Frank Thomas

Woodson Notable Sports Figures
Related Biography: Football Player Rich Gannon
Rich Gannon is living proof that some things only get better with
age. When he was drafted into the league in 1987, the New England Patriots
did not even expect Gannon to quarterback. After knocking around the
league—often as a back-up quarterback, playing for Minnesota, Washington
and Kansas City, the late bloomer finally hit his stride when he signed
as a free agent with the Oakland Raiders in 1999.
Amazingly, in 2002 the 37 year-old Gannon may have had his best
year so far. He led the league in passing yards, was named the NFL MVP for
the season and took the Raiders all the way to the Super Bowl.
When asked in a December 2002 interview to explain his success
late in his career Gannon praised his teammates. “I’m surrounded by a
great supporting cast. We have some great players — three great receivers,
a young tight end who is really coming on and a veteran tight end and electrifying
backs who can make plays.” Interestingly, Gannon credits his lean
years as key to present success, “It’s a position where experience is critical,
and unfortunately in this day and age, some of these young quarterbacks
have come into a situation not very conducive to learning. They have to play
right away, and sometimes that experience can be damaging to a player’s
future. When young players have had an opportunity to watch for a couple
of years, (they) are more prepared.”
When he signed with the Oakland Raiders for the 2002
season, the 38-year-old Woodson joined perhaps the most
aged NFL team in history. Among the Raiders starting
players there were 6 veterans 35 years old and above, including
League MVP quarterback Rich Gannon. The veterans
led the Raiders to a Super Bowl showdown against
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Though they lost 48-21, the
Raiders remarkable season was a testament to the leadership
and endurance of veterans like Woodson.
Hope for the Future
Woodson stays close to his roots in Fort Wayne by
sponsoring a non-profit football camp at, Snider, his high
school alma mater. The camp hosts up to 600 young players
ages 8-18. “It’s important for kids to be able to rub elbows
with players,” explains Woodson, who brings
teammates and opponents alike to the camp. “It builds up
a dream, a dream of hope, and that is what our society is
built on for young kids. They need dreams; they need
hope for the future.” Woodson lives with his wife and
children in Wexford, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburg.
He earned his degree in criminal justice from Purdue University
and serves on the board of the Leukemia Society.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Other
Galenet.com. http://galenet.galegroup.com/ (December
3, 2002).
“It’s For the Kids.” Rodwoodsonfootballcamp.org.
http://www.rodwoodsonfootballcamp.org/bio.html
(December 3, 2002).
“Q&A with Rich Gannon Late bloomer says he’s surrounded
by great cast” Sacramento Bee http://www.
sacbee.com (December 1, 2002).
1810
“Woodson Remains at the Top of his Game.” USATO-
DAY.com. http://www.usatoday.com/ (December 3,
2002).
“Woodson Still a Big-Play Man for Ravens.” CBSsports
line.com http://www.nfl.com (December 13, 2001).
Mickey Wright
1935-
Sketch by Paulo Nunes-Ueno
American golfer
One of the greatest woman golfers of all time, Mickey
Wright dominated the Ladies Professional Golf Association
(LPGA) in the late 1950s and early 1960s. With a
total of 82 victories, she ranks second only to Kathy Whitworth
in career LPGA wins and in 1999 was named Female
Golfer of the Century by the Associated Press. Long admired
for the fluidity, grace, and power of her golf swing,
Wright is the only woman in golfing history to have held
four major American titles (the U.S. Women’s Open,
LPGA, Western Open, and Titleholders) at one time.
Forced to cut back sharply on her golf in the late 1960s by
bad feet and the lingering effects of an earlier wrist injury,
she has played occasional tournaments and special events
in the years since but spends most of her time today in retirement
at her home in Port Saint Lucie, Florida.
Looking back on her distinguished career, Wright observed:
“Golf has brought me more rewards, financially
and personally, than I ever could have earned had I become
the psychology teacher I set out to be. I feel as if
I’ve earned my own version of a master’s degree in psychology
in study and experience, trial and error, on golf
courses throughout the United States. For psychology . . .
is as integral a part of good golf as an efficient swing.”
She was born Mary Kathryn Wright in San Diego,
California, on February 14, 1935. The daughter of an attorney
and a homemaker, Wright was raised in the enclave
of La Jolla. She began hitting golf balls with her
father when she was only 4 years old and had her first
lesson in golf at the La Jolla Country Club when she was
11. Her game improved rapidly and within a year she had
broken 100. Wright won her first major victory the
Southern California Girls Junior Championship when
she was only 13. Three years later she won the U.S. Girls
Junior Championship, paving the way for her entry into
women’s amateur competition. In 1954 she finished
fourth in the U.S. Women’s Open. When she wasn’t
playing a tournament, Wright practiced, working with
her coaches to perfect her golfing technique. All the hard
work paid off handsomely for Wright, as she developed
one of the best technical swings of any woman golfer.