Sports Birthdays for August 5 — Lolo Jones and More
Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on August 5:
Patrick Ewing
Age: 50
Profession: Retired NBA Player
Best Known For: One of the most dominating college basketball players of all-time, center Patrick Ewing went on to a 17-year career in the NBA. In college at Georgetown, Ewing helped his team to the championship game of the NCAA tournament three out of his four years, including a victory over Houston in 1984. After being selected by the New York Knicks with the first overall pick of the 1985 NBA Draft, Ewing was named the NBA Rookie of the Year. An 11-time NBA All-Star, Ewing played for the Knicks from 1985 to 2000, before playing his final years with the Seattle SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic. In 1996, Ewing was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. A member of both the 1984 and 1992 US Olympic teams, Ewing was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
John Olerud
Age: 44
Profession: Retired MLB Player
Best Known For: A two-time All-Star first-baseman, John Olerud played for the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox during a major league career that spanned from 1989 to 2005. Winner of the American League batting title in 1993 while with Toronto, Olerud had a career batting average of .295. Olerud was a member of the Blue Jays’ teams that won the 1992 and 1993 World Series. After suffering a brain aneurysm in college at Washington State, Olerud wore a batting helmet even while playing the field. He also won three Gold Glove Awards during his career.
Carl Crawford
Age: 31
Profession: MLB Player
Best Known For: A four-time All-Star outfielder, Carl Crawford has been one of baseball’s fastest players since debuting in 2002 with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. A four-time American League stolen base champ, Crawford has recorded 429 career steals and has more triples (113) than any other active player. He also won a Gold Glove Award in 2010. After the 2010 season, Crawford signed a seven-year, $142 million contract with the Boston Red Sox.
Lolo Jones
Age: 30
Profession: US Olympian
Best Known For: A three-time NCAA champ at LSU, Lolo Jones is a US Olympian specializing in the 60- and 100-meter hurdles. The American record holder in the 60-meter hurdles, Jones won gold medals at the World Indoor Championship in 2008 and 2010. Though she was favored to win the 100-meter hurdles at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Jones tripped on the next-to-last hurdle, finishing seventh. A deeply religious athlete, Jones recently revealed on ‘Real Sports’ on HBO that she intends to remain a virgin until she is married.
Paula Creamer
Age: 26
Profession: Pro Golfer
Best Known For: A winner of nine LPGA tournaments, Paula Creamer has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the women’s world golf rankings. Creamer won the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. Creamer is also known for her propensity to wear pink as some part of her golf outfit.