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Kurt Thomas – Member of the US Olympic Gymnastics Team at the 1976 Summer Olympics. He was the first American male gymnast to win a gold medal in floor exercise at the 1978 World Championships. Thomas is in the International Gymnastics Hall Of Fame and the MVC Hall of Fame.
MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY Kathleen Turner -- An Oscar-nominated actress for the movie, “Peggy Sue Got Married.” Turner’s other movie credits include, “Body Heat,” “Romancing the Stone,” “War of the Roses” and “The Accidental Tourist.” John Goodman -- The veteran television and movie actor is best known for his role as Roseanne’s husband Dan in the hit series, “Roseanne.” He is also known for his frequent film collaborations with the Coen Brothers, including in Raising Arizona, Barton Fink, The Big Lebowski and O Brother, Where Art Thou, as well as numerous voice roles in Disney-Pixar productions such as Monsters, Inc. and others. Bob Holden -- Holden was the 43rd governor of Missouri (2001-05). David Glass -- The former president and chief executive officer of WalMart Stores, Inc., Glass is now the owner of the Kansas City Royals. Arnold Bernard -- The former all-league guard was a member of the Harlem Globetrotters. John Q. Hammons – His upscale hotels include Renaissance, Courtyard by Marriott, Residence Inn, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inn, Homewood Suites, and several independent properties including those named University Plaza and the award-winning Chateau on the Lake Resort and Conference Center in Branson. Bill Mueller -- The 1993 MVC Baseball Player of the Year, Mueller currently serves as a special assistant to the GM of the Los Angeles Dodgers. His 11-year playing career was spent with the San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers. He won the American League batting title in 2003, and helped the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series. Ryan Howard -- Howard was the 2006 National League MVP and the fastest player to reach 100 and 200 home runs in Major League Baseball history. His 58 home runs in 2006 led Major League Baseball, and he was the 2005 NL Rookie of the Year.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA Bryce Paup -- He earned a starting job for the Green Bay Packers in 1993 after serving as a pass-rush specialist for three years. After ranking among league leaders in sacks for three years, he signed as a free agent with the Buffalo Bills in 1995 and was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He also played with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Minnesota Vikings. Kurt Warner -- He played backup QB for UNI until starting in 1993. After a tryout with the Green Bay Packers, he went on to star with the Iowa Barnstormers for three seasons before playing in NFL Europe. Warner, the league’s and the Super Bowl’s MVP, became the St. Louis’ starting QB in 1999 and led the Rams to a Super Bowl victory. He was signed by the New York Giants in the summer of 2004, earning the starting job over highly touted rookie Eli Manning. Warner signed a free-agent contract with the Arizona in 2005 and led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl in 2009. Nancy Price -- Price authored the book Sleeping with the Enemy, which was made into a motion picture, starring Julia Roberts. Charles Grassley -- A 1955 (bachelor’s degree) and 1956 (master’s degree) graduate, he was elected to the United States Senate in 1980. He is ranking member of the finance committee, and also serves on the judiciary, budget and agriculture committees. His official papers are stored in the UNI library. Robert Waller -- Waller authored the book Bridges of Madison County, which was made into a motion picture, starring Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep. Joey Woody -- A 10-time MVC conference champion and four-time NCAA All-American, Woody was the 1997 NCAA champion in the 400 meter hurdles. Also a three-time MVC track athlete of the year, he placed second in the 400 hurdles at the 2003 World Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY Jim Hart -- A 19-year quarterback in the National Football League, Hart, an SIU gridiron star, threw for more than 200 touchdowns and 34,000 yards during his professional career. Walt Frazier -- Frazier led the Salukis to the NIT title in 1967 and then went on to an all-star career with the New York Knicks. He is a member of the NIT’s top 50 all-time players. Steve Finley -- A two-time all-conference selection with the Salukis, Finley is a two-time Major League Baseball all-star with the San Diego Padres (1997) and Arizona Diamondbacks (2001). He has won five gold gloves for his defensive work in center field. In his 20-year career (with eight different teams), he compiled more than 2,500 hits (2,548) and stole 320 bases. Troy Hudson -- One of the most potent scorers in Saluki history, troy Hudson averaged 21.2 ppg in his two-year career at SIU. The Carbondale native played 10 seasons in the National Basketball Association. A 6-1 guard, Hudson’s most productive seasons came with the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he averaged a career-best 14.2 pts and 5.7 assists in 2002-03, also receiving the nickname “Laker Killer” for his outstanding postseason play against the Los Angeles Lakers, where he increased his numbers to 23.5 points. Mike Glenn -- Glenn scored 1,878 career points and led the 1976-77 squad to the MVC title and the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. He was also a two-time first-team Academic All-American. Glenn was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in the second round and played 10 seasons in the NBA with four teams. Glenn has worked as a television analyst for the Atlanta Hawks and also runs the Mike Glenn All-Star Basketball Camp for the Hearing-Impaired. Bart Scott -- A eight-year NFL pro with the Baltimore Ravens, Scott earned Pro Bowl honors in 2006. He signed with the New York Jets as a free agent in 2009. Scott ranks among the career leaders at SIU in tackles and sacks. Brandon Jacobs -- The MVFC’s Newcomer of the Year during his only season at SIU in 2004. Jacobs rushed for 992 yards and 19 TDs in 12 games for the Salukis that year. He was selected in the fourth round by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft. Jacobs, who enters his seventh year with New York, led the Super Bowl XLII Champion Giants with 1,011 yards on 201 carries in 2007.
WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY Bill Parcells -- Coached the New York Giants to Super Bowl wins in 1987 and 1991. The former head coach of the New England Patriots, Parcells also served as an NFL television analyst, before taking over the head coaching job for the Dallas Cowboys in 2003. He announced his third retirement from football on January 22, 2007 before returning to the sport later that year in a management position with the Dolphins. Mike Pelfrey -- Former Shocker pitcher Mike Pelfrey played for Wichita State in 2003-05 and earned first team All-America honors. He was drafted in the first round by the New York Mets in 2005 and won 10 or more games in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Joe Carter -- Carter, who earned a spot on the American League All-Star team in 1991 in his first season with the Blue Jays, is the only player in baseball history to have 100 RBI for three different teams in successive seasons. In 1993, he ended the World Series with a threerun homer off Philadelphia’s Mitch Williams. Frank Carney -- Cofounder of the Pizza Hut Restaurant chain, he is now the owner of Carney Enterprises which includes several Papa John’s franchises. Eric Wedge -- The All-American catcher played for the Shockers from 1987-89 and helped lead Wichita State to the 1989 National Championship. In October of 2002, Wedge was named the manager of the Cleveland Indians and coached the Indians through 2009, and he was second in AL Manager of the Year voting in 2005. He is the current manager of the Seattle Mariners.
Honors
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Famous Alumni at Missouri Valley Conference Schools
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