|
20th Century Top 50
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|
Rank |
Profile |
|
1 |
Jim
Thorpe, Keokuk Falls
Gold medalist in heptathlon and pentathlon at 1912 Olympics; Pro Football
Hall of Famer; played in majors for six
years. |
|
2 |
Mickey
Mantle, Spavinaw
Three-time AL MVP; 536 career home runs; 1956 Triple Crown winner
with .353 average, 52 homers, 130
RBIs. |
|
3 |
Johnny
Bench, Binger
1968 NL Rookie of the Year won two World Series as Reds catcher; earned two
MVPs and 10 Gold Gloves in 17
years. |
|
4 |
Steve
Largent, Oklahoma City
Tulsa All-America led nation in TD receptions in 1974 and '75; six-time Pro Bowl
pick had 819 catches with
Seahawks. |
|
5 |
Lee Roy
Selmon, Eufaula
Won Lombardi and Outland awards at Oklahoma in 1975; NFL All-Pro defensive end
with Tampa Bay from 1979 to
'84. |
|
6 |
Carl
Hubbell, Meeker
Was 253-154 in 16 years with Giants, including five straight 20-win seasons in
mid-1930s; two-time NL
MVP. |
|
7 |
Steve
Owens, Miami
Starred in football, track and baseball at Miami High; ran for 100-plus
yards in 17 straight games at Oklahoma; 1969 Heisman Trophy winner. |
|
8 |
Paul (Big Poison)
Waner, Harrah
Had 3,152 hits, 603 doubles, 190 triples; won three NL batting titles; four-time
NL All-Star; hit .380 in 1927 to lead Pirates to
pennant. |
|
9 |
Lloyd (Little Poison)
Waner, Harrah
Batted .355 as a rookie with Pirates in 1927; hit over .300 in 10 of his first
12
years. |
|
10 |
Allie
Reynolds, Bethany
Yankees righthander went 131-60 from 1947 to '54; had two no-hitters in
'52. |
|
11 |
Joe
Carter, Oklahoma City
Hit 396 career home runs, plus World Series winner for Blue Jays in
1993. |
|
12 |
Billy
Vessels, Cleveland
State champion in low hurdles at Cleveland High three times; won 1952 Heisman at
Oklahoma, running for 1,072 yards, 17
TDs.
|
|
13 |
Darrell
Royal, Hollis
All-America halfback at Oklahoma (1946 to '49); was 145-38-3 as coach at
Texas, where he won two national
titles. |
|
14 |
Jim
Shoulders, Henryetta
Won sixteen world rodeo titles in 1940s and '50s: seven in bull riding, four in
bareback and five
all-around. |
|
15 |
Marcus
Haynes, Sand Springs
Led Booker T. Washington High to 1942 state basketball title, then Langston
University to a 112-3 mark; later starred for Harlem
Globetrotters.
|
|
16 |
John
Smith, Del City
Two-time NCAA wrestling champ for Oklahoma State won gold at 1988 and '92
Olympics. |
|
17 |
Don
Haskins, Enid
Star swingman at Oklahoma A&M; coached UTEP for 38 years, winning 719 games,
including historic 1966 NCAA title game over
Kentucky. |
|
18 |
Troy
Aikman, Henryetta
One of only three quarterbacks to lead a team to three Super Bowl wins; holds or
has tied 43 Cowboys passing
records. |
|
19 |
Wayman
Tisdale, Tulsa
Three-time All-America at Oklahoma from 1982 to '85; top rebounder on
gold-medal-winning '84 U.S. Olympic
team. |
|
20 |
Bobby
Murcer, Oklahoma City
Five-time All-Star led AL with 102 runs in 1972; played in '81 World Series with
Yankees. |
|
21 |
Bruce
Drake, Oklahoma City
Oklahoma basketball coach had 200-182 record from 1938 to '55; guided Sooners to
six conference
titles. |
|
22 |
Jack
Jacobs, Muskogee
As junior at Oklahoma in 1941, led nation in punting with 47.8-yard average;
next season intercepted 12 passes; starred in Canadian Football
League. |
|
23 |
Harry (the Cat)
Brecheen, Broken Bow
Lefthander went 20-7 with St. Louis in 1948; two-time All-Star; 133-92 in
12-year
career. |
|
24 |
Shannon
Miller, Edmond
Won gold medal on the balance beam, member of gold-medal-winning women's
gymnastics team at 1996
Olympics. |
|
25 |
John (Pepper)
Martin, Temple
Cardinals outfielder dominated 1931 World Series vs. Athletics, getting 12 hits,
batting .500 and stealing five
bases.
