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Throughout the history of American sports we have crowned champions in domestic and international competition, but what separates one champion from the next? Is it the character or emotion they display en route to lifting a title, or is it the adversity they had to go through in order to reach the ultimate prize? No matter what criteria you use to define or rank a champion, one thing is certain, some champions have nothing more to them than the rings or the trophies, and others have that certain something that truly makes them a badass. No disrespect to Eli and Peyton Manning, but you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who finds those two synonymous with being a badass. So celebrate the 237th birthday of America by taking a break from chugging Budweiser and throwing down hot dogs. From Nolan Ryan to Iron Mike, check out, the 25 Most Badass American Athletes of All Time.
Written by Adam Silvers (@silversurfer103)
25. Andre Agassi
Sport: Tennis
Accolades: 8x Grand Slam champion, gold medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, only man to be win the "Career Super Slam" (Career Grand Slam, Olympic gold medal, ATP Tour World Championships), 17 ATP Masters Series titles, Davis Cup winner (1990, 1992), ATP Player of the Year (1999), 6x No. 1 man on the ATP tour, International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 2011)
An eight-time Grand Slam champion and the only man to win the "Career Super Slam," Andre Agassi is a true legend of American tennis. The pride of Las Vegas, Agassi was legend for his outrageous hairstyle and crazy Nike kicks. Agassi is also heralded as the best returner in the history of the men's game, and he managed to pull himself back from world No. 141 in 1997 to world No. 1 in 1999. The numbers speak for themselves.
24. Jeremy Roenick
Sport: Hockey
Accolades: 9x All-Star (1991-1994, 1999-2000, 2002-2004), third American to score 500 goals (513 total for his caereer), silver medalist at the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, United States Hockey Hall of Fame (Inducted 2010)
A nine-time All-Star and just the third American player in the NHL to reach the 500 goals plateau, Jeremy Roenick is one of the greatest players from the states to lace up a pair of skates. Over an 18-year NHL career, Roenick has played for six different squads and represented the U.S. national team at various competitions. He was a tough a center as any in the league, and was one of the most prolific goal-scorers of his time. Roenick was also investigated for gambling at various points in his career, and he famously told fans to kiss his ass during the 04-05 NHL lockout.
23. Serena Williams
Sport: Tennis
Accolades: 31x Grand Slam champion (16 singles, 13 women's doubles, two mixed doubles), 6x No. 1 woman on the WTA tour (first time on July 8 ,2002), only female player to have won over $40 million in prize money, 3x WTA Tour Championships winner (2001, 2009, 2012), 4x Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2008, 2012 (singles and doubles)), WTA Player of the Year (2002, 2008-2009, 2012)
Thirty-one Grand Slam titles are enough to secure badass status on any list of athlete achievements, but Serena Williams is so much more than just a champion of the courts. Serena, along with her sister Venus, took the tennis world by storm upon their arrival. Making her pro debut in 1995 at just 14 years of age, Serena would go on to crack the top 10 by 1999. She is a pioneer for being the first African American woman to truly dominate a game that was for many years off-limits to African Americans and, aside from this year's blip at Wimbledon, she continues to improve upon her current No. 1 world ranking.
22. Dennis Rodman
Sport: Basketball
Accolades: 5x NBA champion (1989-1990, 1996-1998), 2x NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1990-1991), 2x NBA All-Star (1990, 1992), 7x All-Defensive First Team (1989-1993, 1995-1996), 7x NBA rebounding champion (1992-1998), Basketball Hall of Fame (Inducted 2011)
The most impressive stat from Dennis Rodman's career is not the five championship rings he's won, it's the seven NBA rebounding championships he secured during his tenure. Rodman was as nasty and pugnacious as it came on the glass, and his efforts played a major role in the success of the Bulls during the '90s. Rodman was also a character off the court, his ever-changing hairstyles and rumored relationships with Madonna and Carmen Electra make Rodman one of the most polarizing figures to lace up. Fam also pursued his dreams and wrestled professionally after he called an end to his NBA days, now that's badass. And let's not forget his peace-keeping efforts in North Korea. Give him the Nobel Peace Prize!
