Athlete Nicknames [split]

[hc10003]

Thomas "Chicken legs" HILL was a World-class hurdler in the 70s ( Olympic 110m/h bronze medallist in 1972)

I knew Dr. Hill years ago but never heard that nickname, too funny. I think of him each March when the tourney intro shows the famed Duke Christian Laettner shot vs Kentucky and then the incredulous look on the face of Dr. Hill's son (also Thomas Hill) who was a starting guard on the team. No relation by the way to Grant Hill, who threw the pass.

[26mi235]

AF went by chicken legs in her earlier years (e.g.., basketball court).

[gh]

The greatest monicker of all time belonged to Roy Martin, but since this is a family website.... Allow me just to say it was an 8-word rhyming couplet.

[79.]

Said "le Train (or l'Express) de Kénitra" AOUITA...

[8aldP|23]

Can anybody think of any other athlete nicknames? The Big Mazungo for Craig Mottram springs to mind.

I thought Mottram also went by Bubba?

[tandfman]

I thought Mottram also went by Bubba?

I believe it's Buster, not Bubba,

[8aldP|23]

Mo Green the GOAT, I think he's got the tat also
Prefontaine was called Rube (unsofisticated rural/country person)by Bowerman.

[8aldP|23]

I thought Mottram also went by Bubba?

I believe it's Buster, not Bubba,

Yes Buster, thanks for the correction

[bushop]

Mo Green the GOAT, I think he's got the tat also

I think that was more of an opinion than a nickname.

[gh]

I just realized we've missed one of the best ever: "Multiple Mac" Willkins.

(as an aside, whose mother and father were... no really.... Dick & Jane!)

[KDFINE]

DJ listed Norwood "Barney" Ewell. Was Barney his middle name or was it truly a "nickname?" Perhaps similarly, Paul Drayton's "real" first name has been listed as Otis.

[KDFINE]

Leonard "Buddy" Edelen.
What about guys taking on names? I won't get into Kenyan's migrating all over the Middle and Near East, but does Jerome Drayton count as a nickname for Peter Buniak (sp?). I read recently that Sandor Iharos wasn't his name at all.
(Not to mention the 1936 Olympic marathon champion forced to take on a Japanese name, both of which elude me.)

[dj]

DJ listed Norwood "Barney" Ewell. Was Barney his middle name or was it truly a "nickname?" Perhaps similarly, Paul Drayton's "real" first name has been listed as Otis.

Henry Norwood Ewell.

Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

And some others who went by their middle names: Frederick Carlton Lewis, Frederick Morgan Taylor, James Randel Matson, William Parry O'Brien, William DeHart Hubbard, John Kenneth Doherty, William Bruce Jenner

James Edwin Meredith = Ted

Walter Francis Davis = Buddy
Warren Jay Cawley = Rex

Then there are all the Chips (Charles Lamont Jenkins, Jr.), Buds (Emerson Lane Spencer, Franklin Wesley Held, Lemuel Clarence Houser) and Treys (James Edward Hardee, III) of the world.

[cullman]

...Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

Speaking of Drayton...not sure if it's a nickname because he changed his surname too: Peter Buniak = Jerome Drayton

[noone]

Didn't anybody say Skeets Nehemiah?
Edit: I see dj beat me to that one.

Also Salvatore Morale: "The Southern European who could become a European Southern", admittedly a very cumbersome nickname!

[cullman]

Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

And some others who went by their middle names: Frederick Carlton Lewis, Frederick Morgan Taylor, James Randel Matson, William Parry O'Brien, William DeHart Hubbard, John Kenneth Doherty, William Bruce Jenner

Silas Edward "Eddie" Southern. Maybe Silas wasn't a cool name back in the late 50s but it sure sounds cool now.

[79.]

Harry "Butch" REYNOLDS.

[KDFINE]

DJ's posting a short time ago of the death of Albert Richmond "Boo" Morcom is a reminder of yet another nickname.

[br]

Johnny "Lam" Jones. His bio is very interesting.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lam_Jones

Jones was drafted by the New York Jets from the University of Texas with the second overall pick in the 1980 NFL Draft. He played wide receiver for the Jets from 1980-1985. Since Jones was a world class sprinter, he could beat any coverage, but had trouble catching the football. He was viewed more as an athlete than a receiver. He received the first million dollar contract worth $2.1 million dollars.

http://www.lampasasdispatchrecord.com/n ... e/001.html

He was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2005 that has taken its toll on his body for the past three years. Once a sleek, 6-foot specimen, Jones now stands at 5'9", but he is in full remission.

[tandfman]

Ex-Villanova runner Phil "Tiny" Kane.

[tandfman]

Has anyone mentioned Lori "Lolo" Jones?

[berkeley]

Prominent Irish track coach Father Liam Kelleher is widely known as "Galloping Jesus".

[br]

Kevin "Spiderman" Young

[tandfman]

Justin "Juice" Gatlin. (All things considered, not a particularly good nickname, IMHO)

[bambam]

...Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

Speaking of Drayton...not sure if it's a nickname because he changed his surname too: Peter Buniak = Jerome Drayton

He legally changed his entire name. Not a nickname.

[bambam]

DJ listed Norwood "Barney" Ewell. Was Barney his middle name or was it truly a "nickname?" Perhaps similarly, Paul Drayton's "real" first name has been listed as Otis.

Henry Norwood Ewell.

Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

And some others who went by their middle names: Frederick Carlton Lewis, Frederick Morgan Taylor, James Randel Matson, William Parry O'Brien, William DeHart Hubbard, John Kenneth Doherty, William Bruce Jenner

James Edwin Meredith = Ted

Walter Francis Davis = Buddy
Warren Jay Cawley = Rex

Then there are all the Chips (Charles Lamont Jenkins, Jr.), Buds (Emerson Lane Spencer, Franklin Wesley Held, Lemuel Clarence Houser) and Treys (James Edward Hardee, III) of the world.

Then there's John Walter Beardsley Tewskbury - oh, ... wait a minute

(Its an inside joke for me and DJ)

[bambam]

Johnny "Lam" Jones. His bio is very interesting.

As opposed to Johnny "Ham" Jones, his football teammate at U Texas, which is why they were given the nicknames, to differentiate them.

[Conor Dary]

...Otis Paul Drayton, Otie to his friends.

Speaking of Drayton...not sure if it's a nickname because he changed his surname too: Peter Buniak = Jerome Drayton

He legally changed his entire name. Not a nickname.

And he competed in the Olympics twice, once under each name.

I remember a contemporary story that he picked the name out of a phone book.

[EME1980]

http://allafrica.com/stories/201210210083.html

Janeth Jepkoskei has changed her nickname from The Eldoret Express to The KQ Express following a sponsorship deal with Kenyan Airways whose flight numbers all start with KQ.

[gh]

There was a popular tale at one point that Jerome Drayton had picked his name because he was enamoured of his sprint contemporaries Harry Jerome and Paul Drayton.

When asked if that were true his response was something like, "If I'd wanted to be named after my heroes I'd be Abebe Clarke"

[shivfan]

The greatest monicker of all time belonged to Roy Martin, but since this is a family website.... Allow me just to say it was an 8-word rhyming couplet.

[shivfan]

I just realized we've missed one of the best ever: "Multiple Mac" Willkins.

(as an aside, whose mother and father were... no really.... Dick & Jane!)

This thread cracks me up....

[shivfan]

Justin "Juice" Gatlin. (All things considered, not a particularly good nickname, IMHO)