The 15 Greatest Athletes From Texas
Baseball, boxing, golf, gymnastics and the NFL, all claimed by one state. Born there or merely made there, and the list argues about that too.
1Simone BilesRaised in Spring, Texas, and trained at her family's gym outside Houston.
2Nolan RyanRefugio-born pitcher who threw seven no-hitters and struck out 5,714 batters.
3Jack JohnsonGalveston fighter who became the first Black heavyweight champion of the world in 1908.
4Babe Didrikson ZahariasPort Arthur native who won Olympic track golds and then dominated women's golf.
5Earl CampbellTyler-born running back, a Heisman winner at Texas and an NFL MVP with Houston.
6Rogers HornsbyWinters-born second baseman with a .358 career batting average, second all-time.
7Ben HoganStephenville-born golfer who won nine majors, four of them after a near-fatal crash.
8Byron NelsonWaxahachie-born golfer who won 11 straight tournaments in 1945.
9Tommie SmithClarksville-born sprinter who won 200m gold in 1968 and raised a fist on the podium.
10Michael JohnsonDallas-born sprinter who won the 200m and 400m at the same Games in 1996.
11Clyde DrexlerHouston-raised guard who won an NBA title and played on the 1992 Dream Team.
12Sheryl SwoopesBrownfield-born forward, the first player signed to the WNBA and a three-time MVP.
13Drew BreesAustin-born quarterback who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans.
14Jordan SpiethDallas-born golfer who won three majors before turning 25.
15Lance ArmstrongPlano-born cyclist whose seven Tour de France titles were later stripped for doping.
Comments
Nolan Ryan's 5,714 strikeouts and Jack Johnson's 1908 heavyweight title make this the rare category where she is not the biggest name: https://youpick.best/articles/simone-biles-ranked-many-ways
