Vandy fires coach Bryce Drew after 9-23 years without a win in SEC | Basketball College

Alex Karras

Alex Karras has become the best-known member of a family of football players, with a dominant defensive lineman career in the National Football League, followed by an acting career comprising of notable roles in "Blazing Saddles" and "Webster".

Karras was born in Gary on July 15, 1935. His father was a Greek immigrant and a doctor. his mother a nurse. Brothers Lou, Ted and Paul de Karras have all played football, Lou and Ted in the NFL.

Karras graduated from Emerson High School and studied at the University of Iowa, where he won the Outland Trophy, as the best indoor lineman in college football. He was selected with the 10th overall pick of the NFL in 1958 by the Detroit Lions.

Karras played for the Lions between 1958-1962 and 64-70. He was suspended for the 1963 season after confessing to having played NFL games. He was selected four times at the Pro Bowl and was named to the 1960s NFL team.

His greatest fame began with the major role he played in George Plimpton's "Paper Lion" book, chronicling the writer's experience as an amateur quarterback for the Lions. When the book was adapted as a film, Karras played himself against Plimpton, by Alan Alda.

Karras appeared in a variety of movies and TV shows, including "Blazing Saddles" as a Mongo outlaw, who hit a horse with a single punch in a memorable way; "Porky"; the television series "Centennial" and his lead role in the sitcom "Webster" that he produced with his co-star and wife, Susan Clark.

Karras also worked as a commentator on Monday Night Football shows from 1974 to 1976, alongside Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford.

Karras had six children with his two wives. He died at the age of 77 on October 10, 2012 in Los Angeles, suffering from kidney failure, cancer and dementia.

Angela Hamblin

Before West Side star Dana Evans showed up, it was Angela Hamblin who starred in Steel City.

One of the greatest players in the history of the region, Hamblin was a mega star of the current late Lew Wallace. She finished her career with 2,053 points in her career. In her last year, she averaged 26.2 points, 18 rebounds, 5.3 interceptions and two blocks per game. She finished third in the vote for Miss Basketball and was a star of Indiana.

She continued her basketball career at the University of Iowa, where she was a player of the All Big Ten and won the title of MVP of the Big Ten tournament as a senior player.

Hamblin was selected in the third round (23rd overall) by the Washington Mystics in the 1998 WNBA draft. On June 10, 1998, the Mystics lifted and signed it by the shock of Detroit on July 18 of the same year. Hamblin played six games for the shock that season. She was played on May 6, 1999. She also played semi-balloon until an Achilles heel injury put an end to her days.

She returned to coaching at Lew Wallace in 2005 before completing her studies at Lake Central High School, having left Glen Park in 2009. She was part of the LC coaching staff who won the championship section of 2011.

In 2014, Hamblin lived in Gary. She has two daughters who are also talented players.

Becca Bruszewski

Whether in basketball or volleyball, Becca Bruszewski made a name for herself.

A 6-foot-1-inch graduate, Wheeler was named the Year's Player by The Times and a member of Indiana in Indiana in 2007, finishing second for Miss Basketball. In volleyball, she has been selected three times in all states.

After averaging 19.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.8 blocks and 2.8 flights per game over his four years at Wheeler, Bruszewski was awarded a scholarship to Notre Dame, where she graduated in 2011.

She played 136 games with the Fighting Irish and was co-captain in the third year, when N.D. fell to Texas A & M in the national championship game. She ended her career at Notre Dame with 1,148 points and 549 rebounds.

Bruszewski has played professionally in Finland and Puerto Rico since high school. She was recently assistant coach of the Wheeler men's basketball team. She is currently co-director of the Select Basketball Girls Program at the Midwest Basketball Academy.

Bob Kuechenberg

Bob Kuechenberg played in the Brickie Bowl and Super Bowl. He was a Hobart High School legend playing for the Brickies in the early years of the Don Howell era, and a member of the Miami Dolphins for two championships, including one who crowned the undefeated 1972 season of l & # 39; team.

Meanwhile, Kuechenberg played in the national champion team of the University of Notre Dame.

Born in Gary on October 14, 1947, Kuechenberg grew up in Hobart. His brother, Rudy, was also a network star and played for the Chicago Bears as linebacker.

Bob Kuechenberg played the offensive and defense line at the University of Notre Dame and was part of the 1966 championship team.

Recruited by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1969, he is best known as a member of the Miami Dolphins, for whom he played from 1970 to 1983, ending his career on the reserve list of casualties in 1984. During those years he played in six balls.

Kuechenberg's brilliant career was rewarded with his eight-time qualification to the Professional Football Hall of Fame, although he was never elected.

After retiring from football, he became a businessman in Florida, where he resides.

Brandon Moore

Brandon Moore of the Steel City became an NFL Iron Man over a 10-year period for the New York Jets, during which he started 142 games out of 144.

Moore was born in Gary on June 3, 1980. He attended West Side High School and the University of Illinois, where he played as a defensive tackle for coach Ron Turner and got a Diploma in English.

Moore was not selected in the 2002 NFL Draft, but the Jets signed him as a free agent.

He spent 2002 on the training team and then played his first game in 2003. He was promoted offensive and played on a line widely considered the best in the league in 2009.

In this year and 2010, the Jets have qualified for the AFC Championship game, bowing for the first time against the Indianapolis Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers for the second.

Moore was chosen to play in the Pro Bowl in Honolulu after the 2012 season. That same year, he was elected to the NFL Players Association Executive Committee.

After the 2012 season, the Jets chose not to resign from Moore. He signed a one-year contract with the Dallas Cowboys, but decided to retire shortly thereafter.

"I gave it all," Moore told The Times on the occasion of his retirement. "I did not trade myself or the guys around me."

During his career, Moore returned to Gary to organize football camps. Since then, he has returned to speak to young people.

Moore lives in New Jersey with his wife and three children.

Bridget Pettis

Bridget Pettis, a native of East Chicago and a graduate of 1989 E.C. Central High School, has been with WNBA since its inception in 1997.

The Phoenix Mercury's seventh pick in the WNBA's first draft, she played eight seasons with the Mercury and Indiana Fever associations, participating in a franchise record of 154 consecutive games with Phoenix. In eight career seasons, Pettis has scored 1,408 points in 228 games.

Pettis was an assistant coach with Phoenix from 2006 to 2009, winning two WNBA championships. She was the director of basketball operations from 2010 to 2011 with Phoenix, then assistant coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in 2013. She joined Tulsa Shock's staff in 2014 and remains as such with the franchise, who moved to Dallas in 2015.

All-Star from Indiana to East Chicago, Pettis earned an average of 17.6 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a senior coach under the Hall of Fame coach , Bobbie DeKemper. She led the Cardinals to an 18-2 record and to the first two section championships in the program's history.

After two years at the Central Arizona Junior College, she attended the University of Florida, where she graduated in 1993 with all three-point field goal records, including most in a match (eight). His career average of 15.2 points ranks sixth in the history of Florida. Pettis was a Southeast Conference pick, helping the Gators qualify for the first time in an NCAA tournament.

She will be inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame on April 29.

Bryce Drew

The culmination of Valparaiso's most iconic game in men's basketball history, Bryce Drew became a national name as soon as he eliminated Ole Miss with a final second at the 1998 NCAA Tournament.

Of course, it was only the beginning for Homer Drew, a graduate of Valpo High and son of the long-time coach of the Crusades.

Bryce was selected in the first round of the NBA draft a few months later by the Houston Rockets and spent six seasons in the Association, finishing with 1,081 career points and 524 assists.

After completing his playing career, Bryce joined his father on the Crusaders bench and took over the leadership position when Homer retired in May 2011. He was named the League's League Coach of the Year. Horizon three times, winning the title of the regular season four times and the title of the conference. twice, before taking over from the Vanderbilt University program in 2016.

Bryce guided the Commodores to the NCAA tournament in his first season and recorded a career record of 143-65 after the end of the 2016-17 campaign.

Cassie Kerns

As a basketball player, Cassie Kerns reached the peak of university athletics: she qualified as a national champion.

The graduate of Valparaiso High School, from a height of 6 feet 3 years, began playing basketball in seventh grade. In her final year, she averaged 16.2 points and 7.5 rebounds for Valparaiso. She was part of four section titles and more than 20 seasons with coach Greg Kirby's Vikings. Kerns also wrote volleyball and track in his pre-season career.

She was named player of the year at Indiana Gatorade High School by two players from all states. His remarkable career has drawn the attention of legendary head coach Geno Auriemma and Connecticut Huskies. From 2005 to 2009, Kerns was part of two Final Four teams and won a national championship in his senior season when the Huskies won 39-0.

At UConn, Kerns has not been a starter or exceptional player. She appeared in 91 games for the Huskies, playing 423 minutes and scoring 68 points.

