Top 10 Alabama-Born Athletes

Alabama has had a long-standing history of sports in their state, and college football is likely what many associate them with due to their consistent success on the field. Many athletes born there are forever remembered for their accomplishments which have reached far beyond their profession.

The list is based on accomplishments, awards, influence, cultural impact, and popularity. Athletes that were born in the state of Alabama are considered even if they didn't live there long after birth. Here are my picks for the top 10 Alabama-born athletes of all-time starting with No. 10......

10. Charles Barkley (born in Leeds in 1963)

Barkley's basketball career didn't get off to a good start after failing to make the varisty team at Leeds High School as a junior. But he became a star making the team his senior year, and finally caught the eye of the Auburn basketball team. At Auburn, he struggled to maintain his weight, but became one of the best players in SEC history. Barkley was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the No. 5 overall selection in 1984. He developed into one of the league's best power forwards ever as a versatile player capable of scoring, defending, and rebounding despite his short stature at the position. Barkley was one of the players on the famed 1992 Dream Team at the Summer Olympics. He later helped the Phoenix Suns reach the 1993 NBA Finals and was traded to the Houston Rockets later on, too. He was constantly surrounded by controversy with his comments as well as on-court incidents. But that didn't stop him from Hall of Fame career and being named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players ever.

9. Mia Hamm (born in Selma in 1972)

Hamm's childhood had seen her move around a lot, but she began playing soccer at a young age which paid off early. She became the youngest player to play on the U.S. Women's National team before attending the University of North Carolina. Her teams at UNC went 95-1 in her career before she started her professional career. In 1991, she became the youngest woman in American history to win the FIFA Women's World Cup doing so at the age of 19. Hamm broke the record the most goals in international play in 1999 during the same year the U.S. national team won the World Cup again. In that final match, an attendance record for a women's event was set as 90,000 fans came to the Rose Bowl to watch. She went on top with a gold medal at the 2004 Olympics during which she was chosen to carry the American flag at the ceremony's conclusion in Athens. She has garnered numerous accolades and awards, and she has scored more goals than any other player. Her excellence on the field earned her National Soccer Hall of Fame honors in 2007.

8. Bart Starr (born in Montgomery in 1934)

Starr played high school football at Lanier High School before becoming the quarterback at Alabama. Due mainly to an injury-filled 1954 season and winless 1955 campaign, he slipped to the 17th round of the 1956 Draft being taken by the Green Bay Packers. After legendary coach Vince Lombardi took over in 1959, Starr became the starter and he never looked back. Starr quarterbacked the Packers to five NFL Championships including wins in the first two Super Bowls. He played until 1971, and later coached the same Packers franchise after retirement. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

7. Satchel Paige (born in Mobile in 1906)

Paige began learning the art of pitching at a reform school in Alabama which would later lead to a long 40-year baseball career. His playing career began in the Negro Leagues when he signed to play for the Chattanooga White Sox in their minor league system. One year later, he played for the Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro National League. With Major League Baseball still not crossing the color line, Paige established himself as quite possibly the great player in Negro League history. In the 1940s, Paige played for the Kansas City Monarchs, and was a teammate of Jackie Robinson, who later became the first African-American in MLB in 1947. After racial segregation had ended, Paige signed with the Cleveland Indians as he became the oldest rookie in league history at the age of 42. Despite this, Paige made All-Star Game appearances in 1952-53, and would play until age 59. His long, storied career of dealing with racial segregation and being in and out of the game by playing for many teams, earned Hall of Fame induction honors in 1971.

6. Bo Jackson (born in Bessemer in 1962)

Jackson's multi-sport career began to take shape at McAdory High School as he starred in football and baseball, and becoming a two-time state champion in the decathlon. Jackson garnered notice in baseball as the New York Yankees selected him in the 1982 Amateur Draft, but he chose to attend Auburn to play football, baseball, and participate in track and field. The decision proved to be a great one as he later became an SEC legend ending his football career by winning the Heisman Trophy in 1985. After not signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the No. 1 overall choice in the 1986 NFL Draft, he signed with the Kansas City Royals baseball team instead. Later, he would play for the Los Angeles Raiders and Royals during both seasons. His football career was ended after serious hip injury in 1991, but he would miraculously return to play baseball in 1993. He was No. 72 on ESPN's list of the greatest North American athletes of the 20th Century in 1999.

5. Hank Aaron (born in Mobile in 1934)

Aaron grew up in a poor neighborhood in Mobile, and learned how to hit a baseball by using a stick and hitting bottle caps with it. Also, he batted cross-handed in his early days, but his batting power still showed in his youth. Later, after his strong play during the 1952 Negro League World Series, he received offers to play from the Boston Braves and New York Giants. He chose to play for the Braves after they offered a little money which prevented him from teaming with future legend Willie Mays. Aaron's decision was a great one as he ended his career as the league's all-time leader in home runs(since broken by Barry Bonds), RBI, total bases, and extra base hits. He won his only MVP award in 1957, and helped lead the Braves past the Yankees in the World Series. He also holds the record for 25 All-Star Game appearances and was a unanimous Hall of Fame selection in 1982.