21. John Stockton
Sport: Basketball
Accolades: 10x NBA All-Star (1989-1997, 2000), 2x All-NBA First Team (1994-1995), 9x NBA assists leader (1987-1996), 2x NBA steals leader (1989, 1992) NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, Basketball Hall of Fame (Inducted 2009), all-time career assists leader (15,806), 2x Olympic gold medalist (1992, 1996)
The all-time leader in career assists with 15,806, John Stockton was as reliable as they come. During his 19-year career in the NBA, Stockton dressed for 1,506 of a possible 1,526 games, and he played through a stress fracture during the 1992 Olympics. He may never have gotten to hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, but John Stockton was every bit a champ in his own right.
20. Kurt Angle
Sport: Wrestling
Accolades: Only Olympic gold medalist in the history of professional wrestling (1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta), 2x NCAA Division I champion, gold medalist at the World Wrestling Championships (1995), amateur wrestling Grand Slam champion (junior nationals, NCAAs, World Championships, Olympics), National Amateur Wrestling Hall of Fame (Inducted 2001), USA Wrestling Hall of Fame (Inducted 2001)
You may only know Kurt Angle from his TV appearances for WWE, but homie was actually one of the most legit amateur wrestlers in U.S. history. Angle is an Olympic gold medalist and a two-time NCAA Division I National champion. He also captured his Olympic gold in Atlanta while wrestling with a broken neck, that's right, he wrestled and won with a broken neck. Can you say, badass?
19. Mia Hamm
Sport: Soccer
Accolades: FIFA World Player of the Year (2001-2002), USWNT all-time assists leader (144), 2x FIFA World Cup champion (1991, 1999), 2x Olympic gold medalist (1996, 2004), 4x NCCA Division I National champion (1989-1990, 1992-1993), WUSA Founder's Cup champion (2003), National Soccer Hall of Fame (Inducted 2007)
A former two-time FIFA World Player of the Year and FIFA World Cup Champion, Mia Hamm was a true pioneer of soccer and women's sports in the United States. She became an icon not just for her superb on-field ability, but also for her position as a role model to young girls everywhere who were faced with less than open arms when attempting to break into the sports world. Her and the USWNT's fabled run at the 1999 World Cup remains one of the greatest achievements in U.S. sporting history.
18. Nolan Ryan
Sport: Baseball
Accolades: World Series champion (1969), 8x All-Star (1972-1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1985, 1989), Major League record 27-year career, all-time strikeouts leader in major league history (5,714), Baseball Hall of Fame (Inducted 1999)
Nolan Ryan may never have won a Cy Young Award, despite being the all-time career strikeouts leader in Major League history, but he holds the distinction of being one of the toughest players to ever step onto the diamond. He once took a line-drive off the face courtesy of Bo Jackson, and while most would've laid there wondering what the hell just happened, Ryan calmly found the ball and proceeded to throw Jackson out at first. Ryan also remained in the game despite bleeding from the mouth. He also taught Robin Ventura a "lesson" about charging the mound too, Ryan really was an American badass.
17. Michael Phelps
Sport: Swimming
Accolades: Most decorated Olympian of all time (22 medals), all-time record for Olympic gold medals (18), most first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games (eight gold medals, 2008 Beijing Games),
Michael Phelps is a G for being one of the most marketable and talented athletes to ever represent the stars and stripes, and his record-setting eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing were only further proof of his badassness. We're just going to go out on a limb and say he's also slightly more intelligent than U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte, but you be the judge.