"We've always had players like this, who were great seniors, great contributors, but not necessarily on the scoresheet," Auriemma told a local Connecticut newspaper before the last one. Kerns' regular season game as a senior. things. Cassie stands aside and explains things to guys who do not understand. She gives our team an eclectic look. She is completely different from anyone, just her attitude, and it's refreshing. "

Kerns was recently a member of the Indianapolis-based "The Pure Company," which brings together models, dancers, and performers who perform at various events and parties in Midwestern clubs and clubs.

Kerns earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in UConn Photography. She currently lives and works as an artist and model published in Indianapolis. She has a website of her artistic work, mainly done by means of painting, on cassinovastudios.com.

Charlie O. Finley

It was as colorful and noisy as the green and gold uniform worn by its Kansas City and Oakland athletic teams.

Charles Oscar Finley, along with the former Cleveland Indians, owner of the St. Louis Browns and White Sox, Bill Veeck, saw that the reserve clause of baseball could create an independent agency, which was the case. He and the president of the players' association of the time, Marvin Miller, also understood that free will could play to the benefit of the owners. If the owners allowed all players to become free agents each year, the offer would match the demand.

Charley O the Mule, orange baseballs, a pennant porch in Kansas City, 1972 players with a mustache, the designated hitter and designated riders were also part of his tradition.

Finley was born outside Birmingham, Alabama, on February 22, 1918. At the age of 15, the family moved to Gary. He graduated from Horace Mann High School, in the north end of Steel City. Like many members of his generation, he went to work at Gary Works (United States) and played semipro ball.

As an insurance salesman, he contracted tuberculosis and stayed at the Crown Point sanatorium for two and a half years. He then proposed a plan to sell disability insurance to doctors, which made him a millionaire.

He bought the Kansas City Athletics at Arnold Johnson's estate in 1960. After bickering with a new stadium in Kansas City, he transferred the A to Oakland before the start of the 1968 season. In 1967, he "fired" Hawk Harrelson and the Red Sox signed, helping them to win the 1967 American League pennant.

His teams won the American League titles from 1971 to 1975 and three consecutive series from 1972 to 1975. He lived on a farm outside LaPorte. The barn wore a large "Swingin's" logo visible from Indiana's Toll Road. He paid the 1972 players to grow whiskers.

He lost Jim "Catfish" Hunter, who was a free agent, for not fulfilling part of his contract.

In 1975, Finley failed to get rid of Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. The following year, Finely began a fire sale of the championship team before its stars were declared free.

Finley tried to sell Vida Blue to the Yankees and Rollie Fingers and Joe Rudi to the Red Sox. Kuhn canceled the agreements, stating that they were "in the best interest of baseball".

Finley, who also owned the NHL's Golden Seals for a short time, also threatened Oakland officials with moving the team to Toronto and Denver. He sold the A in 1980.

He died on February 19, 1996.

Chris Hunter

His career as a player in the NBA may have lasted only 60 games, but basketball remains at the center of Chris Hunter's life. A graduate of West Side High School and the University of Michigan, he was appointed Director of Coaching Staff John Beilein at his alma mater university in September 2014.

A 6-foot-11 striker, Hunter played with the Wolverines for coach Tommy Amaker from 2002 to 2006. He has averaged 7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 105 career games. Captain 2005-2006, he was part of the teams of the 2004 NIT Championship and the 2006 NIT finalists.

From there, Hunter spent the next few years abroad, signing with Swiss, Polish and Belgian teams before returning to the United States to play with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. In April 2009, Hunter was taken over by the New York Knicks, but was sidelined six months later before playing a regular season game.

All-Star of the Developmental League 2009 with the Mad Ants, it was acquired by the Golden State Warriors and stayed there all season. Hunter never returned to the NBA, playing in the Summer League for the Knicks in 2010, having signed with the Knicks in December 2011, but having been released shortly thereafter, and having had time to play with him. Los Angeles Clippers Summer League team in 2012. His career ended in December 2013, when he was dismissed by the Mad Ants after his fifth stint in the team.

Darrel Chaney

A 1966 graduate of Morton High School, Darrel Chaney was one of the Cincinnati Reds' famous 1970s Big Red Machine teams. He participated in three world series (1970, 1972 and 1975) and won a title in 1975.

Athlete of three sports among governors, Chaney was named Athlete of the Year in the Times in 1966.

He had received several Big Ten scholarship offers in football, but he had signed with Ball State to play football and baseball. He left the university after being selected by the Reds in the second round of the 1966 project, signing a $ 6,000 bonus.

Chaney made the Reds' lineup in 1969, dividing his playing time in half before moving in to replace Davey Concepcion. Chaney was traded to Atlanta after the 1975 season and, in 1976, he beat .252 with 50 RBIs as a regular shut-off of the Braves. He could not hold this position for the next three seasons and was released at the end of the 1979 season.

In 915 career games, Chaney averaged .217 with 14 homers, 190 RBIs, 237 points, 458 hits, 75 doubles, 17 triples and 10 steals. He worked as a radio and TV host Braves in the early 80s.

Chaney has been Chairman of the Board of Major League Alumni Marketing and Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing within a retail services organization. Resident of Sautee Macooche, Georgia, Chaney, 69, is a motivational Christian speaker. Dan Hettinger wrote a biography on him titled "Welcome to the Big Leagues … Every Man's Journey to Meaning". His wife, Cindy, was also a Morton graduate.

David Neville

A graduate of Merrillville in 2002, David Neville had an impact on athletics at the high school, university and professional levels.

Neville won two medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. He was part of the gold medal-winning relay team at 1,600 meters which recorded a record time of 2 minutes, 55.39 seconds. He also collected a bronze medal in the 400 freestyle, moving from the finish line to third place in 44.8.

"It's all about sacrifice … diving was a sacrifice," Neville said on his website, davidneville3.com.

The Neville medals were won by an athletics athlete from Indiana University for the first time since 1960. While continuing his training in Los Angeles with world-class sprinters, Neville has worked as a personal trainer and gave individual lessons to surface preparation athletes. Neville was a certified coach and a member of the International Association of Sports Science.

After retiring from the professional circuit in March 2014, he became head coach of the Men's and Women's Athletics Programs at Taylor University in May 2014 and returned to Indiana with his wife Arial and daughter Acaia . In April 2016, Neville participated in a series of FOX reality TV shows titled "American Grit" with host John Cena and 15 other candidates. In the military-themed challenges, with four military heroes, the Neville team dominated the competition, three of the four qualifying for the final.

Neville has been a three-time indoor and outdoor track champion Big Ten at the 400 to IU before becoming a professional with the Nike team as a junior. He completed his undergraduate degree and earned a degree in music education from the Jacobs School of Music in 2007. Although he did not handle the 400 in high school until he was senior, Neville was an instant success. He won the 2002 national title in 46.99, a mark that still remains 15 years later.

Dick Barnett

Before his New York Knicks Jersey No. 12 was removed and began hanging rafters at Madison Square Garden, Dick Barnett was marking history in his homeland Hoosier.

The future NBA star was born in Gary on October 2, 1936 and attended Gary Roosevelt High School. In 1955, his last year, the Panthers ranked second in the state behind future NBA player Oscar Robertson, Attucks of Indianapolis.

It was the first time in US history that two African-American high schools were competing for a championship game.

Barnett then played for Tennessee State University, where he was a valuable player both American and twice at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. He drove the Tennessee State to three consecutive NAIA National Championships.

Barnett was selected in the first round of the NBA by the Syracuse Nationals in 1959. He then played for George Steinbrenner's Cleveland Pipers in the American Basketball League, Steinbrenner's first professional sports team.

Barnett, a star guard, has played professional basketball for 15 years, including nine with the New York Knicks. He was a member of the 1970 team that won the NBA championship against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Barnett was nicknamed "The Skull" and "Fall Back Baby" for his iconic jump shot in which he threw both legs back.

At the end of his career, he earned a Master's degree in Public Administration and a Doctorate in Education Superintendent and Administration. He taught at the university for several years before retiring and embarking on a motivational speaker career.

Barnett, now 78, is based in New York.

Don Larsen

Don Larsen, from northwestern Indiana, played a perfect match in the fifth game of the 1956 World Series, defeating the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1956 – the only perfect match in World Series history.

Archibald McKinlay, a former Times columnist, wrote in 1990: "Don Larsen was born in Michigan City on August 7, 1929. A tennis coach, his coach Harold Wegner, said that Larsen was built more for football than for the baseball.

"In 1943, his last year in Michigan City, Larsen played with the CYO baseball team, which tallied a 21-4 record and won the Junior League crown.

Larsen played mainly on the right court, his shot being better than his throw. "

Larsen's family moved to San Diego during the Second World War. His father signed a payment contract with the St. Louis Browns in 1947.

He had an indiscriminate career in the minor leagues and the Browns, who eventually moved to Baltimore and traded Larsen to the New York Yankees.

On October 8, 1956, Don Larsen placed for the Yankees in a world series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, a National League power charged with future Hall of Famers, including Jackie Robinson, the man who had broken the line of color in the major leagues. baseball.

