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.

1

Simone Biles

Raised in Spring, Texas, and trained at her family's gym outside Houston.

2

Nolan Ryan

Refugio-born pitcher who threw seven no-hitters and struck out 5,714 batters.

3

Jack Johnson

Galveston fighter who became the first Black heavyweight champion of the world in 1908.

4

Babe Didrikson Zaharias

Port Arthur native who won Olympic track golds and then dominated women's golf.

5

Earl Campbell

Tyler-born running back, a Heisman winner at Texas and an NFL MVP with Houston.

6

Rogers Hornsby

Winters-born second baseman with a .358 career batting average, second all-time.

7

Ben Hogan

Stephenville-born golfer who won nine majors, four of them after a near-fatal crash.

8

Byron Nelson

Waxahachie-born golfer who won 11 straight tournaments in 1945.

9

Tommie Smith

Clarksville-born sprinter who won 200m gold in 1968 and raised a fist on the podium.

10

Michael Johnson

Dallas-born sprinter who won the 200m and 400m at the same Games in 1996.

11

Clyde Drexler

Houston-raised guard who won an NBA title and played on the 1992 Dream Team.

12

Sheryl Swoopes

Brownfield-born forward, the first player signed to the WNBA and a three-time MVP.

13

Drew Brees

Austin-born quarterback who won a Super Bowl with New Orleans.

14

Jordan Spieth

Dallas-born golfer who won three majors before turning 25.

15

Lance Armstrong

Plano-born cyclist whose seven Tour de France titles were later stripped for doping.