16. Kerri Strug
Sport: Gymnastics
Accolades: Gold medalist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta
In the case of Kerri Strug it was really one defining moment that elevated the gymnast from athlete to badass American icon. By now we have all heard of her famed performance at the U.S. women's gymnastics team during the 1996 Olympics. The team that will forever be known as the, "Magnificent Seven," made history by becoming the first U.S. women's team to win a gold medal in the women's team gymnastics competition. Strugg did her part by performing her routine with a bad ankle injury that forced her to finish by landing on one foot. Strugg was then carried off the mat by her coach to raucous applause and celebration. Cue the bald eagle and fireworks routine.
15. John McEnroe
Sport: Tennis
Accolades: 17x Grand Slam champion (seven singles, nine men's doubles, one mixed doubles), 5x WCT Finals champion (1979, 1981, 1983-1984, 1989), 3x Tour Finals champion (1978, 1983-1984), 4x Davis Cup winner (1979, 1981-1982, 1992), ATP Player of the Year (1981, 1983-1984), 14x No. one man on the ATP tour (first time on March 3, 1980), International Tennis Hall of Fame (Inducted 1999)
John McEnroe is famous not just for being a 17-time Grand Slam champion, but for his unbelievably unacceptable on-court behavior too. Johnny Mac was constantly abusing lines people and chair umpires for calls that he somewhat more than disagreed with. McEnroe has toned it down a bit now that he has joined the ESPN commentary team, but the fire still burns deep down inside this former 14-time world No. 1.
14. Jack Youngblood
Sport: Football
Accolades: 7x Pro Bowl selection (1973-1979), first-team All-NFC (1974-1980), NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year (1975), Football Hall of Fame (Inducted 2001)
His name was badass alone, but Jack Youngblood had the goods to back up his namesake. His on the field accolades earned him a Hall of Fame nod in 2001, but his off the field stories make him one of the most badass dudes to ever play the game. Youngblood once stared down the barrel of a gun trying to break up a fight at a bar in Utah, and he even played in the 1979 Super Bowl with a broken tibia. Badass to the max.
13. Ronnie Lott
Sport: Football
Accolades: 10x Pro Bowl selection (1981-1984, 1986-1991), 4x Super Bowl champion (XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV), NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, Football Hall of Fame (Inducted 2000)
Ronnie Lott was a stalwart for the San Francisco 49ers. Throughout his 14-year NFL career Lott earned the reputation as one of the hardest and most efficient open-field tacklers in the history of the game. During a regular season game in 1986, Lott's finger was crushed on the field, but rather than missing time to let the finger heal properly, Lott had the team doctor simply snip off the end of his left pinky so he could keep playing. Here's a little math for you: amputation = badass 100 percent of the time.
12. Bob Gibson
Sport: Baseball
Accolades: 9x All-Star (1962, 1962 (2nd game), 1965-1970, 1972), 2x World Series champion (1964, 1967), 9x Gold Glove Award winner (1965-1973), NL MVP (1968), 2x NL Cy Young Award winner (1968, 1970), 2x World Series MVP (1964, 1967), Major League Baseball All-Century Team, Baseball Hall of Fame (Inducted 1981)
Bob Gibson was a nine-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and two-time NL Cy Young Award winner, not to mention other numerous accolades. "Hoot" was also known for his unorthodox delivery to the plate, and for recording 17 strikeouts during Game 1 of the 1968 World Series. You want more? Gibson was once drilled so hard in the leg by a Roberto Clemente line-drive that it left an actual dent, he came out of the game for sure, right? Wrong. Gibson taped it up and went out to continue to pitch. After facing a few more batters, his tibia finally snapped while throwing a fastball, and he was finally forced out of the game. Damn.
11. Jim Thorpe
Sport: Pentathlon, Decathlon, Football, Baseball, Basketball
Accolades: 2x gold medalist at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, NFL 1920s All-Decade Team
The man, the myth, the legend. Jim Thorpe was a true renaissance man of the athletic world. Fam won two Olympic gold medals and played football, baseball, and basketball at the competitive level. Thorpe also thrived during a period when he and his fellow Native Americans faced discrimination and injustice at every turn. His medals from the 1912 Games were originally taken away because his amateur status was ruled to be in violation, but the IOC rightfully restored them in 1983.