Larsen played with legends of the Yankees, Yogi Berra and Mickey Mantle. He met only the minimum number of Dodges, 27, and did not allow a single on a base, the definition of the perfect baseball match. He scored a playoff for the final out of the game, a Yankees victory.

Eddie Wineland

Eddie Wineland is a mixed martial arts fighter who has been Cagefighting's first extreme bantamweight world champion.

In 2017, he set a professional record of 23-11-1 in over 13 years of fighting.

Wineland was born in Houston in 1984, but grew up in Chesterton, where he graduated from Chesterton High School in 1991.

He became a firefighter and is employed by the LaPorte Fire Department.

Wineland was a high school wrestler and began his MMA training at Duneland Vale Tudo. He participated in various events in the Midwest before signing with World Extreme Cagefighting.

Wineland recently returned to the UFC after spending more than a year recovering from a broken jaw. His jaw was closed after being broken during a fight in 2014. Wineland told The Times that his doctors had advised him to reconsider his return to the cage, but by July 2015, he had returned to Chicago for the first time. An event.

Eugene Wilson

Born in Merrillville, Eugene Wilson played in the hometown of the Pirates, before starting a career in college and professional football during which he won two Super Bowl rings with the New England Patriots.

In Merrillville, Wilson was a man of letters in football and basketball. He has been selected twice among all states and, as a senior, has been named defensive player of the year by the Duneland Athletic Conference. In basketball, he has been a postman and university for four years, and has been selected twice with a jury composed exclusively of DAC members.

He attended the University of Illinois, where he specialized in oral communication. Safety ended his career with 176 tackles (139 solo, 37 assists), 11 interceptions and 60 deflections. He also had 93 punt returns for 896 yards and two touchdowns.

Wilson was selected in the second round (36th overall) of the 2003 NFL Draft. Il a aidé les Patriots à remporter le Super Bowl XXXVIII en 2003 et le Super Bowl XXXIX en 2004. En 2004, il a récupéré un échappé de l’ailier rapproché des Philadelphia Eagles, L.J. Smith, avant de quitter le match après s’être blessé lors du coup d'envoi. Il a également intercepté Ben Roethlisberger dans une victoire 41-27 sur les Steelers de Pittsburgh en 2004.

En 2007, contre les Jets de New York, Wilson a retourné une interception de Kellen Clemens pour un touché, faisant de lui le 21e Patriot à marquer un touché cette saison-là, établissant un record de la NFL. Wilson a rebondi en 2008, signant avec les Buccaneers de Tampa Bay le 14 mars avant d'être libéré le 1er septembre de la même année. Deux jours après sa libération, il a été signé par les Texans de Houston, où il a eu une interception lors d'une victoire sur les Titans du Tennessee le 20 septembre.

Le 18 février 2011, les Texans ont libéré Wilson. Il a disputé 96 matchs au cours de ses huit années de carrière, terminant avec 399 plaqués, quatre récupérations en échappé, 41 déviations par la passe et 14 interceptions.

E’Twaun Moore

Né dans l’est de Chicago, E’Twaun Moore a finalement joué pour les Cardinals centraux de sa ville natale avant de connaître le succès dans les rangs collégiaux et professionnels.

Durant la dernière année de Moore, aux côtés de la future star du football des Panthers de la Caroline, Kawann Short, Moore a mené son équipe au titre de championat 2007 des Class 4A, marquant 28 points dans une victoire sur North Central, mettant en vedette l'Indian 2007 2007 Mr. Mr. Basketball et le pro Eric Gordon. .

Un produit vedette des États-Unis dans l'Indiana, le C.-B. a été classé 35e au pays par Rivals.com. Il a opté pour la Purdue University, rejoignant Robbie Hummel (Valpo), Scott Martin (Valpo) et JaJuan Johnson au sein de la classe de recrutement du pays aux cinquième et sixième rangs, selon Scout.com et Rivals.com, respectivement.

À Purdue, Moore est devenu le troisième joueur de l’histoire de Big Ten à totaliser 2 000 points (2 136), 500 rebonds (611) et 400 passes décisives (400) au cours d’une carrière. Il a quitté Purdue en tant que troisième meilleur marqueur de l'histoire du programme, devançant seulement Rick Mount et Joe Barry Carroll. Moore détient des records du programme avec le plus de minutes jouées (4 517), des buts marqués de 3 points (243), des victoires (107), des matchs joués (140) et des départs (137). Il a mené Purdue au chapitre des buts lors de chacune de ses trois premières saisons (2008, 2009 et 2010), devenant ainsi le premier joueur à le faire depuis Troy Lewis dans les années 1980.

Sélectionné trois fois pour la première fois avec All Big Ten, Moore a été choisi au deuxième tour (55e au total) du repêchage de la NBA par les Boston Celtics. Il n'a joué qu'une saison pour les Celtics avant d'être échangé aux Rockets, où il a été levé peu de temps après. Il a par la suite rejoint l'Orlando Magic, jouant respectivement 75 et 79 matchs lors des saisons 2012-13 et 2013-14, avec une moyenne de 7,1 points au cours de cette période.

Le 8 septembre 2014, Moore a signé un contrat pour rentrer chez lui à Chicago afin de jouer pour les Bulls. Il a passé deux saisons à Chicago, débutant dans 22 matchs en 2015-2016 avec une moyenne de 7,5 points et une moyenne au bâton de 452 points.

À l'été 2016, Moore a signé avec la Nouvelle-Orléans en tant qu'agent libre et a enregistré des sommets en carrière en 25,3) et points (9,7) par match.

Fred "le marteau" Williamson

L'une des personnalités les plus connues de Gary est l'ancien joueur, réalisateur et producteur de la NFL, Fred "The Hammer" Williamson.

Né le 5 mars 1938 à Gary et diplômé du Froebel High School, Williamson a d'abord évolué dans le football. Il a joué à Froebel, puis à la Northwestern University, puis il est devenu professionnel, prenant la tête des Pittsburgh Steelers, des Oakland Raiders et des Kansas City Chiefs.

Il a gagné son surnom parce qu'il était connu pour frapper fort, mettant ainsi le marteau sur les autres joueurs.

Personnalité haute en couleur, Williamson a trouvé sa place à Hollywood, accumulant des crédits dans plus de 60 rôles – dont de nombreux films de genre exploités – dans des films allant de «Black Caesar» à «M * A * S * H» en passant par le motard qui tue des vampires. dans «From Dusk Till Dawn» à la version cinématographique de 2004 de «Starsky & Hutch».

Il a également joué dans "Original Gangstas", un film de 1996 tourné et tourné dans Gary.

Williamson a joué le dur à cuire, a assumé des rôles d’action et a même montré des côtelettes comiques au fil des ans. Il était un porte-parole de la liqueur de malt King Cobra, a fait une apparition dans une vidéo de Snoop Dogg et a compté le défunt maire Gary Rudy Clay parmi ses meilleurs amis.

Williamson a fondé la société de production Po 'Boy Productions dans les années 1970.

Il a été intronisé au Temple de la renommée du football de l'Indiana en 1996 et est un porte-parole actif du projet Wounded Warrior.

Glenn Robinson

Basketball was the ticket to success and fortune for "The Big Dog," who grew up the son of an unmarried teenage mother in Gary.

He began playing organized basketball as a freshman at Roosevelt High School, leading the Panthers to three regionals, two semistates and one state final. Roosevelt won the state championship in 1991, when Robinson won the prestigious Mr. Basketball award and was named to the McDonald's All-American team.

Robinson went on to play at Purdue for two years, sitting out his freshman season due to academic eligibility and then declaring for the NBA Draft after his junior year. After earning All-Big Ten honors as a sophomore, he topped the nation in scoring at 30.3 points per game to go with an 11.2 rebound average. Purdue won the Big Ten reached the regional final (elite eight), but fell to Duke, an ailing Robinson (back) held to a season-low 13 points.

Robinson received the John R. Wooden and Naismith awards, becoming Purdue's first national player of year since Wooden won it as a Boilermaker in 1932. He left Purdue as its only player to amass more than 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 100 steals, 100 assists and 50 blocked shots in a career despite playing just two seasons.

Chosen with the first overall pick of the 1994 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, Robinson played through 2005, spending the bulk of his career with the Bucks before short stints with Atlanta, Philadelphia and San Antonio. He finished with 14,234 career points, averaging 20.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. His son Glenn III now plays in the NBA. Robinson, 42, has an estimated net worth of $30 million.

Glenn Robinson III

The son of former basketball star Glenn Robinson has made a name for himself in the same sport as his father.

He even did something pops never could: Win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.

A late bloomer who was a junior varsity player as a freshman at Lake Central, "Trey" emerged the following season, when he led the Indians in scoring. By his senior year, which saw Lake Central capture a sectional title, he had developed into a top recruit. He led Lake Central to a sectional title and chose to continue the region pipeline by committing to Michigan.