4. Willie Mays(born in Westfield in 1931)

Mays was a multi-sport star at Fairfield Industrial High School playing baseball, basketball, and football. His professional baseball career actually began while in high school when playing in the Negro Leagues that jeopardized his playing in school. After receiving offers from major league teams, the "Say Hey Kid" signed with the New York Giants team as they assigned him to their minor league system in 1951. He was called up to the Giants later that season, and he took home Rookie of the Year honors as they advanced to the World Series. After his time serving in the Army in 1952-53, Mays helped the Giants win the World Series in 1954. It was during Game 1 of that World Series that Mays made "The Catch", an over-the-head catch in centerfield hit by Vic Wertz. Mays continued to flash his great all-around ability on the baseball field as the Giants eventually relocated to San Francisco at the end of the decade. The 24-time All-Star was named No. 2 on Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. He was unanimously selected to the Hall of Fame in 1979.

3. Carl Lewis (born in Birmingham in 1961)

Though Lewis was born in Alabama, he became a track and field star at Willingboro High School in New Jersey where he became one of the top long jumpers in the world. Track and field is a difficult sport compared to most to make a living in, but Lewis was determined to do so after his days at the University of Houston. Lewis qualified for the U.S. Olympic team in 1980, but the country boycotted the games that year. After setting world records in track in 1982-83, he made his first appearance at the Olympics in 1984. He would become well-known for his success there as he equaled Jesse Owens' record of four gold medals at one Olympic setting. Despite being in the Olympics, he was selected in the NFL Draft in 1984 by the Dallas Cowboys and later by the Chicago Bulls in the NBA turning down both. He returned to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea where the controversial 100M relay took place as Lewis was awarded gold after Ben Johnson tested positive for steroids. Lewis won two other medals in Seoul, and two in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. He won his last medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta in the long jump event. He won ten medals(nine gold, one silver) in his career, and was named Olympian of the Century as well as No. 12 ranking in ESPN's list of the greatest North American Athletes of the 20th Century.

2. Joe Louis (born in Lafayette in 1914)

Born Joe Louis Barrow, the "Brown Bomber" and his family moved to Detroit after an encounter with the Ku Klux Klan. Later, his family was seriously impacted by the Great Depression before he decided to go to a local youth center where he took up boxing. His amatuer career began at age 17, and we would later begin professionally in 1934. Louis worked his way up to No. 1 contender, but lost the first match-up of two famous meetings against Max Schmeling. Louis still got a shot at the title, and defeated the "Cinderella Man" James J. Braddock with an 8th round knockout. Louis avenged his earlier loss to Schmeling, who was portrayed as fighting under the Nazi regime, with an early knockout as this bout transcended the sport. Louis raised the popularity of boxing, and was seen by many as the first national African-American hero in the sport. He holds records for the most championship fights and most successful title defenses in boxing history. Many believe he is the greatest boxer in history, and he elevated the sport during economic crisis as well as later breaking the color barrier in the sport of golf. He is one of the greatest American athletes ever.

1. Jesse Owens (born in Oakville in 1913)

Owens moved to Cleveland before the age of ten so that there would be more opportunities during the Great Migration period. He would take various jobs, but would be influenced heavily by his junior high school track coach Charles Riley. After leaving East Technical High School, he attended Ohio State University despite having to deal with a restricted life style due to his race. At a Big Ten in Michigan, Owens set three world records and tied another in a time span of 45 minutes. As Nazi Germany came to power and were showing the world its superiority hosting the 1936 Olympics, it was Owens who forever made his mark at those games to dispose Aryan power while garnering international fame. He won four gold medals in the 100m race, long jump, 200m race, and 4x100 relay which was a feat that no one would accomplish again in track and field until 1984. Over the years, Owens received many awards and accolades including having his own stadium at Ohio State and the creation of the Jesse Owens Award given to the nation's top track and field athlete. In a time of racial tension and ever-changing world of superiority in the height of the Great Depression, it was Owens that stood tall on the biggest stage in the Olympics. He is the one of the greatest athletes in American sports history.

Others I considered: Ken Stabler, Ozzie Newsome, and Terrell Owens of the NFL. Ozzie Smith, Willie McCovey, Don Sutton, and Billy Williams of MLB.

Alabama is one of the strongest states for well-known born athletes. Two of the best Olympians ever were born there. One of the greatest boxers ever was born in Alabama. Two of the best baseball players to ever play the game came from there. The oldest player to play in Major League Baseball, and one of the best defensive players were born in the state. And one of the NBA's greatest players of all-time as well as a five-time NFL Champion were all born in the state.

Sources:
List of people from Alabama
ESPN's Top 100 Athletes of the 20th Century
Wikipedia