Top 10 Arizona-Born Athletes

Arizona has long been known for year-round warm weather, desert, and growth into a thriving sports state. Many athletes who were born elsewhere live in Arizona, and the following list may surprise many in regards to those born in that state.

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

10. Danny White (born in Mesa in 1952)

White grew up in Mesa where he starred at quarterback for Westwood High School. He attended Arizona State where he helped the team to three Western Athletic Conference(WAC) championships as starter and a 30-4 record. He passed for 6,717 yards during his Sun Devils career, and won the first three Fiesta Bowls that were played. Also, he was the team's punter, and he would play both positions at the next level. White was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1974 NFL Draft, but played in World Football League until 1976. White was the backup quarterback in Super Bowl XII to Roger Staubach, and wouldn't be the team's starter until 1980. White led the Cowboys to three straight NFC Conference Championship Games, but they didn't advance to the Super Bowl in any of them. White did make his only Pro Bowl appearance in 1982, but was largely remembered for backing owners in the labor strike that year. He had his best statistical season the following year despite heavy criticism from Cowboys fans. He was in and out as starter for the remainder of his career before he retired for good after the 1988 season as the franchise experienced a downfall. White finished his NFL career with 21,959 yards and 155 touchdowns, and had a 40.4 yards per punt average.

9. Paul Silas (born in Prescott in 1943)

Though he was born in Arizona, Silas played college basketball at Creighton University. At Creighton, Silas set rebounding records with the most in a three-year span as well as averaging 20.6 a game in 1963. In the 1964 NBA Draft, Silas was selected by the St. Louis Hawks, who later moved to Atlanta in 1968. Beginning in 1970, he spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns before he ended up with the Boston Celtics. Silas helped the Celtics to NBA Championships in 1974 and 1976 before he made his final stop to the Seattle SuperSonics. With Seattle, Silas won his third and final NBA Championship in 1979. He played 16 seasons and was a two-time All-Star in the NBA. He become a head coach after his career coaching the San Diego Clippers, Charlotte/New Orleans Hornets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers. He left coaching to take a job as an analyst for ESPN.

8. Charles Hickcox (born in Phoenix in 1947)

Charles was born in Phoenix, and later attended Indiana University where he was part of the Bloomington Swim Club. After college in 1967, Hickcox won a combined six gold medals at the Summer Universiade and Pan American Games. The following year, Hickcox appeared in his only Olympics that took place in Mexico City. In those Olympics, Hickcox won three swimming gold medals in the 200m medley, 400m medley, and 4x100m medley. He also won a silver medal in the 100m backstroke. His performances in those events earned him World Swimmer of the Year in 1968. In 1976, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

7. Sean Elliott (born in Tucson in 1968)

Elliott was an excellent student as a young boy, and later played high school basketball at Cholla High School. After high school, Elliott played for a resurgent Arizona University basketball team under coach Lute Olson. Elliott was part of a team that featured future MLB All-Star Kenny Lofton and guard Steve Kerr as they advanced to their first Final Four in 1988. During his senior year in 1988-89, Elliott won the John Wooden Award given to the nation's top player. Elliott was drafted with the No. 3 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1989 NBA Draft as the team would become a consistent contender. Elliott's best statistical season came in 1995-96 when he averaged over 20 points a game, and was named an All-Star at small forward. In 1999, the Spurs won their first NBA Championship in the strike-shortened season, but it was Elliott who made arguably the most memorable shot in team history before the team advanced to the NBA Finals. In Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Portland Trail Blazers, Elliott made a long shot while having to tiptoe to avoid going out of bounds with nine seconds left to give the Spurs a one point lead and an eventual win. The shot is often called the "Memorial Day Miracle" as San Antonio advanced to the NBA Finals. Elliott announced after the NBA title run that he had played with a kidney disease and required a transplant. Elliott became the first player to return to the NBA after a kidney transplant, and he would retire in 2001. Elliott was a two-time NBA All-Star in his career.

6. Kerri Strug (born in Tucson in 1977)

Strug started with gymnastics at the age of eight, and came from a family that had already seen her older sister Lisa competing before she was born. At age 13, Strug joined the U.S. National Team and won a silver medal in the team competition in the World Championships in 1991. In 1992, she made her Olympic debut in Barcelona as the U.S. team finished with a bronze medal. Two years later, Strug suffered a severe back muscle pull competing in the uneven bars after over-rotating requiring her to be carried off, but would return in time for the World Championships that year. She did win two more World Championship medals in 1994 and 1995 before returning to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia as part of the Magnificent Seven that included Shannon Miller. For decades leading up to the team competition in gymnastics, Russia had dominated with the U.S. never winning the team event. With one day left, the U.S. held what was thought to be a commanding lead. However, poor performances allowed Russia to stay alive, and it was an ankle injury to Strug in her first vault attempt that set the stage for one of the greatest moments in U.S. Olympic history. An injured Strug limped to the runway as she was the last competitor for the U.S. to vault in an attempt to secure gold for the team. She was able to land her vault on both feet, albeit briefly, before she needed assistance off the platform due to further injury to her ankle. The landing scored a 9.712 which guaranteed a gold medal for the U.S. although a bad performance by the last Russian performer(that performed after Strug) would have been enough to clinch the gold without her last vault. She was carried to the podium by teammates to accept her gold medal. Strug's final vault made her a national hero which led to being on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a visit to then-President Bill Clinton in Washington D.C., and many talk show appearances.