In his two seasons in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines enjoyed unprecedented success, winning 59 games in the span. One of three Northwest Indiana players on the UM roster, Robinson shined on the national stage, playing a key role in a run to the 2013 national championship game, where Michigan fell to Louisville. His stock rose to the point that he was projected to be a first-round draft pick, but he chose to return for his sophomore season.

The Wolverines reached the 2014 regional final, falling to Kentucky, and the 6-foot-7 Robinson declared for the draft. He was taken 40th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves, but played sparingly and was waived late in his rookie year.

Philadelphia claimed Robinson two days after and he finished the season there, making his first professional start in the season finale. The 76ers didn't make him a qualifying offer and Robinson became a free agent. He played in the summer league with Atlanta, eventually singing a three-year contract to play back in his home state with the Indiana Pacers for just over $1 million per season.

Robinson entered the starting lineup in 2016, then became a national star in February when he claimed the NBA Slam Dunk championship.

Gregg Popovich

It’s a long way from Gary to San Antonio.

The man famously known as “Pop” started his hoops career with the 1960 Gary Biddy Basketball All-Star Team, which finished third in the World Tournament, held at Gary’s Memorial Auditorium.

He attended Merrillville High School (1966) and graduated in 1970 from the U.S. Air Force Academy. He played basketball for four seasons at the academy, where he was team captain and leading scorer his senior year.

Upon completion of his required active duty, Popovich returned to Colorado Springs, where he became an assistant coach in 1973. In 1979, he became head coach at Pomona-Pitzer, staying there until 1988, when Larry Brown brought him on as an assistant with the Spurs.

The entire staff was let go in 1992, but after a year with Golden State, Popovich was brought back as general manager and vice president of operations by new ownership in 1994. After a 3-15 start to the 1996-97 season, he fired coach Bob Hill and took over the job himself, the start of what would turn out to be one of the most successful careers in league history.

Popovich is the longest active coach in both the NBA and all U.S. major sports leagues. He holds the record for most consecutive winning seasons (playoffs included) in NBA history at 18. Popovich has won five NBA championships — 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 — one of only five coaches to do so. One of nine coaches to have won 1,000 games, he was selected NBA Coach of the Year in 2003, 2012 and 2014.

In 2015, Popovich was named the next head coach of the U.S. national team. He takes over duties from Mike Krzyzewski, who led the U.S. to its third straight gold meal in the 2016 Olympic Games.

At one point during his time at the Air Force Academy, Popovich reportedly considered a career with the Central Intelligence Agency. The decision to stay in basketball turned out to be a profitable one. On top of the all the titles and accolades, the 67-year old and renowned media foil has a net worth estimated at $20 million.

Hal Morris

Hal Morris, a 1983 Munster product, may have been best known for his unusual hitting technique, where his feet continuously moved until the pitcher threw the ball, but it certainly served the spray-hitting lefty well.

Morris hit .304 over his career with the Yankees, Reds, Royals and Tigers, and also made it onto a Wheaties cereal box.

Morris was selected by the Yankees in the eighth round of the 1986 amateur draft and debuted with the Yankees on July 29, 1988, against the Blue Jays, singling to left field against reliever Duane Ward in his first at-bat.

On Dec. 12, 1989, Morris was traded to the Reds and helped them win the World Series in 1990. He hit .340 on the year, which, at the time, was the third-highest batting average by a rookie in 50 years. In 1991, Morris finished one point behind Atlanta's Terry Pendleton for the National League hitting crown at .318. In 1994, Morris was hitting .358 with 120 hits at the All-Star break, but was not selected to the team. Thus, until Casey McGehee in 2014, Morris was the last player to be leading his league in hits at the All-Star break and not make the team.

Morris compiled a 32-game hitting streak from Aug. 26, 1996 to April 3, 1997, the longest by a first baseman in the modern era of Major League baseball. His .319 average at Riverfront Stadium was the highest by any Reds player in the history of the stadium, quite a feat considering the likes of Pete Rose, Joe Morgan and Johnny Bench played there.

He spent time with the Royals, Reds and Tigers before retiring Nov. 1, 2000. Since 1961, the start of MLB's expansion era, Hal Morris and Derek Jeter are the only players with a minimum of 10 seasons in the majors who collected a game-ending RBI in their final home game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Morris did it with the Tigers with a pinch-hit single Oct. 1, 2000, giving his team a 12-11 win over the Twins. For Morris, it was also the final at-bat of his career.

After retiring, Morris continued his education by graduating with an MBA from Stanford. He has been involved in a variety of real estate and technology ventures, and has been an advisor to Montara Capital Partners, a boutique private equity firm focused on 1031 exchange and tax advantaged real estate transactions. Before joining the Angels in November 2011, he was a professional scout for the Pirates for two seasons and the Red Sox for one. He served as the pro scouting director for the Angels from 2011-2016.

"Hal is often the smartest guy in the room, and you'd never know it," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said in an MLB.com article in 2014.

Morris attended Michigan, where the Wolverines won the Big 10 championship in 1984 and 1986, advancing to the College World Series in 1984. He set records for slugging percentage and batting average while playing alongside the likes of Barry Larkin, Chris Sabo and Jim Abbott.

At Munster, Morris captained the tennis, basketball and baseball teams in his senior season. He was an Indiana All Star in baseball in 1983 and was named the MVP of the annual North-South All-Star Game in Jasper, finishing 8-for-9 in the series.

Harry Szulborski

Maybe it was fitting that a man nicknamed "The Hurricane" was the football coach of a high school nicknamed the Golden Tornado.

Harry Szulborski got his nickname for the way he went through college defenses from 1946-1949 while starring at Purdue.

The Detroit native spent his teaching and coaching career at Emerson High School on Gary's East Side. He spent one year at Wirt after Emerson closed following the 1981 school year.

He said he enjoyed being involved in the Gary athletic scene. Szulborski not only coached football, but started the school's wrestling program, coached golf for six years and baseball for 10, and was an assistant track coach for 10 years. He also learned under hall of fame coach Art Rolfe.

"Art was a great football man, a great coach," Szulborski said. "He hired me as an assistant and he taught me a lot about coaching."

During Szulborski's tenure, Gary's football coaches were a "who's who" of coaching legends in Rolfe at Emerson, Don Elser (Horace Mann), Leonard Douglas and Claude Taliaferro (Roosevelt), Eddie Herbert (Lew Wallace), Walt Nabhan and Jack Owen (Wirt), Gene Johnson (West Side), George Maddock (Froebel), Ralph Brasaemie (Edison), Ricahrd Dornbos, Ray Lincolnhol, Nick Crnkovich and Pete Billick (Andrean), and Bob Stearns (Tolleston).

"We had a good group of coaches all over the city," Szulborski said. "We loved to compete against each other and Gary football was good. You had to be ready to play every week. Gary had a great school system, great athletics and I am glad I had a chance to be a part of it."

Szulborski took over at Emerson as its enrollment started to decline. With the opening of Andrean, Emerson lost many athletes from St. Luke's, less than a football field away from Emerson, which was the city's first high school. Even St. Luke's closed its doors after the 1968-69 school year.

"I coached great kids and I loved coaching," "Szulborski said. "I had great assistants and we always tried to be competitive."

His 1972 team tied Andrean and West Side for the Northwestern Conference title, his only championship as head coach of the Golden Tornado or Norsemen as they were also called.

Szulborski's name was already known as he was a two-time honorable mention All-American at Purdue and led the nation in rushing in 1947 with 851 yards. he led the Big Nine (now the Big Ten) in rushing in 1947 and again in 1948 with 989 yards. He left Purdue as its all-time leading rusher with 2,476 yards, a record that stood until Otis Armstrong broke it in 1972.

"We had a lot of fun at Purdue," Szulborski said. "I know I had a great line and you don't get those yards without good blocking. I don't care how fast you are."

Szulborski had 11 100-plus yard rushing games in an era when teams played nine games.

How did a Detroit kid from Pershing High School get away from Fritz Crisler?

"There were some Purdue alums in Detroit and I took a visit and liked Purdue," he said.

He played two years in the NFL, one for the Green Bay Packers (1950) and the next year with the Detroit Lions.

"I wish it would have turned out differently, but I had some injuries," Szulborski said. "I thought things might be different at Detroit, but they weren't."

Irv Cross

Irv Cross was an outstanding football and basketball player and track athlete at Hammond High School and was The Times' 1957 Male Athlete of the Year.

He went on to star at Northwestern University under Ara Parseghian and played 10 years in the NFL.

The 1987 Hammond Sports Hall of Fame inductee starred on a bigger stage (and TV screen) upon retirement from the NFL. In 1975, he teamed with Brent Musburger and  1971 Miss America Phyllis George on CBS-TV's  "NFL Today," which was the first network pregame show to go completely live.

"That was the key — live. You were looking live at everything," Cross said in a 2009 Times interview. "NBC, they had taped segments, but we went live, and it was tough with several games' halftimes coming within 30 seconds of each other. You had all these monitors.

"I definitely can say we set the standard for pregame shows."

