DNR - Sports Personalities

These sports personalities are frequently associated with Michigan, but were not born here.

Name	Michigan Connection	Birthplace	Date
Muhammad Ali	Boxer; had an 85-acre farm in Berrien Springs, 1976-1997	Louisville, KY	1942
Ty Cobb ("The Georgia Peach")	Baseball hall-of-famer (1936); Played for Detroit Tigers 1905-1926, manager 1920-1926	Banks Co., GA	1886-1961
Thomas "Hit Man" Hearns	Boxer, held titles as WBC Light Heavyweight Champion, WBA Light Heavyweight Champion, WBC Middleweight Champion, WBC Junior Middleweight Champion, WBA Welterweight Champion; lives in Detroit area	Memphis, TN	1958
Todd Eldredge	Five-time national champion figure skater; skated in Olympics (1992, 1998, 2002); lives in Lake Angelus and trains in Rochester Hills	Chatham, MA	1971
Tom Harmon	University of Michigan All-American, 1939 and 1940; Heisman Trophy winner, 1940	Rensselaer, IN	1919-1990
Gordie Howe	Detroit Red Wings all-star player, 1946-1971	Saskatchewan, Canada	1928
Derek Jeter	Shortstop, NY Yankees; graduate of Kalamazoo Central HS, attended Univ. of Michigan	Pequannock, NJ	1974
Joe Joseph	Bowling champion, lived in Lansing	Clarksburg, WV	1918?-1988
Naomi Lang	Ice dancer; she and partner Peter Tchernyshev are 2-time national champions and 2002 winter Olympics participants; grew up in Allegan, now lives in New Jersey	Arcata, CA	1978
Tara Lapinski	Figure skater, gold medal winner at Winter Olympics, Nagano, Japan, 1998; moved to Bloomfield Hills at 13 to practice at Detroit Skating Club; home is Sugar Land, TX	Philadelphia, PA	1982
Joe Louis	Heavyweight boxing champion; raised in Detroit	Alabama	1914-1981
Todd Martin	Tennis champion; home is East Lansing	Hinsdale, IL	1970
Angela Ruggiero	Member U.S. gold medallist Women's Olympic Hockey team, in 1998; on 2002 team. Lives in Harper Woods.	Panorama City, CA	1980
Chris Thorpe	Luge slider; silver medallist in 1998 winter Olympics; 2002 winter Olympics participant; lives in Marquette, MI	Waukegan, IL	1970

Share this link: