List of Native American sportspeople

This is a list of American sportspeople of Native American ancestry.

American Football

Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox Nation, 1887–1953), Olympic Gold medalist and football and baseball player. Won titles as both a player and team executive of the Canton Bulldogs.[1][2]
Tyler Bray, Potawatomi, Chicago Bears, quarterback[3]
Levi Horn, Northern Cheyenne, Chicago Bears
Sam Bradford, Cherokee Nation American football quarterback
Lo Boutwell – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922.[4]
Elmer Busch – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922.[4]
Pete Calac – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922 and 1923.[4]
Joe Guyon – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922.[4]
Al Hoptowit, American football player
Nick Lassa – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922 and 1923.[4]
Joe Little Twig – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922 and 1923.[4]
Ted Lone Wolf – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922 and 1923.[4]
Wahoo McDaniel, Choctaw-Chickasaw, played for different NFL-AFL teams between 1960 and 1968, later became a professional wrestler[5]
Running Deer – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922 and 1923.[4]
Stillwell Saunooke – Played with the Oorang Indians in 1922.[4]
Sonny Sixkiller, Cherokee American football quarterback
James Winchester, Choctaw, Kansas City Chiefs, long snapper,[3] a Super Bowl LIV champion[6]

Athletics

Ellison "Tarzan" Brown, Narragansett U.S. Olympian/Marathon Runner
Wilson Charles – Competed in the Decathlon at the 1932 Olympics.[7]
Ashton Locklear Artistic Gymnast of Lumbee tribe. 2014 World Champion (Team), 2 x 2014 Pan American Champion (Team, Uneven Bars), 2 x 2016 Pacific Rim Champion (Team, Uneven Bars)
Billy Mills, Oglala Lakota 1964 gold medalist
Jim Thorpe – Gold medalist in the Decathlon and Pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics.[8]

Baseball

Johnny Bench, Choctaw Hall of Fame Catcher with the Cincinnati Reds, two-time MVP
Charles Albert "Chief" Bender, Ojibwa Hall of Fame pitcher
Dylan Bundy, Cherokee Nation pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles[9]
Joba Chamberlain, Ho-Chunk pitcher for the Detroit Tigers
Jacoby Ellsbury, Navajo outfielder for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. One time All-Star, Gold Glove winner, and two time Word Series champion [10]
Koda Glover, Cherokee-descent pitcher for the Washington Nationals[11]
Jon Gray, Cherokee Nation pitcher for the Colorado Rockies[9]
Ryan Helsley, Cherokee Nation pitcher for the St. Louis Cardinals[12]
Adrian Houser, Cherokee Nation pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers[13]
Frank Jude (Mille Lacs Ojibwe, 1884–1961), Major League Baseball outfielder[14]
Kyle Lohse, Nomlaki Major League Baseball pitcher
Robbie Ray, Cherokee-descent pitcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks[15]
Louis Sockalexis, Penobscot Major League Baseball player
Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox Nation, 1887–1953), Olympic Gold medalist and football and baseball player
Moses J. Yellow Horse (Pawnee Nation, 1898–1964), first Native American to play in a major league.[16]

Ice Hockey

Ethan Bear, Ochapowace Nation NHL player for the Edmonton Oilers
Jonathan Cheechoo, Cree former NHL player for the San Jose Sharks and Ottawa Senators. One time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy winner
Brandon Montour, Mohawk NHL player for the Buffalo Sabres
Brandon Nolan, Ojibwe and Maliseet former NHL player for the Carolina Hurricanes
Jordan Nolan, Ojibwe and Maliseet AHL player. Two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Los Angeles Kings
Ted Nolan, Ojibwe former NHL player for the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins, former head coach of the Buffalo Sabres and Latvia men's national ice hockey team at the 2014 Olympics. Father of Jordan and Brandon
Carey Price, Ulkatcho First Nation NHL goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. Olympic Gold medalist for Canada and Vezina Trophy winner
Wacey Rabbit, Blackfoot Confederacy ECHL player
Jordin Tootoo, Inuit former NHL player for the Nashville Predators, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Chicago Blackhawks
Zach Whitecloud, Sioux Valley Dakota Nation NHL player for the Vegas Golden Knights

