Black Sports Legends of Ohio - 2008

LENNY WILKENS
  • Played for the Cleveland Cavaliers from 1972-74 and was voted one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.
  • Made up the first ever African-American NBA General Manager & Head Coach tandem along with Wayne Embry for the Cavaliers.
  • Coached the Cavaliers for seven years, leading them to the playoffs during five of those seven years.
  • As a head coach in the NBA, amassed more than 1,000 victories to become the winningest coach in the history of the league.
BILL WHITE
  • Raised in Warren, Ohio and attended Hiram College.
  • Played shortstop for the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Phillies.
  • Became the first African-American to do radio play-by-play for a major-league sports team.
  • Became the first African-American ever to preside as National League President when chosen by the 12 National League owners in 1989.
MADELINE MANNING-MIMS
  • A Cleveland native; one of the first female American middle distance stars of world-class caliber.
  • From 1967 to 1980, she won 10 national indoor and outdoor titles, four Olympic trial championships and set numerous American records.
  • The first American female to win Olympic gold in the 800 meter sprint; also member of the Olympic teams in 1972, 1976 and 1980.
REGGIE RUCKER
  • One of the most prolific receivers in Cleveland Browns franchise history.
  • Remains among the top in receiving records including total receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns .
  • Rucker's NFL totals include 447 catches for 7,065 yards and 44 touchdowns.
EARL LLOYD
  • Broke the color barrier in the National Basketball League in 1950
  • Played in over 560 games in nine seasons, at the power forward position averaging 8.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
  • Continued his career in the NBA as an assistant coach and scout for the Detroit Pistons.
Black Sports Legends of Ohio - 2007

WAYNE EMBRY
  • Springfield, Ohio native; attended Miami (OH) University.
  • Four-year captain of the Cincinnati Royals (ABA) and five-time NBA All-Star; NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics.
  • First African-American General Manager with the Milwaukee Bucks and first NBA Team President with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
EDDIE GEORGE
  • Ohio State’s second most recent heisman trophy winner.
  • Rushed for a school record 1,927 yards and 24 touchdowns in his senior season at Ohio State, leading the team to an 11-1 record and going on to win the heisman in the closest race ever.
  • NFL first round draft pick and NFL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
  • Named NFL All-Pro running back four times and appeared in Super Bowl XXXIV.
JOHN MCLENDON
  • First African-American basketball head coach in professional basketball with the Cleveland Pipers (ABL) in 1961.
  • First African-American basketball head coach at a major college basketball program at an integrated school with Cleveland State in 1966.
  • McLendon heightened the awareness of basketball players at all-Black colleges and helped initiate a new era of integrated basketball.
FRED NANCE
  • Cleveland native; one of the top lawyers in the United States
  • Became one of the five finalists for the position of NFL Commissioner; the first African-American ever to be considered
  • Led the negotiations with the NFL on the return of the Cleveland Browns and the construction of Cleveland Browns Stadium
LEE REED
  • Lee Reed is the athletic director of Cleveland State University
  • One of only sixteen African-American collegiate athletic directors in Division I-A in the nation.
  • Considered one of the fifty most influential African-Americans in sports
Black Sports Legends of Ohio - 2006

OSCAR ROBERTSON
  • “The Big O” was the first African-American to play basketball for the Cincinnati Bearcats, setting 14 NCAA records as an All-American.
  • Played for the Cincinnati Royals, was an All-NBA first-team choice for 10 seasons and won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in 1964.
  • The only player ever in the history of the NBA to average a triple double
  • Selected unanimously to the Hall of Fame in 1979 and as one of the 50 greatest players of all time in honor of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary.
BILL WILLIS
  • Columbus, Ohio native; an All-American tackle at The Ohio State University
  • One of the first African-American players in the NFL when he joined the Cleveland Browns
  • The only person to ever be inducted into each the Ohio High School, College and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
EDWIN MOSES
  • Dayton, Ohio native
  • Olympic champion and world record holder in the hurdles; his record of 47.02 seconds existed until 1992
  • Utilized applied sciences to perfect the technique for the 400-meter hurdles; was also a physicist and created one of the original testing systems for performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
HARRISON DILLARD
  • Cleveland, Ohio native; attended Baldwin-Wallace College
  • Won and tied both world records for the NCAA and 120-yard dash and 220-yard hurdles in 1946 and 1947; became the only athlete ever to win Olympic gold medals in a sprint and hurdle event in 1948 and 1952; won 82 consecutive races from 1947-1948.
  • A charter member of the National Track and Field Hall of Fame and the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
GENE SMITH
  • The first African-American athletic director at The Ohio State University, overseeing 36 Ohio State varsity teams
  • Was previously athletics director at Iowa State and Eastern Michigan and has been on the NCAA Infractions Committee, Rules Committee and BCS Advisory Committee
  • The first African-American president of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA).
Black Sports Legends of Ohio - 2005

ARCHIE GRIFFIN
  • A Columbus native; attended The Ohio State University.
  • Heralded as one of the best running backs ever in college football.
  • At Ohio State, Griffin amassed one of the most prolific statistical resumes ever in college football, running for a total of 5,265 yards.
  • Remains the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner (1973-74) in the history of college football.
CLARK KELLOGG
  • Cleveland native; graduate of the Ohio State University
  • Big Ten Conference basketball’s MVP for 1982 season
  • NBA first-round draft pick by the Indiana Pacers
  • Selected to the 1982 NBA All-Rookie Team
BUTCH REYNOLDS
  • An Akron native; attended the Ohio State University
  • Won a silver medal in the 1988 Summer Olympics in the 400 meters and a gold medal on the 4 x 400 meter relay.
  • Set in 1988 the world record for the 400 meters at 43.29 seconds and held it for years
  • Won gold medals on the 4 x 400 meter relays in 1987, 1993 and 1995 IAAF trials.
RENEE POWELL
  • Entered the LPGA Tour in the turbulent 1960s and 70s and following a 15-year playing career.
  • Inducted into the Ohio Women's Golf Hall of Fame in 1989.
  • Her father, William Powell, opened the first African-American designed and owned golf course, Clearview Golf Club, in 1946 in Osnaburg Township in East Canton.
RUSS ROGERS
  • In his 17 years at Ohio State, Russ Rogers has produced over 100 Big Ten indoor and outdoor track and field champions, 18 NCAA indoor and outdoor champions and 94 All-Americans which includes 23 from the past three seasons.
  • In 1999, Rogers was chosen as the head coach of the national team that participated in the World Indoor Championships in Japan.