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Who is Houston's greatest current athlete? Here is the top 10, and No. 1 might surprise you
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Houston has a rich tradition of spectacular athletes. In basketball, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Clyde Drexler, Calvin Murphy and Elvin Hayes played here.
In football, Earl Campbell, Mike Munchak and Bruce Matthews made their names here.
Nolan Ryan pitched here. Joe Morgan patrolled second base at one time.
College superstars like Andre Ware, Wilson Whitley, Tommy Kramer and David Klingler were part of the Houston landscape.
And the city has always been an Olympic centerpiece, too, with Mary Lou Retton, Carl Lewis and countless others calling Houston home.
But who are the top stars in Houston now? Sure, Yao Ming is the biggest international star, but who is truly the best player in Houston regardless of sport?
Here is a top 10 list of Houston's current stars. For the sake of this list, we're talking team sports only.
Feel free to weigh in with your own choices.
Here is the general criteria: 1) Overall impact on their team; 2) Overall impact on their sport; 3) Overall importance of the sport in the city's landscape; 4) Hall of Fame/longterm potential impact on the sport.
So, in reverse order:
10) Case Keenum, Houston Cougars. He had a tough act to follow after four years of Kevin Kolb at UH, but Keenum has emerged as a star. In his first year in a new offense, Keenum has thrown for 4,768 yards and 43 TDs. Keenum needs 373 yards in the Cougars bowl game to eclipse David Klingler's single-season mark of 5,140. Klingler did play in just 11 games, compared to 13 for Keenum. But Keenum is just a sophomore, and to already have his name in the conversation with players like Klingler speaks volumes. Keenum managed his numbers without a go-to receiver and was a master at second-half comebacks. Should be fun to watch the next two years.
9) Tracy McGrady, Rockets. He is perhaps the most physically gifted player in the city. He is also the most enigmatic. In truth, the Rockets can't win without him. But he's injury prone, emotional and lacks the desire of the truly great players. A guy who year to year could be No. 1 on this list or out completely.
8) Ron Artest, Rockets. The controversial Artest is one of the top 20 players in the NBA. His addition makes the Rockets legitimate contenders. He has yet to put up superstar numbers, but by the end of the season, the Rockets' fate may well be in his hands.
7) Jarret Dillard, Rice Owls. If you've never seen Dillard play, you've been missing out. The wide receiver has been a special player for the Owls. Go back and find some old videos of Wes Chandler, and you will see how Dillard plays. Rice has been blessed with three once in a lifetime players this year in Dillard, Chase Clement and James Casey. All three deserve a mention, but Dillard has been the most spectacular over his career. He will be playing on Sundays somewhere. It would be great if he could move a few miles over to Reliant Stadium.
6) Roy Oswalt, Astros. He would get a lot more attention if he pitched elsewhere. But Oswalt has been the rock at the top of the Astros rotation most of this decade. He has 129 wins with a career ERA of 3.13. He is gritty, tough, and simply a winner. It's hard to compare pitchers to everyday players, but Oswalt is arguably the best and most critical Astro.
5) Brian Ching, Dynamo. Maybe the best player on the most successful team in the city. Ching has also been a consistent star on the U.S. National team. If you don't watch a lot of soccer, you don't appreciate Ching's goal-scoring ability and incredible knack for being in the right place at the right time. One of the best players in the MLS and a joy to watch.
4) Andre Johnson, Texans. He gets a lot of attention because he plays a glamor position, but Johnson is a spectacular player who has probably been the best Texan during his career. He is a rare blend of speed and power, and he has improved every year. You can make a case for Johnson as No. 1 on this list.
3) Yao Ming, Rockets. Yes, the Rockets did just fine without Yao last season when he got injured. But in the playoffs, they had no shot without him. Yao is frustrating at times with his Robocop moves and hands of stone, but he is a matchup nightmare for other teams. Quite simply, the Rockets are contenders for nothing without him. Throw in his international superstardom and you have a rare treat for Houston fans.
2) Lance Berkman, Astros. Before you say the Puma doesn't belong here, consider his entire career. He is the Astros' most feared hitter with a career .302 average, 288 HR and 961 RBIs for his career. Much of his career, he has been the one player in the lineup opposing pitchers have to account for and pitch around. But lost in his Astros career is what he did at Rice. He hit 67 HRs there, including 41 in 1997, the third-highest single season total in NCAA history. He led the Owls to their first College World Series appearance and helped make them one of the best programs in the nation. For his overall impact at the college and pro level, you could easily make a case that the Puma is No. 1.
1) Mario Williams, Texans. No, this isn't a knee-jerk reaction to Monday night's three-sack effort. Williams has had better games where he made just one tackle. But there are many legitimate reasons he is No. 1, starting with the NFL draft. Williams had every excuse to fail. Local fans wanted Vince Young or Reggie Bush, both sexier picks. After Young won the offensive rookie of the year, the Williams pick looked shaky. But he never let that bother him, and worked to learn his position. Now, Williams is the best player on the Texans defense, the one true impact defensive player they have. Teams have to scheme to stop him. Williams has 25 sacks in his last 28 games, an amazing total considering no one else on the team gets any pressure on the quarterback at all. He commands double teams and attention all over the field. Unlike some of the others on this list, measuring his worth in stats is impossible. Defensive lineman can make a huge impact on the game without having any statistical impact. Williams, however, does both. He is the one player in the city capable of becoming the best in his sport at his position. He is also the most physically imposing person on this list. To truly appreciate his impact on the game, sometimes you just have to watch him and ignore where the play is going. If you do, you will see Houston's No. 1 athlete.
Who would you rank No. 1 and why?
