Jordan leads list of top Illinois athletes
Bulls, Bears and Cubs dominate Top 200 results, but list also includes Olympians, heavyweight champ
 

[October 11, 2018]   Michael Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles, was voted the top athlete in Illinois history by participants in the Illinois Top 200 project, followed by Bears stars Dick Butkus and Walter Payton.

The top five also includes beloved Chicago Cubs player Ernie Banks and track-and-field legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee.

The Top 200 project lets Illinoisans vote every two weeks on the state’s most inspiring leaders, greatest inventions, top businesses and much more. By the state’s bicentennial on Dec. 3, voters will have chosen 10 favorites in 20 different categories – the Illinois Top 200.

Voting in the next category, groundbreaking women, is underway at www.IllinoisTop200.com. The nominees include Jane Addams, Hillary Clinton, “Mother” Jones and Oprah Winfrey.

Here are the top 10 Illinois athletes chosen in online voting:

1. Michael Jordan – Jordan is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time. He was named MVP five times in his 15-year NBA career. He led the Chicago Bulls to six championships, including two “three-peats.”

2. Dick Butkus – The Chicago native played his entire football career in Illinois, from high school to the Chicago Bears. He led the University of Illinois to a Rose Bowl victory, then enjoyed a pro career in which his bone-rattling tackles earned him spots in eight Pro Bowls.

3. Walter Payton – Payton was a star running back for the Chicago Bears from 1975-1987. “Sweetness” was known for his electrifying runs and amassed multiple rushing records during his career.

4. Ernie Banks – Banks knocked in 512 home runs and 2,583 hits for the Chicago Cubs between 1953 and 1971. Known as Mr. Cub, he was league MVP twice and an all-star 11 times.

5. Jackie Joyner-Kersee – Born in East St. Louis, Joyner-Kersee overcame asthma to earn six Olympic medals (three of them gold) and four world championships. Sports Illustrated named her the greatest female athlete of all-time.

6. Red Grange – Grange achieved national fame in 1924 by scoring five touchdowns in a University of Illinois victory over Michigan. He went on to a career with the Chicago Bears and breathed life into what became the National Football League.

7. Bonnie Blair – Blair grew up in Champaign, took up speed skating, and became one of the most decorated athletes in Olympic history. She competed in four Olympics, winning four gold medals and one bronze.

8. Ryne Sandberg – “Ryno” was a perennial All Star at second base for the Chicago Cubs over a 16-year career. He made 10 All-Star appearances, won nine Gold Gloves and was the National League MVP in 1984.

9. Ron Santo – Santo played third base for the Chicago Cubs from 1960 to 1973 and for the White Sox in 1974. He was named to nine All-Star teams and won five Golden Gloves. He announced Cubs radio broadcasts for 20 years.

10. Jack Johnson – The first African-American heavyweight champ moved to Chicago at the height of his fame. He faced tremendous racism. In 1913, he was convicted on trumped-up morals charges, for which he was pardoned this year.

The nominees who did not make the top 10 were baseball star and announcer Lou Boudreau, tennis great Jimmy Connors, Olympic speed skater Shani Davis, early NBA star George Mikan, heavyweight boxer Ken Norton, WNBA star Candace Parker, major league pitcher Robin Roberts, White Sox slugger Frank Thomas, basketball Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas and major league slugger Jim Thome.

The Illinois Top 200 is a joint initiative of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, The (Springfield) State Journal-Register and the Illinois Bicentennial Commission.

Future categories include trailblazing minorities, unforgettable moments and top leaders. Everyone is invited to suggest possible nominees in each category by using the hashtag #ILtop200 on social media.

The presidential library and museum uses a combination of rigorous scholarship and high-tech showmanship to immerse visitors in Lincoln’s life and times. Visitors can see ghosts come to life on stage, watch TV coverage of the 1860 Presidential election, roam through the Lincoln White House, experience booming cannons in a Civil War battle and come face to face with priceless original Lincoln artifacts.

The library holds an unparalleled collection of Lincoln books, documents, photographs, artifacts and art, as well as some 12 million items pertaining to all aspects of Illinois history.

For more information, visit www.PresidentLincoln.illinois.gov.

[Christopher Wills]