Basketball

Ron Baker, Citizen Potawatomi EuroLeague player, formerly with the New York Knicks
Ryneldi Becenti – First Native American to play in the WNBA.[17]
Joe Burton – First Native American to earn a scholarship to a Pac-10 conference.[18]
Sonny Dove, Wampanoag N.B.A. basketball player Detroit Pistons and New York Nets
Angel Goodrich, (Cherokee) WNBA basketball player
Kyrie Irving – American/Australian basketball player.[19]
Bronson Koenig, Ho-Chunk basketball player currently on an NBA two-way contract
Shoni Schimmel, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, WNBA player

Boxing

Kali Reis – Three times world middleweight champion.[20]

Golf

Notah Begay III, Navajo PGA Tour golfer
Rod Curl, (Wintu) PGA tour golfer
Frank Dufina (Mackinac Bands of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians), professional golfer

Ice skating

Naomi Lang – First Native American woman to compete in the Winter Olympic Games in 2002.[21]

Soccer

Chris Wondolowski – plays as striker for San Jose Earthquakes and the United States national team, and is a member of the Kiowa tribe.[22]
Stephen Wondolowski – Former American Soccer Defender and is Kiowa.
Landon Donovan - American Football Player and his Cherokee

Table tennis

Angelita Rosal – Table tennis player and first woman inducted in the Indian Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973.[23]

Professional Wrestling

Gerald Brisco, Chickasaw Nation Pro Wrestler and WWE talent scout
Jack Brisco, Chickasaw Nation Pro Wrestler, Former NWA World Champion
Chris Chavis, Lumbee professional wrestler
Janel Horton, Shinnecock professional wrestler known as "Alere Little Feather"
Mickie James, Powhatan-descent professional wrestler
Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel, Choctaw-Chickasaw professional wrestler

References

"Canton Bulldogs". Sports Ecyclopedia. 2020-01-06. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
"Canton Bulldogs". Ohio History Central. 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
Wells, Lizzie (January 5, 2020). "Are There Any Native American Football Players in the NFL?".
Willis, Chris (2017). Walter Lingo, Jim Thorpe, and the Oorang Indians: How a Dog Kennel Owner Created the NFL’s Most Famous Traveling Team. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-44227-765-6.
Associated Press (April 20, 2002). "Wahoo McDaniel, 63; Football Player Became Popular Wrestler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
World, Eric Bailey Tulsa. "OU football: Family celebration after Super Bowl win exactly how James Winchester's father would have wanted it". Tulsa World.
"Wilson "Buster" Charles 1972 - Track/Baseball - Oneida". American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
"Jim Thorpe Biography". Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
Harding, Thomas (August 15, 2016). "Gray humbled by Cherokee Nation roots". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Edes, Gordon (March 11, 2007). "Ellsbury a rare talent". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Kramer, Lindsay (July 6, 2016). "Syracuse Chiefs reliever Koda Glover could be a big name from a very small town". Indian Country Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Harwood, Rodney (February 10, 2016). "A Proud Cherokee Family with An Ace: St. Louis Cardinals' Pitcher Ryan Helsley". Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Saxon, Mark (October 4, 2019). "Cardinals' Ryan Helsley, of Cherokee descent, expresses disappointment over Braves' use of Tomahawk Chop". The Athletic. Retrieved October 7, 2019. Several current major leaguers have Cherokee heritage, including the Milwaukee Brewers' Adrian Houser, who was born in the Native American hospital in Helsley's hometown
Bohn, Terry. "Frank Jude". Society for American Basketball Research. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
Bindell, Stan (June 21, 2016). "Native American Recognition Day sparks Diamondbacks player's interest in heritage". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
Berger, Ralph. "Chief YellowHorse". Society for American Basketball Research. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
"Prominent American Indian Athletes:Ryneldi Becenti". Mesa Community College. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
Rosenbaum, Cary (December 3, 2015). "Eight Native ballers you need to know better". Indian Country Today Media Network. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
Windhorst, Brian (22 August 2018). "Kyrie Irving finds new name and new family on North Dakota reservation". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.
"Kali Reis". WBAN. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
"Lang, Tchernyshev realize their Olympic dream". Associated Press. 12 January 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
"Infographic: Chris Wondolowski, Kiowa Soccer Star at the World Cup – ICTMN.com". Archived from the original on 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2019-02-09.
Liverti, Rita M. (2004). "Angelitta ROSAL BENGTSSON". In King, C. Richard (ed.). Native Americans in Sports. London: Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 0-76568-054-8.