Cross set the standard as he was the first African-American to co-anchor a network sports show, and George was one the first females to do the same.

"We were named 'The Mod Squad' after the TV show," George told The Times in 2009. "We were. We were the first to not only do a live pregame, but we were the first to have a black and a woman co-anchoring a network football show."

George said she has kept in contact with Cross through the years. She remembers him not only as a professional, but as a friend.

"Irv is the greatest," George said. "He is just a class person. Not only was he a great football player, he was a great on-air person.

"He was also just a great guy. Irv made me feel real comfortable."

Cross was honored in 2009 as that year's recipient of the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award at a dinner in Canton, Ohio. He is the first African-American to receive the award.

Cross was the seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1961 NFL Draft and played for both the Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.

Cross said it was a shock when he got the call from Joe Horrigan of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He said he got his start in sportscasting while still in the NFL. WIBG sports director Bill Emerson asked him to do drive-time sports on the rock 'n' roll station.

"I had the hottest jocks on both sides of my sports shows, and that opened the door for me to go to KYW (Channel 3) and do TV," Cross said. "They were an NBC station and sports was the last thing on, so I was a lead-in to Johnny Carson and that was a big plus for me."

His brother Ray, also an outstanding athlete and later a successful educator and coach n the Hammond school system, said his brother would talk into a microphone in their boyhood home.

Cross  and his wife, Liz, reside in the Twin Cities. He is retired as the executive director of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Central Minnesota.

Jared Tomich

Lake Central High School football standout Jared Tomich followed his success on the local gridiron with two national championships at the University of Nebraska, before an NFL career that included playing for the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers.

Tomich was born on April 24, 1974, and was raised in St. John.

He joined the University of Nebraska football team as a walk-on for legendary coach Tom Osborne. Tomich sat out the 1992 season and was red-shirted for the 1993 season.

Tomich made the most of the next three years. A defensive end, he was a member of the 1994 and 1995 national championship Husker teams, and was an All-American in 1995 and 1996.

Tomich earned a degree in communications from Nebraska. He was inducted into the Nebraska Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Tomich was drafted in the second round of the 1997 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints.

He played in 16 games each of his first two seasons, then eight and 15 games in his final two years with the Saints.

Tomich was a member of the Green Bay Packers in 2002, though he played only two games.

Tomich returned to Northwest Indiana to make his home with his family. He has engaged in charitable work, joined several local boards, and operated a small chain of health clubs. The latter encountered legal and financial difficulties and are no longer in operation.

Jason Repko

Jason Repko, born in East Chicago in 1980, has enjoyed a 17-year career in professional baseball.

His father Ed and mother Anita were East Chicago Roosevelt graduates. Ed graduated in 1972 and played baseball under former Rough Riders coach Joe Rivich. Anita graduated in 1975.

The Repko family lived in Lake County and the West Coast during his childhood.  Jason attended school in Lowell at age 8 before returning West.

Jason Repko was drafted by the Dodgers in the first round of the 1999 draft. Repko began his professional life as a shortstop and battled injuries the next two seasons before converting to the outfield in 2002, when he began a steady climb through the L.A. farm system.

He made his major league debut on April 6, 2005 for the Dodgers at San Francisco. His first home run came four days later, a game-tying two-run shot in the seventh against Arizona.

The Dodgers released Repko in 2010. He also spend big league seasons with the Minnesota Twins and Boston Red Sox. He spent the 2016 season playing for the York Revolution in the independent Atlantic League.

Jeff Samardzija

Region residents have watched Jeff Samardzija's rise to athletic stardom since his days at Valparaiso High School.

The righty nicknamed "The Shark" was born Jan. 23, 1985 to Sam and Debbie Samardzija. Debbie taught at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Valparaiso.

He attended Valparaiso High School, where he played both football and baseball. Samardzija's mother died in 2001 from a rare lung disease when Jeff was still a teen.

Samardzija was named the 2002 Times Offensive Player of the Year while playing for Valparaiso High School as a junior. He graduated in 2003 and went on to play football and baseball for the University of Notre Dame, where he was named an all-America wide receiver.

Samardzija was selected in the 5th round amateur baseball draft by the Cubs in 2006. He made his Major League debut in July 2008 at the age of 23.

He was named to the All-Star team in 2014, but was ineligible to play because he was traded from National to American League (Cubs to Athletics) prior to the game. He wore a cap and uniform without a team designation for the festivities.

Later that year, he was traded to the White Sox.

"I was brought up in Northwest Indiana. We came to a lot of games, and my family bought tickets to sit in that second deck," Samardzija said when he joined the White Sox in 2014.

Samardzija returned home to Valpo in May 2015 to hand out 7,500 White Sox ticket vouchers to every elementary school student in Valparaiso Community Schools.

During the visit, he reminisced about time spent with his mother while she worked at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, where a memorial garden grows in her memory.

"It seems like yesterday I was running around here and now I look and realize I just turned 30," he said.

His brother, Sam Jr., serves as his agent.

After an 11-win season for the Sox, Samardzija became a free agent and was picked up by the San Francisco Giants in December in a five-year-, $90 million contract. He pitched against the Cubs during their postseason run to a World Series title, losing Game 2 of the NLDS.

Jerome Harmon

Jerome Harmon is a slam dunk legend who even impressed Michael Jordan.

The Gary native was a shooting guard for Lew Wallace High School. He graduated in 1986 and went on to play for the University of Louisville.

Harmon was the first person ever to win the McDonald's All-American Game slam dunk contest in 1987 and saw Michael Jordan in the locker room afterward.

"All he said was WOW!" Harmon told The Times in a 2013 interview. "That meant a lot to me."

Harmon went on to play basketball for the University of Louisville, but was sidelined by back surgery. He came back but left as an early NBA entry in 1991, but was not drafted.

He played 10 games as a free agent for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1994-95 season before beginning a 12-year run playing professional basketball in Europe.

Harmon, now 46, lives in Louisville, where he works as a truck driver.

Jim Bradley

Jim Bradley was touted throughout his lifetime as one of the greatest athletes to emerge from East Chicago, but his untimely death raised questions in the eyes of some about continuing the accolades posthumously.

Bradley was born March 16, 1952 and attended East Chicago Roosevelt High School. The power forward was a member of tyhe Roosevelt "Rough Riders" state champs in 1970 which won the title game 28-0. Bradley went on to be named the MVP of the Midwestern Conference in 1972.

Bradley was scouted by hundreds of universities and chose Northern Illinois University before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1974.

Bradley was quickly touted as the next Magic Johnson and made the cover of Sports Illustrated. He went on to play for the Kentucky Colonels and Denver Nuggets in the American Basketball League.

After his career ended, Bradley was gunned down on a Portland, Ore. street on Feb. 20, 1982 at the age of 29. The area was notorious for drug activity, but friends and family member insisted Bradley was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The questions surrounding his death led some officials to question whether he should be inducted into the Indiana Sports Hall of Fame

After an outpouring of public pleas, the hall inducted Bradley in 2010. That same year, East Chicago dedicated a portion of Melville Avenue in his honor by naming it Honorary James Arthur Bradley Avenue.

John 'Jack' Chevigny

John “Jack” Chevigny is a Notre Dame legend who now is on the South Shore Wall of Legends at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond.

He scored the touchdown for Notre Dame that inspired the Ronald Reagan line, “Win one for the Gipper,” in honor of Notre Dame football legend George Gipp. “That’s one for the Gipper,” Chevigny is said to have yelled as he crossed the goal line.

Chevigny was born in Dyer and graduated from Hammond High School. At Notre Dame, he was one of coach Knute Rockne’s best blocking backs in the 1920s.

Chevigny served as an assistant football coach under Rockne from 1929 to 1931. Notre Dame was undefeated those two seasons and won the national championship both years. After Rockne was killed in a plane crash, the year Chevigny received his law degree, he left Notre Dame to coach the Chicago Cardinals one season. The Cardinals record was 2-6-2 that year.

The next season, he was head coach at St. Edwards University, then the University of Texas in 1934. His Texas Longhorns team defeated Notre Dame, 7-6.

Chevigny left his coaching job to become deputy attorney general in Texas, then worked in the oil industry.

He tried to enlist in the U.S. Army during World War II but was rejected because of a football injury. He was then drafted at age 36. He was in the Army only a matter of months before receiving an honorable discharge so he could serve in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.

Chevigny coached the Camp Lejeune Leathernecks — he had renamed the team — to a winning record before requesting overseas duty.

He was killed in action while serving as a Marine during the early days of the invasion of Iwo Jima. Chevigny is buried in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Junior Bridgeman

Fast food entrepreneur Junior Bridgeman couldn't believe what he heard while working next to an employee one day, a young man who seemed quiet and distant.

"How's it going?" asked Bridgeman, trying to break the ice.

The kid shrugged as if to say "What is it to you?"

Bridgeman wondered how life had been treating his employee and was told, bluntly: "Today is no different than tomorrow's going to be or the day after that."