10. Jack Johnson
Sport: Boxing
Accolades: First African American world heavyweight boxing champion (1908-1915), International Boxing Hall of Fame (Inducted 1990)
Being the first African American heavyweight champion of the world is badass enough in its own right, but that just wouldn't suffice for Jack Johnson. Johnson, who dominated the ring at the turn of the 20th century, was also alleged to have made a not-so-legit trip to Russia during 1914. While chilling with Czar Nicholas II's court it was said that the champ went shot-for-shot, no pun intended, with Rasputin at the Russian Vodka tables for hours. You really can't make this shit up.
9. Lloyd Mangrum
Sport: Golf
Accolades: U.S. Open winner (1946), 36-time PGA Tour events winner, Vardon Trophy winner (1951, 1953), finished in the top 10 at The Masters Tournament 10 consecutive years (1940-1950), World Golf Hall of Fame (Inducted 1998)
Before you say, who, let us explain. Lloyd Mangrum isn't a badass for just winning the 1946 U.S. Open. Mangrum is a G because while invading Normandy on D-Day, he took shrapnel in the chin at the Battle of the Bulge, received two Purple Hearts and four Battle Stars for his service, and about five minutes after returning from battle, he then went on to win the 1946 U.S. Open. See, we told you.
8. Mike Tyson
Sport: Boxing
Accolades: Former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA, and IBF heavyweight titles, International Boxing Hall of Fame (Inducted 2011)
Iron Mike isn't just a former heavyweight and lineal champion of the world, he's also one of the most vicious SOBs to ever step into the ring. Tyson would beat the crap out of opponents and was hailed as one of hardest hitters in heavyweight history. Iron Mike has seen it all too, he's gone from the highest of highs as a champion to the lowest of low's spending three years in prison for rape. He's made comebacks and entertained us with his charismatic interviews and unique personality. Salute to one of the most badass anythings to ever walk this planet.
7. Ted Williams
Sport: Baseball
Accolades: 19x All-Star (1940-1942, 1946-1951, 1953-1960 (2 games in 1959 & 1960)), 2x AL MVP (1946, 1949), 2x Triple Crown winner (1942, 1947), 6x AL batting champion (1941-1942, 1947-1948, 1957-1958), 4x AL home run champion (1941-1942, 1947, 1949), 4x AL RBI champion (1939, 1942, 1947, 1949), Major League Baseball All-Century Team, Major League Baseball All-Time Team, Baseball Hall of Fame (Inducted 1966)
Ted Williams was a tough as nails left fielder who played his entire 22-year career with the Boston Red Sox. Hailed as, "The Greatest Hitter Who Ever Lived," Williams was the last player to bat over .400 in a single season, and he holds the highest career batting average of any player with 500 career home runs or more. But forget all the on-field accolades, what truly separates Ted Williams from the rest was that he sacrificed four years of his career to volunteer for two tours of active field duty as a U.S. Marine Corps fighter-bomber pilot. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.
6. John Carlos
Sport: Track & Field
Accolades: Bronze medalist at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, USA Track & Field Hall of Fame (Inducted 2003)
Forget the medal counts and accolades, John Carlos will forever be known for donning a black glove and throwing up the Black Power salute during the 200 meter medal ceremony at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Carlos and teammate Tommie Smith, who took home the bronze and gold medals, respectively, both raised their fists in protest of the injustices that African Americans in the U.S. were experiencing during this tumultuous period. Using your athletic status and success to show support for social injustice is about as badass as it gets.
