SC People - Athletes and Coaches

Ray Allen

(1975- ) Raised in Dalzell, SC, Ray Allen is an NBA All-Star basketball player who has played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, and Boston Celtics.

Larry Doby

(1923-2003) Born in Camden, SC, Lawrence "Larry" Doby was the first African American to play baseball in the American League and the second African American to manage a major league team.

Alex English

(1954- ) Born in Columbia, SC, Alex English was a basketball player at USC and the Denver Nuggets and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Joe Frazier

(1944-2011) Joe Frazier was a professional boxer from Beaufort, SC who defeated such greats as Muhammad Ali.

Kevin Garnett

(1976- ) Born in Mauldin, SC, Kevin Garnett is an accomplished basketball player in the NBA. He has played with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics.

Althea Gibson

(1927-2003) Born in Silver, Clarendon County, SC, Althea Gibson was the first African-American player to win Wimbledon and U.S. National tennis championships.

Gordon Glisson

(1930-1997) Born in Winnsboro, SC, Gordon Glisson was a Champion Thoroughbred horse racing jockey.

"Shoeless" Joe Jackson

(1887–1951) Considered one of the most outstanding hitters in the history of baseball, Joe Jackson's career .356 batting average is the third highest in history, after Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby.

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson

(1932-2017 ) Brown in Ridgeway, SC, Mamie "Peanut" Johnson was the only woman to pitch for Negro Major League.

Elizabeth Mahon

(1919-2001) From Greenville, SC, Elizabeth "Lib" Mahon was a baseball player in the 1940s in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.

William "The Refrigerator" Perry

(1962- ) William Perry is a former professional football player. He was a Chicago Bears defensive lineman and key player in Superbowl XX in 1986. His nickname is "The Refrigerator" because of his size.

Jim Rice

(1953- ) Born in Anderson, SC, Jim Rice is a former Boston Red Sox baseball player, coach, and sports commentator.

George Rogers

(1958-) George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy in 1980 while playing for the University of South Carolina. He also played professionally with the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins.

Al Rosen

(1924-2015) Born in Spartanburg, SC, Al Rosen was a Major League Baseball player in the 1940s and 1950s, and was the president of several teams in his career.

Louise Smith

(1916-2006) From Greenville, SC, Louise Smith was known as “the first lady of racing.” Louise Smith was the first professional woman race car driver.

William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson

(1956- ) Born in Bamberg, SC, William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is a former Major League Baseball player who played with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.