Indiana's Top Athletes

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jun 26, 2008

Indiana's Top Athletes

Kent Benson

One of the greatest big men ever to wear the candy-striped warm-up pants, Benson helped lead the 1976 Hoosiers to an NCAA Championship and an undefeated season, a feat that has not been repeated since. He was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player and went on to become the first overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft.

Gary Hall Sr.

Hall (pictured with son Gary Hall Jr.) was a part of the IU swim team in the 70's that one Sports Illustrated writer proclaimed might be "the best college team ever -- in any sport." A three-time Olympian, Hall won 13 Big Ten and eight NCAA titles during his time at Indiana. He set 10 world records in his career and in 1976 was elected to carry the U.S. flag during the Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Montreal.

Isiah Thomas

Thomas only played two seasons at IU before leaving early for the NBA Draft. In 1981, he led the Hoosiers to an NCAA title and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. During his final season at IU, Thomas was named an All-American and set the school record for assists in a season. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and won back-to-back NBA titles with the Detroit Pistons.

Anthony Thompson

Thompson finished his career as one of the most dominant running backs in NCAA history and owns nearly every school rushing record. In 1989, he rushed for 377 yards in a game against Wisconsin and finished second that year in the Heisman Trophy voting. He finished his career with 5,299 rushing yards and 65 touchdowns, which was an NCAA Division I record until 1999.

Pete Pihos

Hoosier fans once voted Pihos the greatest IU football player ever. As versatile as they come, Pihos was the only college player to ever be named an All-America on both offense and defense. He led IU in receiving in 1942-43, rushing in 1946 and scoring in 1945-46 and went on to become a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames.

Bob Kennedy

Kennedy is one of the greatest U.S. distance runners in history. At Indiana, he won the NCAA 1,500 meter championship in 1990 and the indoor NCAA mile championship in '91. He also began and finished his collegiate career as the NCAA cross country champion. A winner of 16 Big Ten track titles, Kennedy still holds the American record in the 3,000- and 5,000-meter races.

Calbert Cheaney

The southpaw from Evansville, Ind. led the Hoosiers in scoring four straight years and went on to become the Big Ten's all-time leading scorer (2,613). During his senior season, the three-time All-America won the John Wooden Award, the honor given to the nation's top college player.

Scott May

A rare combination of finesse and power, May scored 23.5 ppg on IU's 1976 undefeated championship team. That year, May was named the collegiate player of the year. In addition to being a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year recipient, May also set the record at Indiana for most points in a season.

George Taliaferro

The first African-American drafted by an NFL team, Taliaferro did it all for the Hoosiers. A three-time All-America, Taliaferro led the Hoosiers in rushing twice, punting in 1945 and passing in 1948. He helped lead the 1945 team to an undefeated season and a Big Ten championship. Taliaferro helped break the color barrier in sports, playing for the Hoosiers two years before Jackie Robinson suited up for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Mark Spitz

Arguably the greatest swimmer and Olympian in history, Spitz is a nine-time Olympic gold medal winner. He set the record for most gold medals won in a single Olympics when he captured seven at the 1972 Olympics in Munich. At IU from 1969-72, Spitz won 13 Big Ten and eight NCAA titles. He set 26 world records and was named the World Swimmer of the Year three times.