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20th Century Top 50: Michigan
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Rank |
Profile |
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1
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Joe Louis ,
Detroit
Brown Bomber's 12-year reign (1937-49) was longest of any heavyweight champion; won
25 consecutive title defenses.
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| 2
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Earvin (Magic) Johnson ,
Lansing
Took Michigan State
to 1979 NCAA championship; won three MVP awards
while leading Lakers to five NBA titles.
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| 3
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Charlie Gehringer ,
Fowlerville
Had 2,839 career hits,
all as a Tiger; started at second base for AL in
first six All-Star Games.
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| 4
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Bennie Oosterbaan ,
Muskegon
All-America in football and basketball at Michigan in 1920s; coached Wolverines to '48 NCAA football title.
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| 5
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Hal Newhouser ,
Detroit
Won 80 games from 1944 to '46 with Tigers; two MVP awards and one world championship.
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| 6
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Dave DeBusschere ,
Detroit
Averaged 26.8 points as senior at Detroit; player-coach of Pistons at age 24; pitched for White Sox; starred on two
NBA title teams with Knicks.
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| 7
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Ron Kramer ,
Eastpointe
Two-time football All-America and three-time basketball team MVP at Michigan; played tight end for Lombardi's Packers.
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| 8
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Kirk Gibson ,
Pontiac
All-America wide receiver at Michigan State; hit Game 5 homer to clinch 1984 World Series for Tigers; famed pinch homer for Dodgers in Game 1 in '88.
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| 9
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Fielding Yost ,
Ann Arbor
His four undefeated football teams from 1901 to '04 made Michigan a national power.
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| 10
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Stanley Ketchel ,
Grand Rapids
Won middleweight title in 1908; had a 52-4-4 record with 49 knockouts.
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| 11
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Bo Schembechler ,
Ann Arbor
Wolverines won or tied for Big Ten football title 13 times in his 21 years (1969-89) as coach.
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| 12
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George (Iceman) Gervin ,
Detroit
Four-time scoring champion dropped NBA-record 33 points on Jazz in one quarter in 1978.
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| 13
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Norbert Schemansky ,
Detroit
Won medals in Olympic weightlifting in 1948 (silver), '52 (gold), '60 (bronze)
and '64 (bronze); snatched
a heavyweight world-record 362 pounds in '62.
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| 14
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Paul Krause ,
Burton
Led NFL with 12 interceptions as a rookie with the Redskins in 1964; finished career as league interceptions leader, with 81.
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| 15
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Pat LaFontaine ,
Pontiac
Scored 468 goals in 15-year NHL career, tops for a
U.S.-born center; played in 1984 and '98 Olympics.
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| 16
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Rudy Tomjanovich ,
Hamtramck
All-America at Michigan
in 1970; made five All-Star teams with Rockets and coached them to '94 and
'95 NBA titles.
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| 17
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Thomas (Hit Man) Hearns ,
Detroit
From 1980 to '92, was
world champion in five classes, from welterweight
to light heavyweight.
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| 18
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Greg Meyer ,
Grand Rapids
Four-time All-America distance runner at Michigan was the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, in 1983.
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| 19
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Eddie Futch ,
Detroit
Has trained 22 world champion boxers; was in opposite corner for Muhammad Ali's first
two defeats.
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| 20
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John Smoltz ,
Lansing
1996 Cy Young winner with a 24-8 record; has 2.77 ERA in 28 postseason games for Braves.
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| 21
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Eddie Tolan ,
Detroit
Won 100- and 200-meter
gold medals at 1932 Games; his Olympic record in the
100 stood for 28 years.
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| 22
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Rick Leach ,
Flint
Three-time All-Big Ten quarterback at Michigan was also conference batting
champ in 1978 and '79; played 10 seasons in majors.
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| 23
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Micki King ,
Pontiac
Title IX pioneer dived at Michigan and won springboard gold at 1972 Olympics.
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| 24
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Billy Pierce ,
Detroit
AL's winningest southpaw in 1950s; won 211 games; pitched in four All-Star Games.
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| 25
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Spencer Haywood ,
Detroit
Left Detroit
after freshman season
(32.1 ppg in 1968-69); averaged 20.3 points in
13-year pro career.
