As the Heisman Trophy winner in his senior year, Alan Ameche was signed up by the Baltimore Colts the following year to start his professional football career. In spite of his overwhelming potential, he only played from 1955 to 1960, limited by an Achilles tendon injury.
Alan Ameche may have only played for a relatively short period in the NFL, but he could always look back to the day in this picture where he played and scored a touchdown during overtime play of the 1958 NFL Championship Game. The New York Giants’ defensive back, Jim Patton, is seen trying to stop Ameche who would continue to plow his way through. Sports historians would refer to this as “The Greatest Game Ever Played.”
FLORENCE GRIFFITH-JOYNER
The famously controversial track and field athlete achieved her suspiciously good record and was accused multiple times of using PEDs. She does go down as one of the most tested athletes in sports history! Not once did she fail. Her 200m time in the 1988 Olympics still has yet to be challenged.
The closest anyone has come was Allyson Felix at the 2012 Olympics, and even she was well short with a time of 21.69.
SERENA WILLIAMS
In 2015, Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova to claim her sixth Australian Open title. It also marked her 16th consecutive victory over the Russian pro-tennis player. This photograph shows Serena Williams in 2007 as she celebrates winning a point against Sharapova.
This was the year she would start with renewed vigor, challenging herself to rise up in the rankings once more. She was unseeded in the 2007 Australian Open tournament after dropping to number 81 in the world rankings, regarded as out of shape. She ousted Maria Sharapova in the tournament, marking the start of her journey back to the number one spot.
JIM BROWN
Jim Brown’s eyes burn in this photograph as he perforates Philadelphia’s defense. It was taken on Nov. 29, 1964; just a year before he would retire from pro-football. When he called it quits, he had already shattered most of the NFL’s major rushing records.
Jim Brown was the AP NFL MVP three times. He averaged more than a hundred yards per game throughout his eight-year career. In 2002, he was hailed as the greatest pro-football player ever.
LEW ALCINDOR
Born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr., Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was one of the NBA’s top scorers. Before he turned professional, he played for UCLA in college where he shattered the school’s single-game record by scoring 56 points in his first game. His scoring prowess was known even before he’d officially stepped inside the basketball court.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a major force in UCLA’s three-year reign of 88 wins. They only had 2 losses. This was taken on March 22, 1968, in Los Angeles, California when UCLA defeated Houston 101-69.