Most employers might shake their head regretfully and walk away. But the 1971 E.C. Washington grad and former NBA star is not your ordinary boss.

Bridgeman helped lead unbeaten Washington to the 1971 state basketball championship, then starred at Louisville before enjoying a productive 12-year NBA career, much of it with the Milwaukee Bucks.

As CEO of Bridgeman Hospitality Group, he owns 244 Wendy's franchises and 120 Chili's franchises — more than 400 stores counting the Perkins Restaurants and Fazoli's he also runs.

That's 18,000 employees and all are an integral part of Bridgeman's food empire. So much, in fact, his businesses offer health care and educational assistance to help workers improve their lifestyles.

Years ago, he established a charter school in Milwaukee and then a boys school in Louisville, where he claims there are 1,000 homeless children.

Some, like that quiet kid, can be impossible to reach.

"He told me what he was doing … he was in the illegal drug business," Bridgeman recalled. "He's just a teenager, so your heart breaks because you know where that life can lead. He was not ashamed to tell me 'This is the only reason I'm here.'"

The boy wanted to have a W-2 form to hide his income.

"As I stood there and listened to him, I wondered just how did it get to this point? How did it become so acceptable that he had no qualms about telling me and that it had become sort of a badge of honor for him out in the community," Bridgeman said.

"He told me the only way that changes is if maybe he moves up in whatever hierarchy they had, but he did not see himself in a situation that would be improving at all."

Bridgeman spoke in November 2014 at a Gary Chamber of Commerce luncheon. He spoke about having dreams, a backup plan, specific goals, and the importance of a solid education.

Most kids will never become professional athletes, the odds are heavily against them, but education or technical training can open countless doors to a fulfilling life.

"Not everybody has the ability to get a four-year degree or an advanced degree but you can become a plumber or electrician and be successful," Bridgeman said. "It's the training that matters."

Today, his net worth is estimated at almost $300 million.

Kenny Lofton

East Chicago native Kenny Lofton enjoyed a 17-year career in Major League Baseball as a skilled center fielder and a premier lead off man and base stealer.

Lofton graduated in 1985 from East Chicago Washington High. He attended the University of Arizona where he was torn between playing baseball or basketball, Lofton told Times sportswriter Glenn Minnis in 1993.

“I didn’t really have a preference,” he said. “I loved them both and if it was left up to me, I’d be playing both professionally right now.”

The Houston Astros drafted the 25-year-old speedster in the 17th round of the 1988 draft. He recorded the most triples (17) of any professional baseball player on any level while playing for Houston’s AAA team in Tucson, and then being brought up to the majors in 1991.

The Astros traded him to the Cleveland Indians where Lofton hit .285 in his first full year, setting an American League rookie record by stealing 66 bases. He had 15 doubles, eight triples, five homers and 42 RBI, and was second in voting for AL Rookie of the Year.

By 1993 he was chosen the AL’s “Most Exciting Player,” “Best Bunter” and “Fastest Baserunner” in a poll of major league managers.

Lofton had three tours of duty with the Indians and played single seasons with the Atlanta Braves, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Los Angels Dodgers; the White Sox, the San Francisco Giants, the Cubs, The Pittsburgh Pirates and Texas Rangers.

Northwest Indiana baseball great Dan Plesac told The Times’ Al Hamnik, “Kenny had a real good idea of the strike zone. He wasn’t afraid to take pitches, he could bunt, he could hit in the alleys and he had a little bit of pop, too.”

Lofton last worked in the majors in 2007.

Larry Bigbie

Larry Bigbie, a 6-foot-4 Hobart native, played football and baseball for Hobart High School.

He received the school's award for Most Valuable Offensive Back in 1995. Football Coach Don Howell said at the announcement that while he didn't like to answer questions about who his best player at a certain position is, that Bigbie, who made both all-area and all-state teams, was "one of the best quarterbacks we ever had."

Bigbie was recruited by and signed with the Ball State University Cardinals where he excelled as an outfielder.

The Baltimore Orioles picked him in the first-round and 21st overall in the college 1999 draft. His professional career began in minors at Bluefield, W.Va, of the Appalachian League.

Bigbie played six seasons from 2001 to 2006 in the majors with the Baltimore Orioles, Colorado Rockies and St. Louis Cardinals.

Though injured, he played with the Cardinals' 2006 World Series championship team. After hitting .240 with St. Louis that year, Bigbie returned to the minor leagues under contract with the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers before going to Japan where he played the 2008 season with the Yokohama Bay Stars in the Japanese Central League.

He also played the 2010 season for the Edmonton Capitals of the Golden Baseball League in Canada.

LaTroy Hawkins

LaTroy Hawkins has enjoyed more than two decades in professional baseball, a career that began when the Minnesota Twins chose him in the seventh round of the amateur draft after he graduated from Gary West Side High School in 1991.

LeRoy Kirk, who coached LaTroy at West Side, once said, "I saw the same determination in whatever LaTroy got involved in, whether it be basketball or baseball. He gave it 110 percent."

With a fastball clocked at 96 mph, Hawkins struck out enough of the opposing batters to become the first player in Minnesota Twins history to be named the organization's minor-league pitcher of the year twice.

The right handed pitcher spent several seasons with Twins farm clubs, including Fort Myers, Fla. and Elizabethton, Tenn. When he arrived in Minnesota, he worked out of the bullpen, becoming the team leader in in the smallest number of earned runs allowed in 2002.

He had the reputation of being one of the game's best set-up men. He was pursued by at least eight teams when he left Minnesota and joined the Chicago Cubs in 2004. Cub fans soured on him following some blown saves and the Cubs traded him to San Francisco the following year.

He also spent time with the Baltimore Orioles, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros, the Milwaukee Brewers, the Anaheim Angels, the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hawkins became the 13th pitcher in August 2015 to record a save against all 30 Major League Baseball teams, completing the achievement against the Twins. At 42, Hawkins was the oldest pitcher in Blue Jays history to record a save. He announced his retirement at the end of the season, finishing his career with a 75-94 record and 127 saves in 1,042 appearances.

Lloyd McClendon

Lloyd McClendon was born to be a team player.

McClendon was born in Gary on Jan. 11, 1956 as the youngest of nine boys to a family with 13 children.

The future MLB player and manager learned baseball fundamentals at an early age and was a member of a history-making Gary Little League team. McClendon pitched in the 1971 Little League World Series, marking the first time an all African-American team made it to the finals.

McClendon earned the nickname "Legendary Lloyd" in the series after homering at five consecutive at bats. The Gary team lost to the Tainin City, Taiwan team in extra innings.

"Mac" as he is known, played for baseball for Gary Roosevelt High School and graduated in 1979. He then moved on to Valparaiso University, playing ball for the Crusaders and twice earning all conference honors.

The right-handed outfielder and first baseman was drafted by the New York Mets in the 8th round of the amateur draft in 1980. He made his Major League debut in April 1987 with the Cincinnati Reds.

He played two seasons for Cincinnati, two for the Chicago Cubs and five for the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing his last game in 1994.

McClendon went on to become a hitting coach for the Pirates, a bullpen coach and hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers before being named manager of the Pirates in 2001. The move made McClendon the first and still the only Region native to manage in the Majors.

He became the manager of the Seattle Mariners in 2013, a position he held until this fall when he was let go after the season ended.

He was hired in December 2015 as head coach of the Toledo Mud Hens, a minor league franchise of the Detroit Tigers, and is now the big league club's hitting coach.

Mac has a reputation as a hot head on the field (a label he dismisses) but back home in the region, he is a dedicated philanthropist who in the off season conducts local youth baseball camps with police officers assisting as instructors in an effort to improve relationships between police and young people and donates turkeys to the needy at the holidays.

McClendon continues to make his home in Chesterton and currently serves as capital campaign honorary chair of the Boys and Girls Club of Porter County, supporting the group's efforts for a new Duneland club.

Luke Harangody

Luke Harangody excelled at sports from his elementary school days at Schererville's St. Michael's in soccer to his high school, collegiate and professional basketball career.

He led Andrean High to three sectional titles and helped the 59ers get to a Regional final, finishing 10th in the state in scoring at 23.6 points per game and was second in rebounding at 12.8 per game.

Harangody went on to Notre Dame, where he was the only men's player in the history of the Big East Conference to average 20 points and 10 rebounds per game for his career.

He also was the first Notre Dame men's player to be a three-time first-team All-Big East selection and the first to lead the conference in scoring and rebounding in consecutive seasons.

The Boston Celtics drafted him 52nd overall in 2010, but the 6-foot-8 power forward was slowed by a knee problem. The Celtics traded him to Cleveland where he underwent knee surgery.

He played for Denver in the 2013 NBA Summer League and played in the Euroleague overseas for UNICS Kazan in during the 2013-2014 season. He played for Phoenix in the 2015 NBA Summer League and continued his professional career in Turkey in 2016.

Mitch McGary

The greatest Chesterton Trojans basketball player that never was?

