Athletes and Coaches
Ray Allen
Raised in Dalzell, SC, Ray Allen is an NBA All-Star basketball player who has played with the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics.
Buck Baker
Born in Richburg, SC, Elzie Wylie Baker Sr., better known as Buck Baker, was a stock car racer. He was the first driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier series championships.
Doc Blanchard
Doc Blanchard was best known as the college football player who became the first junior to win the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award and was the first football player to win the James E. Sullivan Award, all in 1945.
Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr.
Bennie Lee Cunningham, Jr. was a professional football player for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Beth Daniel
Beth Daniel is a professional golfer.
Larry Doby
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.
The Fabulous Moolah
Born in Kershaw County, SC, Lillian Ellison was a female professional wrestler better known as "The Fabulous Moolah."
Alex English
Alex English was a basketball player at the University of South Carolina and the Denver Nuggets and a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier was a professional boxer from Beaufort, SC who defeated such greats as Muhammad Ali.
Kevin Garnett
Kevin Garnett is an accomplished basketball player in the NBA. He has played with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Boston Celtics.
Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson was the first African-American player to win Wimbledon and U.S. National tennis championships.
Gordon Glisson
Gordon Glisson was a Champion Thoroughbred horse racing jockey.
AJ Green
AJ (Adriel Jeremiah) Green is a football wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals.
"Shoeless" Joe Jackson
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.
Willie Jeffries
Union native Willie Jeffries was the head football coach at South Carolina State University.
Mamie "Peanut" Johnson
Born in Ridgeway, SC, Mamie "Peanut" Johnson was the only woman to pitch for Negro Major League.
Elizabeth Mahon
Elizabeth "Lib" Mahon was a baseball player in the 1940s in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League.
Katrina McClain
Charleston, SC native Katrina McClain is a retired basketball player. She played for the University of Georgia and many other USA Basketball teams, including three Olympic teams.
William "The Refrigerator" Perry
William "The Refrigerator" Perry was a former college and professional football player.
Willie Randolph
Willie Randolph is a former professional baseball second basement coach and manager.
Betsy Rawls
Elizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls is a former LPGA Tour professional golfer.
Jim Rice
Jim Rice is a former Boston Red Sox baseball player, coach, and sports commentator.
Bobby Richardson
Bobby Richardson is a former professional baseball second baseman.
George Rogers
George Rogers won the Heisman Trophy in 1980 while playing for the University of South Carolina.
Al Rosen
Al Rosen was a Major League Baseball player in the 1940s and 1950s, and was the president of several teams in his career.
Mike Sharperson
Mike Sharperson was an MLB infielder who played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Atlanta Braves.
Jerome Singleton, Jr.
Jerome Singleton, Jr. is a Paralympic gold medalist from South Carolina.
Louise Smith
Louise Smith was known as “the first lady of racing.” Louise Smith was the first professional woman race car driver.
Dawn Staley
Dawn Staley is a three-time Olympic Gold medalist and head coach for the South Carolina Gamecocks Women's Basketball team.
Bill Voiselle
Bill Voiselle was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.
The Big Show
Paul Wight, better known as The Big Show, is a WWE professional wrestler and actor.
A'ja Wilson
A'ja Wilson is a professional basketball player for the Las Vegas Aces.
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson
William Hayward "Mookie" Wilson is a former Major League Baseball player who played with the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.
Cale Yarborough
William Caleb “Cale” Yarborough is a former NASCAR driver who won the 1976, 1977, and 1978 Winston Cup.
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