|
20th Century Top 50
|
|
Rank |
Profile |
|
1
| 
Joe Louis,
Detroit
Brown Bomber's 12-year reign (1937-49) was longest of any heavyweight champion; won
25 consecutive title defenses.
|
| 2
|
Earvin (Magic) Johnson,
Lansing
Took Michigan State
to 1979 NCAA championship; won three MVP awards
while leading Lakers to five NBA titles.
|
|---|
| 3
|
Charlie Gehringer,
Fowlerville
Had 2,839 career hits,
all as a Tiger; started at second base for AL in
first six All-Star Games.
|
|---|
| 4
|
Bennie Oosterbaan,
Muskegon
All-America in football and basketball at Michigan in 1920s; coached Wolverines to '48 NCAA football title.
|
|---|
| 5
|
Hal Newhouser,
Detroit
Won 80 games from 1944 to '46 with Tigers; two MVP awards and one world championship.
|
|---|
| 6
|
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.
|
|---|
| 7
|
Ron Kramer,
Eastpointe
Two-time football All-America and three-time basketball team MVP at Michigan; played tight end for Lombardi's Packers.
|
|---|
| 8
|
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.
|
|---|
| 9
|
Fielding Yost,
Ann Arbor
His four undefeated football teams from 1901 to '04 made Michigan a national power.
|
|---|
| 10
|
Stanley Ketchel,
Grand Rapids
Won middleweight title in 1908; had a 52-4-4 record with 49 knockouts.
|
|---|
| 11
|
Bo Schembechler,
Ann Arbor
Wolverines won or tied for Big Ten football title 13 times in his 21 years (1969-89) as coach.
|
|---|
| 12
|
George (Iceman) Gervin,
Detroit
Four-time scoring champion dropped NBA-record 33 points on Jazz in one quarter in 1978.
|
|---|
| 13
|
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.
|
|---|
| 14
|
Paul Krause,
Burton
Led NFL with 12 interceptions as a rookie with the Redskins in 1964; finished career as league interceptions leader, with 81.
|
|---|
| 15
|
Pat LaFontaine,
Pontiac
Scored 468 goals in 15-year NHL career, tops for a
U.S.-born center; played in 1984 and '98 Olympics.
|
|---|
| 16
|
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.
|
|---|
| 17
|
Thomas (Hit Man) Hearns,
Detroit
From 1980 to '92, was
world champion in five classes, from welterweight
to light heavyweight.
|
|---|
| 18
|
Greg Meyer,
Grand Rapids
Four-time All-America distance runner at Michigan was the last American man to win the Boston Marathon, in 1983.
|
|---|
| 19
|
Eddie Futch,
Detroit
Has trained 22 world champion boxers; was in opposite corner for Muhammad Ali's first
two defeats.
|
|---|
| 20
|
John Smoltz,
Lansing
1996 Cy Young winner with a 24-8 record; has 2.77 ERA in 28 postseason games for Braves.
|
|---|
| 21
|
Eddie Tolan,
Detroit
Won 100- and 200-meter
gold medals at 1932 Games; his Olympic record in the
100 stood for 28 years.
|
|---|
| 22
|
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.
|
|---|
| 23
|
Micki King,
Pontiac
Title IX pioneer dived at Michigan and won springboard gold at 1972 Olympics.
|
|---|
| 24
|
Billy Pierce,
Detroit
AL's winningest southpaw in 1950s; won 211 games; pitched in four All-Star Games.
|
|---|
| 25
|
Spencer Haywood,
Detroit
Left Detroit
after freshman season
(32.1 ppg in 1968-69); averaged 20.3 points in
13-year pro career.
|
|---|
| 26
|
Mike Modano,
Livonia
Leading scorer of Stars 1999 Stanley Cup winners; Stars' second-leading career scorer.
|
|---|
| 27
|
Ernie Harwell,
Detroit
Legendary announcer has called Tigers games on radio, television or both since 1960.
|
|---|
| 28
|
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.
|
|---|
| 29
|
Derek Jeter,
Kalamazoo
Hit .349 with 24 homers,
102 RBIs for World Series champion Yankees in 1999.
|
|---|
| 30
|
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.
|
|---|
| 31
|
Fritz Crisler,
Ann Arbor
Two great contributions to Michigan football: coached 1947 national champs and conceived Wolverines' famous helmet design.
|
|---|
| 32
|
Joe DeLamielleure,
Center Line
Turned the Juice loose as guard in Bills Electric Co. line of 1970s; six-time Pro Bowl player.
|
|---|
| 33
|
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.
|
|---|
| 34
|
Eddie Cicotte,
Detroit
Was Cooperstown-bound before banishment because of 1919 Black Sox scandal; had 209 career wins, including 29 in '19.
|
|---|
| 35
|
Dawn Riley,
Harrison Township
Lone female crew member of 1992 America's Cup winner America3 captained the first all-female Cup crew in '95.
|
|---|
| 36
|
Emanuel Steward,
Detroit
Has trained such champions as Thomas Hearns and Michael Moorer in his Kronk Center Gym.
|
|---|
| 37
|
Duffy Daugherty,
East Lansing
Coached Michigan State football for 19 years, starting in 1954; '65 and '66 teams
had undefeated regular seasons.
|
|---|
| 38
|
Chris Webber,
Beverly Hills
Fab Fiver led Michigan to NCAA finals in 1992 and '93; top pick in '93 NBA draft.
|
|---|
| 39
|
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.
|
|---|
| 40
|
Harry Kipke,
Lansing
Won nine letters at Michigan and was All-America halfback in 1922; coached Wolverines to national titles in '32 and '33.
|
|---|
| 41
|
Frank Navin,
Adrian
Bought Tigers in 1907 and
built stadium for them
at corner of Michigan
and Trumbull in '12.
|
|---|
| 42
|
Alexi Lalas,
Detroit
Three-time MLS All-Star and national team mainstay
on defense was U.S.'s most recognizable soccer player.
|
|---|
| 43
|
Jim Kaat,
Zeeland
Three-time 20-game winner; 283 career victories; 16 straight Gold Gloves (1962-77).
|
|---|
| 44
|
Jerome (the Bus) Bettis,
Detroit
Was 1993 NFL Rookie of the Year; rushed for 1,000 yards in
five of first six NFL seasons.
|
|---|
| 45
|
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.
|
|---|
| 46
|
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.
|
|---|
| 47
|
Terry McDermott,
Essexville
Wearing borrowed skates, 23-year-old barber won 500-meter speed skating gold in 1964 Olympics; got silver in '68.
|
|---|
| 48
|
Kathy Arendsen,
Holland
Dominating softball
pitcher had career record of 338-26 and an 0.15
ERA with Raybestos Brakettes.
|
|---|
| 49
|
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.
|
|---|
| 50
|
Gerald Ford,
Grand Rapids
Center on Michigan football teams from 1932 to '34; 38th president of the United States.
|
|---|