The 6-foot-10 Mitch McGary attended high school there as a freshman and a sophomore, but left for Brewster Academy, a prep school basketball factory in New Hampshire, where he developed his raw, but vast, talents and became one of the top recruits in the nation for his class.

After helping Brewster to the National Prep Championship and earning Parade All-American honors in 2012, McGary chose to go the University of Michigan. As a freshman, he quickly emerged as a spark off the bench for the Wolverines, leading the team in both blocked shots and rebounds.

By the NCAA tournament, he had cracked the starting lineup consistently, joining close friends and Lake Central product Glenn Robinson III. He earned all-South Regional honors in helping Michigan win the title and a berth in the final four. The Wolverines lost in the national championship to Louisville. McGary played sparingly as a sophomore due to back problems, which ultimately led to him having surgery.

Upon learning that he had tested positive for marijuana following the Sweet Sixteen victory over Tennessee and was facing a one-year suspension, McGary declared for the 2014 NBA draft and was chosen with the 21st pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder and signed a $2.8 million/two-year deal with the team.

Injuries and off-the-court issues have continued to hamper McGary. He made his debut Dec. 14, 2014, returning from the Thunder's Development League team, and had a strong finish to his rookie season. The 255-pound left-hander averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds over 32 games.

McGary failed another drug test in 2016, then faced more disciplinary action from the NBA following a non-compliance issue, before ultimately getting waived by the Thunder in October of that year.

Pete Trgovich

Success on the basketball court has been synonymous with the East Chicago Washington product, dating back to his days as a Senator over 40 years ago.

Trgovich was the leading scorer on the 1971 Senators team that went undefeated (29-0) and won the state title. The 6-foot-5 star scored a combined 68 points in the final two games to lead E.C.W. to the championship. His 40 points in the semifinals tied the standing record for scoring in the state finals.

All five Senators starters from the team went on to play Division I basketball with Trgovich heading to the west coast to play for the legendary John Wooden at UCLA.

His impact was immediate as Trgovich averaged 23.4 points per game as a freshman, including a high of 47. The following season, the Bruins captured the national championship, finishing 30-0 in 1973. They captured the title again in 1975, knocking off Louisville, which featured Trgovich's high school teammate, Junior Bridgeman.

Trgovich was drafted by the San Diego Sails of the ABA and the Detroit Pistons of the NBA in 1975, He signed with the Sails, but the ABA soon folded. It was too late to sign with Detroit, so Trgovich had to wait until the next season, since the Pistons still owned his draft rights. He was then cut in veterans camp.

He entered high school coaching in 2001 at Andrean, where he led the 59ers for two seasons. He returned home to take over E.C. Central in 2005, guiding the Cardinals to the Class 4A state championship in 2007, when a team featuring E'Twaun Moore and Kawaan Short outlasted Indianapolis North Central 87-83 in the finals.

In the process, Trgovich became the first Hoosier to win a state title as a player and a coach as well as a college national championship.

Trgovich promptly stepped down to become coach at Indiana University Northwest, where his son Pete III played, and held that position for three seasons. Inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, he returned to the bench in 2015 at the age of 62, taking over as Cardinals coach for a second time.

Robbie Hummel

Robbie Hummel was always a standout.

The 6-foot-8 Valparaiso High School graduate made a name for himself on the basketball court in high school.

The small forward went on to play for Purdue University and broke the university’s freshman record for three-point shots and had the highest free throw percentage for a freshman in school history.

Hummel’s college career was sidelined by injuries, but he came

He was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012 and played for their summer league for two seasons and spent one year playing in Spain.

Hummel has had a few stints broadcasting basketball games

Now 27, he currently plays professional basketball in Russia.

Ron Kittle

Former White Sox slugger Ron Kittle was never afraid of hard work.

Kittle was born in Gary on Jan. 5, 1958. He was one of six children born to Jim, an ironworker in the steel mills, and Dorothy Kittle.

Kittle took to baseball at a young age, and his father began coaching him at age 6 in the Aetna Little League.

Kittle told The Times when his father died in 1994 that his dad was his "biggest fan and hardest critic."

The future power-hitter spent his freshman year at Andrean High School before transferring to Wirt High School where he played baseball for legendary coach Jerry Troxel.

Kittle was drafted by the Dodgers in 1976 after a tryout camp in LaPorte. In his first official game in the Midwest League, Kittle broke his neck when a catcher stepped on it while he was sliding into home.

He thought his baseball days were over and went to work in the steel mills as an ironworkers' apprentice. He said the hard manual labor helped him regain his strength.

He tried out for the Sox in 1978 after being scouted by the late Billy Pierce and they signed him to a contract. He made his Major League debut in 1982 and earned the American League Rookie of the Year Award in 1983 with 35 home runs and 100 RBIs.

He stayed with the Sox through 1986 and hit seven career rooftop shots at old Comiskey Park, a Major League record.

Kittle wore jersey No. 42 for most of his career, the number worn by Jackie Robinson. Major League Baseball retired the number for all teams in 1997 in Robinson's memory.

The designated hitter, left fielder and occasional first baseman played for the Yankees, Indians and Orioles but returned to the Sox in 1989 and 1990 and briefly again in 1991, the year he played his last game.

In 1989, Kittle founded Indiana Sports Charities to support cancer research and education. The organization hosted annual celebrity golf tournaments in the Region and later, motorcycle runs.

After he retired from baseball, Kittle went on to manage the Schaumburg Fliers nonaffiliated minor league team from 1998 to 2001.

In 2005, he wrote "Ron Kittle's Tales from the Chicago White Sox Dugout," sharing his life's story and anecdotes from his years in baseball.

Kittle is co-owner of the Northwest Indiana Oilmen, a Midwest Collegiate League team in Whiting.

He also makes hand-crafted benches and chairs from bats, bases and baseballs, often for current and retired players and for charities. He currently serves as a White Sox ambassador.

The father of two made his home for years in Chesterton before moving to the far southern suburb of Mokena in recent years.

Sean Manaea

The "Baby Giraffe" may just be a major league regular for years to come.

After an up-and-down start to his career with the Oakland Athletics, Wanatah native Sean Manaea has become a regular in his second season with the big league club.

Manaea debuted April 29, 2016, and picked up his first win three weeks later, allowing one run to Texas over 6 2/3 innings. He finished his rookie campaign with a 7-9 record, 3.86 earned run average and 124 strikeouts in 144 2/3 innings pitched. In season two, the left-hander is taking the ball every five days as a steady rotation pitcher for the AL West club.

Former South Central baseball coach Kevin Hannon recalled a game in Manaea’s sophomore year of high school when he started to tap his vast potential. In a regular-season game with state-ranked Lake Central, Manaea took the Satellites into the ninth inning in a 5-4 loss.

“That was his coming-out party,” Hannon said. “The lights came on. I knew the kid had it. His arm was electric. I knew in time he would figure it out.”

It was one of Manaea’s last games with South Central. Hannon left for Knox and Manaea transferred to Andrean.

“He went to a good place,” Hannon said. “Coach (Dave) Pishkur was able to work with him to refine his stuff. It was the best career move Sean ever made. His arm developed. He matured. I was just lucky to have my hand on him. He’s a good kid from a good family. I called his dad, and they had like four phones going. His mom’s never been to California.”

At Andrean, Pishkur got Manaea onto Team Indiana, where a couple scouts tabbed him as a potential college reliever. The recruiting trail wasn’t hot, Pishkur said, with Indiana State showing the only active interest.

“When he got to Andrean, he hadn’t spent a day in the weight room,” Pishkur said. “We introduced him to it. He was probably (throwing) 87. He always had the frame, he was left-handed. You can’t predict how much (faster) a kid’s going to get, but I didn’t see it, not if he stayed at 87.”

Pishkur credits Indiana State for taking the 6-foot-5 Manaea to the next level. Once a 190-pound string bean, he now weighs 245 and throws 97.

“He jumped in velocity real quick,” Pishkur said.

Several summers ago, Pishkur spent vacation time watching Manaea throw in the prestigious Cape Cod League. It was behind the plate at a game there where he asked scouts for a comparison. All three said Chris Sale.

“That was pretty high praise,” Pishkur said. “He’s topping out at 93 and blowing it by the best college hitters in the country. He has that funky three-quarters delivery where the ball comes out of nowhere.”

Kansas City took Manaea in the supplemental draft. He was traded to Oakland last year to pry Ben Zobrist away from the A’s.

“He’s put up numbers everywhere he’s gone,” Hannon said. “He could’ve very well been in that Kansas City rotation, as good as it was.”

Steve Weatherford

Steve Weatherford is playing his 12th season as an NFL punter, his fifth for the New York Giants. He was part of the Giants' Super Bowl championship team in 2011.

His path to the pros began in Crown Point, where he was born on Dec. 17, 1982. His family soon moved, and he was raised in Louisiana and Terre Haute, where he attended North Vigo High School. There, he played four sports, including football as punter, kicker and safety.

