List of Native American sportspeople facts for kids

This article is about incredible American sportspeople who have Native American ancestry. They have achieved amazing things in many different sports, from football and baseball to ice hockey and the Olympics!

American & Canadian Football Stars

Many talented Native American athletes have played American and Canadian football. Here are some of them:

• Bud Adams (Cherokee Nation) was famous as the owner of the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans team.
• Keenan Allen (Lumbee) is a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers.
• Eli Ankou (Ojibwe, Dokis First Nation) plays as a defensive tackle for the Buffalo Bills.
• Sam Bradford (Cherokee Nation) was a quarterback. He was the very first player picked in the 2010 NFL Draft and won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
• Austin Corbett (Walker River Northern Paiute) is an offensive guard. He won the Super Bowl LVI with the Los Angeles Rams.
• Creed Humphrey (Potawatomi) is a center for the Kansas City Chiefs. He is a Super Bowl LVII champion.
• Wahoo McDaniel (Choctaw-Chickasaw) played defensive back in the American Football League (AFL) in the 1960s. He was an AFL Champion in 1960. Later, he became a professional wrestler.
• Teton Saltes (Oglala) played professional football for the New York Jets and later became an XFL Champion with the Arlington Renegades in 2023.
• Jim Thorpe (Sac and Fox Nation, 1887–1953) was an incredible athlete! He won Olympic Gold medals and played both football and baseball professionally. He even won titles as a player and team executive for the Canton Bulldogs.
• James Winchester (Choctaw) is a long snapper for the Kansas City Chiefs. He has won two Super Bowls (LIV and LVII).

Historic Oorang Indians Team

The Oorang Indians was a unique professional football team from the 1920s. All their players were Native Americans. Here are some of the tribes represented on that team:

Amazing Athletes in Track & Field

Native American athletes have also shined in track and field events:

• Frank Pierce was the first Native American to represent the United States at the Olympics in 1904.
• Ellison "Tarzan" Brown (Narragansett) was a U.S. Olympian and marathon runner.
• Billy Mills (Oglala Lakota) won a gold medal in the 1964 Olympics.
• Jim Thorpe won gold medals in both the decathlon and pentathlon at the 1912 Olympics.

Baseball Legends

Baseball has seen many great Native American players:

• Johnny Bench (Choctaw) is a Hall of Fame catcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He won the MVP award twice!
• Chief Bender (Ojibwa) is a Hall of Fame pitcher.
• Dylan Bundy (Cherokee Nation) is a pitcher.
• Jacoby Ellsbury (Navajo) was an outfielder for the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees. He was an All-Star, won a Gold Glove, and won the World Series twice.
• Robbie Ray (Cherokee-descent) is a pitcher for the Seattle Mariners.
• Louis Sockalexis (Penobscot) was an early Major League Baseball player.
• Moses J. Yellow Horse (Pawnee Nation, 1898–1964) was the first Native American to play in a major baseball league.

Ice Hockey Heroes

Ice hockey has many stars with Native American heritage:

• Taffy Abel (Ojibwe) was the first Native American in the Winter Olympics (1924) and the first in the NHL (1924). He won two Stanley Cups and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
• George Armstrong (Ojibway) played for the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won four Stanley Cups and is a Hockey Hall of Fame member.
• Ethan Bear (Ochapowace Nation) plays in the NHL for the Vancouver Canucks.
• Craig Berube (Cree) was an NHL player and later coached the St. Louis Blues to a Stanley Cup win.
• Jonathan Cheechoo (Cree) won the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as a top goal scorer.
• Theoren Fleury (Métis) was an NHL player for the Calgary Flames and won the Stanley Cup in 1989.
• Brigette Lacquette (Métis) plays for Team Canada's women's national ice hockey team.
• Jocelyne Larocque (Cote First Nation) also plays for Team Canada and won an Olympic gold medal in 2014.
• Reggie Leach (Ojibwe) was an NHL player for the Philadelphia Flyers and won the Stanley Cup in 1975. His son, Jamie Leach, also won a Stanley Cup.
• Brandon Montour (Mohawk) plays in the NHL for the Florida Panthers.
• T. J. Oshie (Ojibwe) plays for the Washington Capitals and won the Stanley Cup.
• Carey Price (Ulkatcho First Nation) is a goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. He won an Olympic Gold medal for Canada and the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie.
• Abby Roque (Wahnapitae First Nation) was the first Indigenous person to play for the U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team in 2022.
• Bryan Trottier (Cree) played for the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. He won seven Stanley Cups and is a Hockey Hall of Fame member.
• Zach Whitecloud (Sioux Valley Dakota Nation) plays for the Vegas Golden Knights and won the Stanley Cup in 2023.

Basketball Aces

Native American athletes have made their mark in basketball too:

• Ron Baker (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) played for the New York Knicks.
• Ryneldi Becenti was the first Native American to play in the WNBA.
• Angel Goodrich (Cherokee) is a WNBA basketball player.
• Kyrie Irving is a well-known American basketball player.
• Shoni Schimmel (Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation) is a WNBA player.

Boxing Champions

• Kali Reis is a three-time world middleweight boxing champion.

Cycling Pacesetters

• Neilson Powless was the first Native American to ride in the famous Tour de France race. He also won the 2021 Clásica de San Sebastián.

Golf Pros

• Notah Begay III (Navajo) is a PGA Tour golfer.
• Rickie Fowler (Navajo) is also a PGA Tour golfer.

Ice Skating Grace

• Naomi Lang was the first Native American woman to compete in the Winter Olympic Games in 2002.

Soccer Stars

• Chris Wondolowski (Kiowa) played as a striker for the San Jose Earthquakes and the United States national soccer team.
• Madison Hammond (Navajo and San Felipe Pueblo) was the first Native American to play in the National Women's Soccer League.

Table Tennis Talent

• Angelita Rosal was a table tennis player. She was the first woman inducted into the Indian Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973.

Professional Wrestling Legends

Many Native American athletes have also found success in professional wrestling:

• Gerald Brisco (Chickasaw Nation) was a professional wrestler and later a talent scout for WWE.
• Jack Brisco (Chickasaw Nation) was a professional wrestler and a former NWA World Champion.
• Chris Chavis (Lumbee) is a professional wrestler.
• Mickie James (Powhatan-descent) is a professional wrestler.
• Edward "Wahoo" McDaniel (Choctaw-Chickasaw) was a professional wrestler and a five-time NWA United States Heavyweight Champion.
• Nyla Rose is a professional wrestler.