5. Muhammad Ali
Sport: Boxing
Accolades: Crowned "Sportsman of the Century" by Sports Illustrated (1999), first and only 3x lineal world heavyweight champion, Olympic gold medalist at the 1980 Olympic Games in Rome, International Boxing Hall of Fame (Inducted 1990)
Muhammad Ali wasn't "The Greatest" solely for what he achieved in the boxing ring, not that being the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion isn't great, but for being an activist in one of the must turbulent periods in American history. While many were against the Vietnam war, having a champion and sports icon speak out and act against the Vietnam draft sent shockwaves through the American psyche. Ali will go down as one of the all-time greatest heavyweights in history, but he'll also go down as being one of the most iconic American athletes to ever step into the spotlight.
4. Joe Louis
Sport: Boxing
Accolades: 140-month reign as heavyweight champion (25 title defenses), ranked as the No. 1 heavyweight boxer of all time the by International Boxing Research Organization in 2005, inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame in 1990
Numbers don't lie. From 1937 to 1949, Joe Louis held the heavyweight title for 140 consecutive months, the longest such streak in boxing history. Many people regarded him as the first black national hero. In the late '30s, at the height of pre-World War II tensions between Germany and the rest of the world, Louis fought two internationally publicized bouts with German Max Schmeling. Schmeling won the first, in 1936, and the writer Langston Hughes described seeing people weeping in the streets of New York. Louis won the rematch in 1938, however, and legendary sportswriter Jimmy Cannon once wrote that Louis was "a credit to his race - the human race."
3. Larry Bird
Sport: Basketball
Accolades: 3x NBA champion (1981, 1984, 1986), 2x NBA Finals MVP (1984, 1986), 3x NBA MVP (1984-1986), 12x NBA All-Star (1980-1988, 1990-1992), NBA Rookie of the Year (1980), NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, Olympic gold medalist (1992), Basketball Hall of Fame (1998), NBA Coach of the Year (1998)
When you look at Larry Bird you see what appears to be a slightly out of shape white guy who should be off hustling young punks at the park somewhere. But if you really watch Larry Bird you get to see one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game. Hey, you don't become a 12-time All-star and three-time league MVP by accident, right? The Legend was most badass for not just being a winner and a lights out shooter, but for letting everyone else know it as well. Homie was unbelievably adept at the trash-talking game, and had the goods to back up the smack. Just check out some of these quotes.
2. Michael Jordan
Sport: Basketball
Accolades: 6x NBA champion (1991-1993, 1996-1998), 6x NBA Finals MVP (1991-1993, 1996-1998), 5x NBA MVP (1988, 1991-1992, 1996, 1998), 14x NBA All-Star (1985-1993, 1996-1998, 2002-2003), NBA Defensive Player of the Year (1988), NBA Rookie of the Year (1985), 10x NBA scoring champion (1987-1993, 1996-1998), 3x NBA steals champion (1988, 1990, 1993), NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, two-time Olympic gold medalist (1984, 1992), Basketball Hall of Fame (2009)
Michael Jordan is regarded as the greatest basketball player of all time, not just for his six rings and dominant Finals performances, but for his uncanny ability to hit the most epic of shots at the most crucial times. MJ wouldn't just rip opponents on the score sheet either, fam entertained himself by splashing jumpers and jokes on his opponents. His performance during the "Flu Game" in Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, in which he dropped 38 while playing with a 103-degree temperature, remains one of the greatest performances in the history of sport.
Jordan was also a bit of a degenerate gambler, he was even seen gambling in Atlantic City the night before a playoff game against the Knicks in 1993. Jordan was also quoted in a 60 Minutes interview about his gambling, "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." He really was the greatest.
1. Jesse Ownens
Sport: Track & Field
Accolades: 4x gold medalist at the 1936 Olympic Games in Munich, USA Track & Field Hall of Fame (Inducted 1974)
Jesse Owens will forever be known as a badass for not just becoming the first male athlete to win four gold medals at a single Olympics, but for doing it right in front of Adolf Hitler and all of Nazi Germany. Owens also represented a United States that, while not as overtly as Germany at the time, also struggled to embrace the idea of a black athlete being the best. James Cleveland said to hell with it all, he took center stage and brought home the gold in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and as a member of the 4x100 meter relay team.