Weatherford focussed his boundless energy on the weigh troom and the playing field. In the summer before his senior year, at a kicking camp at the University of Illinois, he impressed coaches enough to earn a scholarship.

He was red-shirted in 2001, then played the next four years, finishing his college career in 2005 as Illinois' all-time leader in punting average.

Weatherford went undrafted after completing his college career, but his college special teams coach, then on the New Orleans Saints' staff, talked the team into signing him. Weatherford also played for the Kansas City Chiefs, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets, before finding a home with the Giants.

Weatherford set a Super Bowl record by having three punts downed inside the 20-yard line in the Giants' Super Bowl XLVI victory.

Weatherford is the founder of the Steve Weatherford World Champion Foundation, which supports a variety of charities and programs. He has been the Giants' nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, and was recipient of the 2014 Thurman Munson Award, which recognizes a professional athlete for success on the field and for philanthropic activities off the field.

Weatherford and his wife Laura have three children, and the family splits its time between New Jersey and California.

Tellis Frank

Tellis Frank Jr. is a Lew Wallace legend.

The future NBA power forward was born in Gary on April 26, 1965. He went on to play basketball at Lew Wallace High School where he was a standout on the 1983 team that made it to the semistate championships. He graduated the same year and went on to play basketball for Western Kentucky University.

"Big T," as he is known, was a first-round draft pick for the Golden State Warriors in 1987 and went on to play for the Miami Heat and the Minnesota Timberwolves in his five-year NBA career.

He spent the 1990s playing basketball in Europe, primarily in Italy and Spain.

Upon his return from Europe, Frank began his coaching career, which included stints as an assistant coach for the Harlem Globetrotters, at Hampton University in Virginia and at the high school level in California.

Frank was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.

He is currently in his first season as assistant coach for the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.

Tim Stoddard

East Chicago Washington graduate Tim Stoddard is the answer to some serious sports trivia questions.

First, he is the only athlete to garner a championship ring in the NCAA basketball tournament and baseball's World Series. Likewise, he and fellow ECW alum Kenny Lofton are the only athletes to play in an NCAA Final Four and a World Series.

The 6-foot-7 Stoddard was a member of the 1971 Senators basketball team that went undefeated (29-0) and won the state high school basketball championship. Among his teammates were Pete Trgovich and Junior Bridgeman, who went on to play for UCLA and Louisville, respectively.

Stoddard attended college at North Carolina State, where he was a starting forward on the 1973-74 Wolfpack team that finished 30-1 and captured the national title, ending UCLA's run of seven championships in the semifinals.

Stoddard also lettered in baseball at N.C. State, going on to pitch for six professional teams between 1975 and 1989, including the Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians.

A relief pitcher, Stoddard posted a career record of 41-35 with a 3.95 earned run average, 76 saves and 582 strikeouts over 485 appearances. He pitched in the 1979 World Series with Baltimore, winning game four and becoming the first player to drive in a run in his first World Series at-bat.

His 26 saves in 1980 stood as the Orioles' team record until 1986. Baltimore won the World Series in 1983. While Stoddard did not pitch, he earned a ring. He pitched for the Cubs in 1984, helping them to their first post-season appearance since 1945.

Following his retirement, Stoddard, 62, served as the baseball advisor and played the role of a Dodgers pitcher in the 1993 film, "Rookie of the Year." He worked as the pitching coach at Northwestern University through 2014, a span of more than 20 years. He was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, individually and as part of the Washington team, in 2011.

Tom Harmon

Tom Harmon was a natural athlete who some say was the best all-around athlete the Region has ever produced.

He was a four-sport star growing up in Gary, won the Heisman Trophy as college football's best player while at the University of Michigan, and transitioned from the playing field to broadcast booth, where he covered thousands of sporting events for all three major broadcast networks.

Harmon was born in Rensselaer on Sept. 28, 1919, and moved with his family in 1924 to Gary, where his father served as a police officer.

At Horace Mann High School, Harmon was a track, baseball and football star. He won state track titles in the 100-yard dash and low hurdles, pitched three no-hitters in AAU summer baseball, and starred in basketball.

As quarterback of the Horace Mann football team, Harmon won 14 varsity letters before graduating in 1937. He chose to continue playing at the University of Michigan, which he picked from among more than 50 college offers. He played there from 1938 through 1940, winning the Heisman Trophy in 1940.

Harmon was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.

After college, Harmon joined the U.S. Army Air Corps and served as a pilot in World War II, surviving a crash in South America and being shot down over China. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Silver Star.

After the war, Harmon played two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams, then began a broadcasting career in 1948 that included coverage of more than 10,000 sporting events for ABC, CBS and NBC. He retired in the early 1980s.

Harmon married actress Elyse Knox in 1944, and they had three children: Kristin Nelson, Kelly Harmon and Mark Harmon. His son played college football at UCLA and is a longtime actor and star of TV show, "NCIS."

Tom Harmon died on March 15, 1990, at age 70 after suffering a heart attack.

Tony Raines

Tony Raines is a NASCAR veteran who was named 1999 Busch Series Rookie of the Year.

Raines was born April 14, 1964, in Glasgow, Montana. He is a 1982 graduate of LaPorte High School.

In July 2010, Raines told The Times he had visited his mother in Wanatah and the LaPorte County Fair.

"We don't get to visit Indiana much because we're traveling all the time," Raines said. "You look forward to it because you're only going to be here once. Next week, we're in Iowa, off and running again."

Before entering the NASCAR circuit, Raines competed in the now defunct American Speed Association. He won the championship in 1996.

Between 2002 and 2013, Raines was in 180 races. His average finish was 30.26, including three top 10 finishes and 32 in the top 20.

Tony Zale

Tony Zale was known as "The Man of Steel."

It was the nickname given to the Gary born and reared boxer. He also had the reputation of being able to take punishment and still win, which reinforced the nickname. He was as tough as the steel that rolled out of the old open hearths of U.S. Steel's Gary Works.

Zale was known as a strong puncher, who punished and wore his opponents down.

He was born Anthony Florian Zaleski on May 29, 1913, when Gary was in its infancy as a city. It was founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel Corp. Zale grew up with the city.

He stood 5-foot-7 but was as tough as the pig iron molded into a finished steel product. Zale was a two-time world middleweight champion and made the Ring Magazine's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. Zale is best remembered for his three bouts over a 21-month period with Rocky Graziano for the middleweight crown. Zale won two of the three. He was 67-18-2 in his career with 18 knockouts.

His nephew Ted Zale co-wrote his biography: "Tony Zale: The Man of Steel."

Ted told The Times in an April interview how the fight game was.

"Boxing was much different back then," Ted Zale said of the era when his uncle fought. "When Tony started out, he fought 20 times in six months."

Even as an undisputed middleweight champion, Zale fought non-title and "overweight" bouts in between title defenses to stay sharp and keep food on the table.

"Many guys today fight only once or twice every two years," Ted Zale said.

Like his uncle, Ted Zale lost his father at a young age. Tony stepped up to serve as a father figure, and even taught Ted how to box.

"If you were in our family, you learned how to box," said Ted, an Andrean graduate who now resides in Lansing, Mich. "He helped train me for the Olympic trials."

Tony Zale died March 20, 1997 in Portage. Zale was a 1991 inductee in the Boxing Hall of Fame.

On a lighter note, Zale was originally cast to play himself in the movie "Somebody Up There Likes Me." According to Wikipedia, When Paul Newman (playing Graziano) and he were sparring prior to filming, Newman got rough and Zale knocked him out. Zale was replaced by Courtland Shepard for the final fight scene.

Vic Bubas

Before there was Coach K at Duke, there was Coach B.

Vic Bubas, a 1944 graduate of Lew Wallace High School, attended the University of Illinois for a year before transferring to North Carolina State. A two-time Southern Conference selection, Bubas graduated in 1951, but remained at the school as freshman basketball coach until 1955 and varsity assistant until 1959.

He was hired as head coach at Duke later that year, ascending the Blue Devils program to national heights. Under Bubas, Duke won three regionals, reaching the Final Four in 1963, 1964 (national runner-up) and 1966. Bubas was Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year each of those seasons. Duke also took the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season and tournament titles each of those years, in addition to a regular-season crown in 1965 and a tourney championship in 1960.

Bubas is commonly acclaimed as a pioneer for recruiting by targeting players early and gathering information on them before other coaches had learned of them. He would also send newspaper clippings of Duke games to prospects. The efforts paid off in grand fashion as Bubas drew future All-Americans from across the country to Durham.

When Bubas retired from coaching in 1969 his record of 213-67 (.761 winning percentage) stood as the third highest win total in the country for the decade. Bubas subsequently served as a Duke administrator, eventually becoming the vice president of the university. In 1976, he became the first commissioner of the Sun Belt Conference, a position he held for 14 years until he retired.

Bubas was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 1975, the first of three such honors for the Gary native, now 88. He was named to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2007.