|
|
26 |
Danny
Hodge, Perry
Two-time NCAA wrestling champion at Oklahoma in the mid-1950s; won national
Golden Gloves title as
boxer. |
|
27 |
Susie Maxwell
Berning, Oklahoma City
Three-time state high school golf champion; three-time U.S. Women's Open
winner; 11 LPGA tour victories from 1965 to
'76. |
|
28 |
Glenn
Dobbs, Frederick
All-America punter at Tulsa in 1942 launched an 86-yarder in '41 Sun Bowl
against Texas Tech; coached Tulsa from '61 to
'68. |
|
29 |
Bob
Fenimore, Woodward
Two-time All-America halfback at Oklahoma A&M led nation in total
offense in 1944 and holds school's career interceptions record
(18). |
|
30 |
Neill
Armstrong, Tishomingo
Oklahoma A&M wideout led NCAA in receiving in 1943 and '46; averaged 12.6
yards per catch in five years with
Eagles.
|
|
31 |
Steve
Owen, Cleo Springs
Tackle led Giants to 11-1-1 record in 1927; named coach in '31, guided Giants
to 153 wins and two titles through
'53. |
|
32 |
Jerry
Adair, Sand Springs
Orioles second baseman went then major-league-record 89 games without an error
in
1964. |
|
33 |
Gene
Conley, Muskogee
Only man to win NBA title (three as a Celtics forward in 1950s) and World Series
(as a pitcher with '57
Braves). |
|
34 |
Labron
Harris, Wewoka
Oklahoma A&M golf coach led Cowboys to 24 conference titles from 1946 to
'73. |
|
35 |
Alvan
Adams, Oklahoma City
In three seasons at Oklahoma averaged 23.4 points; scored a team-record
13,910 points with the Suns from 1975 to
'88. |
|
36 |
Billy
Tubbs, Tulsa
Guided Oklahoma to four Sweet 16s and 1988 NCAA title game; has 519-244 career
record at three
schools.
|
|
37 |
Charles
Coe, Oklahoma City
Two-time U.S. Amateur golf champion, in 1949 and '56; was member of first
World Cup
team. |
|
38 |
Abe
Lemons, Walters
Won 597 games over 34 seasons as basketball coach at Oklahoma City, Texas
Pan-American and
Texas. |
|
39 |
Freckles
Brown, Soper
At 1967 National Finals Rodeo, became first person to stay aboard Tornado, the
most famous bull in
history. |
|
40 |
Prentice
Gautt, Oklahoma
Starred in state's first integrated high school title game, in 1954; first black
football player at
Oklahoma. |
|
41 |
Mark
Price, Enid
Four-time NBA All-Star averaged 19.6 points with Cavaliers in
1989-90. |
|
42 |
John (Ski)
Levi, Lawrence
All-America fullback at Haskell College in 1924; spent two years in Yankees
system despite never before having played organized
baseball.
|
|
43 |
Clendon
Thomas, Oklahoma City
All-America halfback for 1956 national-champion Sooners; led nation in scoring
with 18 touchdowns and 108
points.
|
|
44 |
Lindy
McDaniel, Hollis
Three-time NL saves leader; had 172 saves and 141-119 record from 1955 to
'75. |
|
45 |
Sean
O'Grady, Oklahoma
Beat Arturo Leon for USBA lightweight title in 1980; in '81 beat Hilmer Kenty
for WBA lightweight
title.
|
|
46 |
Gil
Morgan, Wewoka
Seven-time PGA Tour winner has 15 victories in four years on Senior circuit,
including six each in 1997 and
'98. |
|
47 |
Bryant
Reeves, Gans
Oklahoma State center was first Big Eight player since Wilt Chamberlain to
lead conference in scoring, rebounding and field goal
percentage.
|
|
48 |
Wilbur
Rogan, Oklahoma City
Kansas City Monarchs pitcher went 113-45 from 1920 to '38 while batting
.343. |
|
49 |
Ed
Gallagher, Stillwater
Father of collegiate wrestling developed more than 300 holds; led Oklahoma
A&M to 11 NCAA
titles. |
|
50 |
Bertha
Teague, Byng
Coached Byng High girls' basketball team from 1927 to '69, retiring with
1,157-115
record. |
