Athletic Points of Pride

 

Softball team celebrating

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Flash, the Kent State University mascot

Kent State takes great pride in its Golden Flashes, who go on to successful careers in wide-ranging fields from business to healthcare to professional and collegiate athletics. Some of the KSU Athletics alumni who have excelled at the next levels of their sport: Thurman Munson (baseball); Antonio Gates (basketball); Nick Saban, Lou Holtz, Jack Lambert, James Harrison, Josh Cribbs, and Julian Edelman (football); Ben Curtis, Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners (golf); Jenna Hellstrom (soccer); Madison Thompson (field hockey); Jennifer Ha and Karoline Stormo (golf); Hall of Fame coaches such as Judy Devine (field hockey) and Herb Page (golf); and many Olympians such as Danniel Thomas-Dodd (shot put), Kim Kreiner (javelin), Betty-Jean Maycock (gymnastics), Gerald Tinker (Gold medalist, track), and Holly Speers (softball).

 

  Sport Name Notability
  Baseball Emmanuel Burriss Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a second baseman
  Baseball Chris Carpenter Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
  Baseball Dain Clay Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
  Baseball Matt Guerrier Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher
  Baseball Dirk Hayhurst Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball, currently for the Toronto Blue Jays as a pitcher
  Baseball Dustin Hermanson Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher[14]
  Baseball Eric Lauer Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball
  Baseball Gene Michael Professional baseball player, manager, and scout in Major League Baseball
  Baseball Thurman Munson Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball with the New York YankeesRookie of the Year, and MVP winner
  Baseball Rich Rollins Former professional baseball third-baseman in Major League Baseball 1961-1970. 1962 All-Star.
  Baseball Andy Sonnanstine Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher
  Baseball Steve Stone Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher, winner of the Cy Young Award, sportscaster
  Baseball Scott Stricklin Professional baseball player, head coach for the Kent State baseball team from 2005–2013, current head baseball coach at Georgia
  Baseball Jeff Tabaka Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher, 1994-2001
  Baseball John Van Benschoten Professional baseball player in Major League Baseball as a pitcher
  Basketball John Edwards Professional basketball player in the NBA and NBDL
  Basketball Al Fisher 2008 Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
  Basketball Nate Reinking Professional basketball player in the British Basketball League, 1996–2012; member of the Great Britain national basketball team from 2005–12; Canton Charge head coach
  Basketball Jim Zoet Professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association, 1982-1983
  Field Hockey Judy Devine Former Field Hockey Coach and Senior Associate Athletic Director
  Field Hockey Madison Thompson Professional field hockey player on Canadian Indoor National team
  Football Willie Asbury Professional football player with the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League 1966-1968
  Football Eugene Baker Professional football player in the National Football League
  Football Cedric Brown Professional football player in the National Football League 1976-1984
  Football Jim Corrigall Professional football player in the Canadian Football League as a defensive end, member of Canadian Football Hall of Fame, former KSU head football coach
  Football Joshua Cribbs Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Jose Davis Professional football player in the NFL and the Arena Football League
  Football Julian Edelman Professional football player in the NFL; Super Bowl LIII MVP
  Football Abram Elam Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Antonio Gates Professional football player in the NFL as a tight end
  Football Bob Hallen Former professional football player in the NFL
  Football James Harrison Professional football player in the NFL as a linebacker
  Football Lou Holtz College football coach, television sportscaster
  Football Van Jakes Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Ishmaa'ily Kitchen Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Jack Lambert Professional football player in the NFL as a linebacker and a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
  Football Ben McDaniels Assistant coach in the NFL, University of Michigan
  Football Mike "Scooter" McGruder Professional football player in the NFL, 1989-1997
  Football John Matsko Assistant coach in the National Football League
  Football Daniel Muir Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Rico Murray Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Don Nottingham Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Luke Owens Professional football player in the NFL, 1957-1965
  Football Gary Pinkel Former head football coach at University of Missouri and University of Toledo
  Football Nick Saban College football and NFL head coach, six-time national championship winner
  Football Abdul Salaam
(Larry Faulk)
Professional football player in the NFL, 1976-1983
  Football O. J. Santiago Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Ken Walter Professional football player in the NFL, 1997-2006
  Football Henry Waszczuk Professional football player in the CFL, 1975-1984
  Football Bert Weidner Professional football player in the NFL, 1990-1995
  Football Brian Winters Professional football player in the NFL
  Football Usama Young Professional football player in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns
  Golf Ben Curtis Professional golfer, 2003 British Open champion
  Golf Bryan DeCorso Canadian professional golfer
  Golf Jan Dowling Head women's golf coach at the University of Michigan, Canadian former professional golfer
  Golf Jennifer Ha Professional golfer
  Golf Mackenzie Hughes Professional golfer in the PGA Tour
  Golf Jon Mills Canadian professional golfer
  Golf Karoline Stormo Professional golfer
  Golf Ryan Yip Canadian professional golfer
  Gymnastics Betty-Jean Maycock U.S. Olympian gymnast in 1960
  Ice Hockey Dean Sylvester Professional ice hockey player in the National Hockey League 1995-2001
  Track and field Gerald Tinker Member of gold-medal 4 x 100 meter relay team in 1972 Summer Olympics; professional football player in the NFL, 1974-1975
  Softball Emma Johnson National Pro Fastpitch pitcher
  Track and field Thomas Jefferson Bronze medalist at the 1984 Summer Olympics (200m)
  Baseball Travis Shaw Professional baseball player in MLB
  Baseball Andrew Chafin Professional baseball player in MLB
  Basketball Doug Sims Professional basketball player in NBA
  Football Dri Archer Former professional football player in NFL
  Football Roosevelt Nix Professional football player in NFL
  Golf Corey Conners Professional golfer in the PGA Tour
  Golf Herb Page Former KSU Head Golf Coach, Canadian Golf Hall of Fame
  Soccer Jenna Hellstrom Member of Canadian national team at 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup
  Volleyball Kelsey Bittinger Former professional volleyball player in Austria
  Basketball Jordan Korinek Professional basketball player in Greece and Germany
  Wrestling Dustin Kilgore Placed third at 2016 U.S. Olympic Team Trials
  Wrestling Nick Nemeth "Dolph Ziggler" Wrestling, two-time World Heavyweight Championship
  Track & Field Danniel Thomas-Dodd Member of Jamaican national team at 2016 Summer Olympics
  Track & Field Kim Kreiner Two-time U.S. Olympian (2004, 2008) in javelin throw
  Track & Field Jacques Accambray Member of French national team (hammer throw) at 1972 Summer Olympics
  Track & Field Bruno Cherrier Member of French national team (200m, 4x100 relay) at 1972 Summer Olympics
  Track & Field Jud Logan Four-time U.S. Olympian (1984, 1988, 1992, 2000) in hammer throw
  Track & Field Al Schoterman U.S. Olympian (hammer throw) at 1972 Summer Olympics
  Softball Maddy Grimm Former professional softball player in NPF
  Softball Pauline Maurice Member of Canadian national team at 1996 Summer Olympics
  Softball Holly Speers Professional softball player in NPF; member of Canadian national team