5. Lewis Tewanima (born in Songoopavi in 1888)

Tewanima was a Hopi Indian that participated in two Olympic Games in 1908 and 1912 as a distance runner. Before his Olympic appearances, he ran for the Carlisle Indian School as a one-time teammate of legendary athlete Jim Thorpe. At the 1908 Olympics in London, Tewanima finished ninth in the marathon. He faired better at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden with a silver medal finish in the 10,000 meter run. Tewanima is such a legend to his Hopi tribe that he has a race dedicated to honor him every year in Mesa held every Labor Day weekend. He was the first inductee into the Arizona Sports Hall of Fame in 1957.

4. Michael Carbajal (born in Phoenix in 1967)

Although Carbajal was born in Phoenix, he is of Mexican descent. He started his amateur boxing career by winning the National Golden Gloves Award in the Light Flyweight division in 1986. He later won silver medals at the 1987 Pan American Games and at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea in the Light Flyweight division. In 1989, Carbajal debuted as a professional by beating future boxing champion Will Grigsby. After winning his first 15 fights, he won the IBF Light Flyweight title from Thai fighter Muangchai Kittikasem. He lost the title, but regained it as anticipation for his fight against WBC champion Humberto Gonzalez to unify the belts increased. The fight earned both fighters a million dollars which was a first for a junior flyweight or under, and was the first bout in that weight division or lower to headline a pay-per-view card. As for the fight, the two champions traded punches for seven rounds before Carbajal knocked Gonzalez out. The fight garnered much acclaim in the U.S. and Latin America as Carbajal was named fighter of the year by Ring Magazine. Carbajal fought Gonzalez two more times, but lost both by split decisions. Carbajal retired for good in 1999 and was a four-time boxing champion with a career record of 49-4. Carbajal and his arch-rival Gonzalez were both inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006.

3. Randall McDaniel (born in Phoenix in 1964)

McDaniel played college football at Arizona State like many who were born or grew up there. He was a four-year starter as well as All-American guard during his time in school. From there, he was drafted at No. 19 overall by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1988 NFL Draft. For the next 13 years, McDaniel was one of the league's best offensive lineman. He made it to the Pro Bowl 12 times in his career, and played for the Vikings for 12 seasons, too. He played two more seasons in the league for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers retiring after the 2001 season. In 2009, McDaniel was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Also, he is in the College Football Hall of Fame for his play while at Arizona State.

2. Dot Wilkinson (born in Arizona in 1921)

Wilkinson began to play softball at the young age of 12 in 1933. The 19-time All-American played for the Ramblers until 1963 after winning three national championships in the 1940s. After her days were winding in softball, Wilkinson began to make a name for herself in bowling. She won the Women's International Bowling Queens Tournament in 1962 which is a triple crown event as well as Women's International Bowling Congress(WIBC) singles the following year. In her first year of eligibility, Dot was honored by being inducted into the National Softball Hall of Fame and Museum in 1970. Twenty years later, Wilkinson received induction to the International Bowling Hall of Fame. She can still be found attending softball games at the high school, college, and tournament games across Arizona. Her making it into two Hall of Fames are more than enough to include her on this list.

1. Curley Culp (born in Yuma in 1946)

Culp was a versatile athlete in high school and college in both wrestling and football. At Arizona State, Culp played on the offensive and defensive lines on the football team and was the NCAA wrestling champion in the heavyweight division. Culp was more noted for his defense as a nose guard which would suit him later at the next level. Though undersized(six feet one inch and 235 pounds) and deemed slow to run to be a linebacker, Culp ended up with the Kansas City Chiefs on their defensive line after leaving the Denver Broncos. Culp was a big part in helping the Chiefs make it to Super Bowl IV as they defeated the Minnesota Vikings in that game in which he constantly disrupted the Vikings backfield. Culp's quickness helped the Chiefs play a strong defense for years before he was traded to the Houston Oilers in 1974. The trade paid off for Houston as Culp was a four-time All-Pro for the franchise. Though Houston never made it to a Super Bowl, Culp helped make the defense and team competitive for the remainder of his time there. Culp ended his career with the Detroit Lions after two seasons with them in 1981. Culp has since been to the all-time teams for both the Chiefs and Oilers. He was inducted into the Chiefs Hall of Fame in 2008, and was recognized by the USA Today as the greatest Arizona-born athlete in 2000.

Others I considered: John Denny and Andre Either of MLB, Darren Woodson and Steve Jordan of NFL, Misty Hyman of International swimming.

Though the list of athletes born in Arizona may not match other states, the state does have a nice diversity. Some on the list are in two Hall of Fames while one will forever be remembered for one vault on the Olympic stage. Another athlete was the first to play in the NBA after having a kidney transplant while one boxer made history in a lower weight division. One of the best offensive lineman in NFL history came from Arizona while another played on three NBA Championship teams. And one such football player made his mark on both the college football and NFL levels while winning an NCAA wrestling championship. The Grand Canyon State has represented well in sports.

Sources:
wikipedia.com
USA Today Athletes of the Century