 1st National League pitcher to fan 3,000. He made 9 All-Star Games, won 2 Cy Young Awards (1968 and 1970), and won 9 Gold Gloves. He also pitched a no-hitter in 1971.
He was named to the Baseball Hall of Fame, The Sporting News' 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. The Cardinals elected him to their team Hall of Fame, retired his Number 45, and erected a statue of him outside Busch Stadium.
Do you want to tell Gibson he's not the greatest athlete ever to come from the State of Nebraska? Or the greatest pitcher? Or even the greatest righthanded pitcher to be a World Series Game 7 hero for the St. Louis Cardinals? Neither do I. But the statistics show that there was a better one
1. Grover Cleveland Alexander of St. Paul. A teammate described him as "easy to like, and hard to know." He led the National League in wins 6 times, ERA 4 times, and strikeouts 6 times. In 1915, he helped the Philadelphia Phillies win their 1st Pennant. He won Game 1 of the World Series. The Phillies wouldn't win another Series game for 65 years.
In 1916, he pitched 16 shutouts, despite the Phils' Baker Bowl having only a 280-foot right field foul pole. In 1918, fearing that they would lose him to World War I, the Phils traded him to the Chicago Cubs, and he helped them win the Pennant.
But he did have to go off to war. He was exposed to mustard gas, like his contemporary Christy Mathewson. Unlike Matty, it didn't contribute directly to an early death. But, already a big drinker before the war, he drank more heavily to ease the pain. The noise of cannons cost him some of his hearing and left him shellshocked, and also triggered epilepsy. He drank even more, and some people attributed his seizures to his drinking. (You may have heard the joke: "What do two drunks do when they meet? They shake.")
He returned to baseball, and he was still a great pitcher, but he was never the same man. In 1926, the Cubs traded him to the Cardinals, not yet their arch-rivals. He helped the Cards win the Pennant, then beat the Yankees in Games 2 and 6 of the World Series. Rogers Hornsby, manager and star 2nd baseman, told him he wouldn't be needed for Game 7, so go out and enjoy himself. He did.
Hornsby needed him for Game 7 anyway, and he was badly hungover when he took the mound to protect a 3-2 lead with the bases full and 2 out in the bottom of the 7th. (Another joke: "The bases were loaded, and so was he.") But he struck out Tony Lazzeri to end the threat, the most famous strikeout in baseball history. (In real life, anyway: "Casey at the Bat" is fiction.) Many people thought that was the last out, but there were 2 more innings, and he pitched them, and got the save, for his only World Championship.
In 1938, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, only the 4th pitcher so honored, after Johnson, Mathewson and the only other man with more career wins, Cy Young. He attended the Hall's opening in 1939, and Game 3 of the 1950 World Series, seeing the Yankees beat the Phillies. He died a month later, at age 63.
Lazzeri would also make the Hall of Fame, but, in a cruel twist of fate, he also had epilepsy, and, unlike Alexander, it was a direct cause of his death: He had a seizure in his house, fell down the stairs, and broke his neck, only 42.
Ronald Reagan played him in the 1952 film The Winning Team. Since he pitched before uniform numbers were worn, the Phillies honored him with a "P" monogram, resembling their team logo of the era, in place of a retired number, and elected him to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame.
Reagan as Alexander
In 1999, 69 years after his last game and 49 years after his death, The Sporting News ranked him 12th on their 100 Greatest Baseball Players, trailing only Johnson and Mathewson among pitchers.
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