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.

[1] "Canton Bulldogs". Sports Ecyclopedia. 2020-01-06. Retrieved 2020-08-04.

[2] "Canton Bulldogs". Ohio History Central. 2020-08-04. Retrieved 2020-08-04.

[nflnatives-3] Wells, Lizzie (January 5, 2020). "Are There Any Native American Football Players in the NFL?".

[willis-4] Willis, Chris (2017). Walter Lingo, Jim Thorpe, and the Oorang Indians: How a Dog Kennel Owner Created the NFL’s Most Famous Traveling Team. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 226. ISBN 978-1-44227-765-6.

[5] Associated Press (April 20, 2002). "Wahoo McDaniel, 63; Football Player Became Popular Wrestler". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 23, 2020.

[6] World, Eric Bailey Tulsa. "OU football: Family celebration after Super Bowl win exactly how James Winchester's father would have wanted it". Tulsa World.

[7] "Wilson "Buster" Charles 1972 - Track/Baseball - Oneida". American Indian Athletic Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 October 2018.

[8] "Jim Thorpe Biography". Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved 2 October 2018.

[Bundy_and_Gray-9] Harding, Thomas (August 15, 2016). "Gray humbled by Cherokee Nation roots". MLB.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[10] Edes, Gordon (March 11, 2007). "Ellsbury a rare talent". Boston Globe. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[11] Kramer, Lindsay (July 6, 2016). "Syracuse Chiefs reliever Koda Glover could be a big name from a very small town". Indian Country Today. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[12] Harwood, Rodney (February 10, 2016). "A Proud Cherokee Family with An Ace: St. Louis Cardinals' Pitcher Ryan Helsley". Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[13] Saxon, Mark (October 4, 2019). "Cardinals' Ryan Helsley, of Cherokee descent, expresses disappointment over Braves' use of Tomahawk Chop". The Athletic. Retrieved October 7, 2019. Several current major leaguers have Cherokee heritage, including the Milwaukee Brewers' Adrian Houser, who was born in the Native American hospital in Helsley's hometown

[14] Bohn, Terry. "Frank Jude". Society for American Basketball Research. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[15] Bindell, Stan (June 21, 2016). "Native American Recognition Day sparks Diamondbacks player's interest in heritage". Navajo-Hopi Observer. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 13, 2019.

[16] Berger, Ralph. "Chief YellowHorse". Society for American Basketball Research. Archived from the original on October 7, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.

[17] "Prominent American Indian Athletes:Ryneldi Becenti". Mesa Community College. Retrieved 2 October 2018.

[18] Rosenbaum, Cary (December 3, 2015). "Eight Native ballers you need to know better". Indian Country Today Media Network. Archived from the original on 10 October 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2018.

[19] Windhorst, Brian (22 August 2018). "Kyrie Irving finds new name and new family on North Dakota reservation". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2 October 2018.

[20] "Kali Reis". WBAN. Retrieved 3 October 2018.

[21] "Lang, Tchernyshev realize their Olympic dream". Associated Press. 12 January 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2018.

[22] "Infographic: Chris Wondolowski, Kiowa Soccer Star at the World Cup – ICTMN.com". Archived from the original on 2014-06-20. Retrieved 2019-02-09.

[23] Liverti, Rita M. (2004). "Angelitta ROSAL BENGTSSON". In King, C. Richard (ed.). Native Americans in Sports. London: Routledge. p. 262. ISBN 0-76568-054-8.