Jump to Bearcats in the pros

Oscar Robertson was named "Player of the Century" for his achievements in both college and professional basketball.

• View video tribute to Oscar

• Record-setting night at Madison Square Garden
• Read the Big O's Op-Ed in the New York Times
• Visit Robertson's Web site

Jack Twyman led the Bearcat basketball team in both scoring and rebounding from 1953 to 1955, averaging more than 24 points and 16 rebounds his senior year. Twyman was a six-time NBA All-Star and played professionally for 11 season with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals and the Sacramento Kings. He led the league in scoring in '59 and '60. Jack equaled his outstanding career on the court with an impressive humanitarian effort off court when he becoming the legal guardian for then teammate Maurice Stokes -- paralyzed after a game injury in 1958. Twyman dedicated himself to raising funds to care for Stokes as well as former NBA players in need -- an effort that continues today through a pro-am golf event featuring NBA players. Besides playing the game, Twyman also served as a sportscaster in the late 60s and early 70s when he worked as an NBA analyst on ABC. He was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame in 1983.

MMA fighter Rich Franklin completed his master's at UC in 2001.

Brig Owens is a former UC All-American football player. After his UC career, the 1965 education major spent 13 seasons in the NFL with both the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins. Washington named their former defensive captain one of the 70 greatest Redskins of all time. After attaining his law degree from Antioch, Owens served in the NFL front office as associate counsel to the NFL Players Association from 1979-84, helping to form a new collective bargaining agreement. Owens dedicated much of his career to raising millions for youth development. He is today co-founder of Bennett & Owens, a sports management and real estate development firm. UC awarded Owens an honorary doctorate degree in 2008.

Ted Corbitt completed more than 200 marathons and ultramarathons. He was the first black U.S. marathoner in Olympic history. At age 54, he ran more than 134 miles in 24 hours.

Read tips from Ted on "going the distance."

Sandy Koufax attended UC for one year from 1953 to 1954.

Sandy Koufax is one of the true all-time greatest pitchers in history. Ironically, he came to the University of Cincinnati in 1953 on a basketball scholarship. Koufax played for UC's legendary coach Ed Jucker, who also happened to coach the varsity Bearcat baseball team. Koufax was drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1954 following his freshman year at UC. After taming his control, Koufax enjoyed a five-year stretch as perhaps the most dominating pitcher in the game's history. He won 25 games three times, captured five straight ERA titles and pitched no-hitters in four consecutive seasons. He also posted a 0.95 ERA in four career World Series.

Read about Koufax playing baseball and basketball for UC

Miller Huggins managed the powerhouse New York Yankee teams of the 1920s and won six American League pennants and three World Series championships.

2008 Olympic silver medalist David Payne.

David Payne, a former University of Cincinnati track star, became the first Bearcat to medal at the Olympics in 24 years. Payne, att '04, won a silver medal during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing for his performance in the 110 hurdles. He finished second behind Cuba's Dayron Robles with a season-best time of 13.17 seconds. Payne was the first Bearcat to medal at the Olympics since a string of UC swimmers brought home hardware in 1984 (Michelle MacPherson, bronze medal for Canada), 1980 (Tina Gustafsson, bronze medal for Sweden) and 1972 (Jenny Kemp, gold medal for USA). UC's other Olympic medalists are George Wilson (1964) and Oscar Robertson (1960), both of whom helped the United States basketball team win gold. Former UC diver Becky Ruehl (see below) narrowly missed medaling in 1996 when she finished fourth in the platform diving competition. Payne's former UC teammate, Mary Wineberg (below), also finished with a 2008 Olympic gold medal only days later in the 4-x-400-meter relay. Payne broke onto the international scene in 2007 when he turned in a bronze performance at Worlds in Osaka, Japan.

• Read a feature on Payne's ascension in the sport

2008 Olympic gold medalist Mary Wineberg

Mary Wineberg, Ed '02, is a 2008 Olympic gold medalist. Wineberg -- who frequently trains at the University of Cincinnati with her husband and UC sprint coach, Chris Wineberg, Eng '04 -- ran the first leg of the American 4-x-400-meter relay team in Beijing, helping the U.S. to edge Russia for the top spot on the international podium. Wineberg earned a place on the American Olympic team after finishing second in the 400-meter dash during Olympic trials in the summer of '08. She first won notoriety in 2007 when she helped the American relay team win gold at Worlds in Osaka, Japan. The Cincinnati native set records at UC for the 400 in both indoor and outdoor competition.

Read a UC Magazine feature on Wineberg and listen to the interview

Watch an interview with UC Olympian Mary Wineberg prior to her departuer for Beijing

Olympian Becky Ruehl

Becky Ruehl became UC's first female national champion in any sport, earning the 10-meter competition title in 1996, the same year she competed on the U.S. Olympic team in Atlanta and finished fourth in the platform competition.

Read Ruehl's diving tips

Greg Cook became another famous No. 12 at UC (like Oscar). Cook set several passing records while at UC and even set the NCAA record for passing yards in a game (554). Drafted by the Bengals in 1969, he led the American Football League in passing. Cook's true gift was the deep strike. He averaged 17.5 yards per completion in '69, a standard no professional quarterback has accomplished since. Unfortunately, Cook suffered a shoulder injury his rookie year that forced the phenomenal passer out of the game just four seasons later.

Read Greg Cook's advice to young quarterbacks.

Tony Trabert won the NCAA singles title while at UC. He went on to capture three of the four Grand Slam singles titles in 1955 -- the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. He and Jimmy Connors are the only players to amass such a year in the last 47 years.

Catch up with Tony and grab a few lessons

Urban Meyer played football at the University of Cincinnati, but it is his coaching career that has made him a national household name. Meyer coached the Florida Gators past Ohio State in 2007 to win the National Championship.

Meyer's sister, a professor at UC, talks about her little brother.

Former Bearcat Jason Maxiell now plays for the Detroit Pistons.

Sid Gillman was selected to the NFL Hall of Fame for his outstanding coaching career. He is considered the innovator in using game film, a practice he developed while coaching the Bearcats in the 50s.

Read about Gillman's early use of film at UC

Recent NFL players

Blue Adams	Cincinnati Bengals
John Bowie	Oakland Raiders
Brent Celek	Philadelphia Eagles
Antonio Chatman	Cincinnati Bengals
Trent Cole	Philadelphia Eagles
Troy Evans	New Orleans Saints
Jason Fabini	Washington Redskins
Andre Frazier	Cincinnati Bengals
Tyjuan Hagler	Indianapolis Colts
Artrell Hawkins	New England Patriots
Daven Holly	Cleveland Browns
Kevin Lovell	St. Louis Rams
Antwan Peek	Cleveland Browns
Clint Stickdorn	Detroit Lions
Mike Wright	New England Patriots

Recent NBA players

Danny Fortson	Seattle
DerMarr Johnson	Denver
Kenyon Martin	Denver
Jason Maxiell	Detroit
Ruben Patterson	Milwaukee
Nick Van Exel	San Antonio

James White

San Antonio

 

 

photo/Phoebe Sexton/Boston Red Sox UC's Kevin Youkilis hit a homerun on his very first major league at bat for the Boston Red Sox. He was a two-time All American for the Bearcats and has gone on to win two World Series rings with the Red Sox.

Recent MLB players

Kevin Youkilis

Boston

UC alum wins second World Series ring

Read about Youkilis first MLB hit

Recent MLS players

Omar Cummings

Colorado

 

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