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| 26
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Mike Modano ,
Livonia
Leading scorer of Stars 1999 Stanley Cup winners; Stars' second-leading career scorer.
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| 27
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Ernie Harwell ,
Detroit
Legendary announcer has called Tigers games on radio, television or both since 1960.
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| 28
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Pete Dawkins ,
Royal Oak
Overcame polio to win Heisman as a halfback with unbeaten Army in 1958; at 43 became then youngest U.S. Army brigadier general ever.
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| 29
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Derek Jeter ,
Kalamazoo
Hit .349 with 24 homers,
102 RBIs for World Series champion Yankees in 1999.
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| 30
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Marion Ladewig ,
Grand Rapids
Voted the Greatest
Women's Bowler of All-Time in 1973; won U.S. Open eight times between '49 and '63.
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| 31
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Fritz Crisler ,
Ann Arbor
Two great contributions to Michigan football: coached 1947 national champs and conceived Wolverines' famous helmet design.
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| 32
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Joe DeLamielleure ,
Center Line
Turned the Juice loose as guard in Bills Electric Co. line of 1970s; six-time Pro Bowl player.
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| 33
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Sheila Young-Ochowicz ,
Birmingham
Two-time USOC Sportswoman of the Year; won three
speed skating medals at 1976 Olympics and won world championships in both cycling and skating in '73 and '76.
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| 34
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Eddie Cicotte ,
Detroit
Was Cooperstown-bound before banishment because of 1919 Black Sox scandal; had 209 career wins, including 29 in '19.
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| 35
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Dawn Riley ,
Harrison Township
Lone female crew member of 1992 America's Cup winner America3 captained the first all-female Cup crew in '95.
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| 36
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Emanuel Steward ,
Detroit
Has trained such champions as Thomas Hearns and Michael Moorer in his Kronk Center Gym.
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| 37
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Duffy Daugherty ,
East Lansing
Coached Michigan State football for 19 years, starting in 1954; '65 and '66 teams
had undefeated regular seasons.
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| 38
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Chris Webber ,
Beverly Hills
Fab Fiver led Michigan to NCAA finals in 1992 and '93; top pick in '93 NBA draft.
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| 39
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Kiki Cuyler ,
Harrisville
In 1925, his second full season in majors, hit .357, led NL with 26 triples and drove in winning run in World Series for
Pirates; a .300 hitter 10 times.
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| 40
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Harry Kipke ,
Lansing
Won nine letters at Michigan and was All-America halfback in 1922; coached Wolverines to national titles in '32 and '33.
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| 41
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Frank Navin ,
Adrian
Bought Tigers in 1907 and
built stadium for them
at corner of Michigan
and Trumbull in '12.
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| 42
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Alexi Lalas ,
Detroit
Three-time MLS All-Star and national team mainstay
on defense was U.S.'s most recognizable soccer player.
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| 43
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Jim Kaat ,
Zeeland
Three-time 20-game winner; 283 career victories; 16 straight Gold Gloves (1962-77).
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| 44
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Jerome (the Bus) Bettis ,
Detroit
Was 1993 NFL Rookie of the Year; rushed for 1,000 yards in
five of first six NFL seasons.
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| 45
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Dell and Connie Sweeris ,
Grand Rapids
Husband-and-wife table tennis champions combined for 25 national titles from 1965 to '73; both are in the USA Table Tennis Hall of Fame.
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| 46
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Gene (Big Daddy) Lipscomb ,
Detroit
Most imposing player of his day; a defensive lineman in
three Pro Bowls before death in 1963 at age 31.
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| 47
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Terry McDermott ,
Essexville
Wearing borrowed skates, 23-year-old barber won 500-meter speed skating gold in 1964 Olympics; got silver in '68.
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| 48
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Kathy Arendsen ,
Holland
Dominating softball
pitcher had career record of 338-26 and an 0.15
ERA with Raybestos Brakettes.
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| 49
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Wally Pipp ,
Grand Rapids
Yankees first baseman was
AL home run champ in 1916 and '17 before suffering untimely headache in '25 and losing job to Lou Gehrig.
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| 50
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Gerald Ford ,
Grand Rapids
Center on Michigan football teams from 1932 to '34; 38th president of the United States.
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