Famous Folks from School

How about it? I figure everyone has at least one schoolmate that's become some sort of famous athlete/political figure/musician/actor... for me, 2 football players from high school. Will Herring who is heading to the Seahawks and TJ Jackson who is with the Falcons now. They were both friends of mine, but only in school. I didn't hang out with the athletes so much after junior high. My dad was friends with Steve Bartkowski of the falcons and Andy McGaffigan(spelling?) of the Expos. No actors/musicians though.

She's not really famous, but I grew up with Charlotte Ayanna, who gots herself wicked nekkid in "Dancing At The Blue Iguana." She's done a fair amount of acting, nothing recently though. She won Ms. Teen USA back prolly twelve years ago or so.

I know a few semi-famous people from work, and my wife occassionally gets emails sent to a former NFL-camp invitee (and NFL Europa standout) who shares her last name, first initial, and graduated a few years behind her.

I had gym class with Sean O'Hara, starting center for the NY Giants. He was a lot smaller back then. Ricky Proehl also went to my high school, most famous for a TD catch for the Rams in an NFC championship game, also played for the Cardinals, Panthers, Bears, and about 5 other teams.

Nobody famous ever came out of Woodland Washington. I was supposed to be the first one but it wasn't meant to be I guess.

However, SWMBO went to Clovis West High School in Clovis California with Paul Green, former Tight End with the Seattle Seahawks.

Carrie Nation...way back when.

Ironic ain’t it?

I chatted online with Brewtopia of Naked City Brewing before his beers became world famous.

Didn't go to school with him but, I played little league against Paul Konerko, 1st baseman for the White Sox. He hit 3 homers off of me in 1 game, and LL games aren't even 9 innings... not my best pitching performance. Funny thing is, back then he was this big fat kid, but man could he hit

According to wikipedia:

* Jason Biggs - actor, American Pie - born in Pompton Plains.[9]
* Peter Cameron, author.[10]
* Derek Jeter - shortstop for the New York Yankees - born in Pequannock.[11]
* Danny Kass - Olympic snowboarder, born in Pompton Plains.[12]
* Davana Medina, figure competitor.[13]
* Susan Misner, actress who has appeared on films and television, including roles in The Bronx Is Burning, Rescue Me and Chicago.[14]
* Criss Oliva - Lead guitarist and co-founder of Savatage - born in Pompton Plains
* Ryan Ward - actor, Far From Heaven - born in Pequannock
* Karen Young, actress.[15]

Alas, I don't personally know any of these people.



EDIT: although in college I did live a few doors down in the dorm from the guy who started napster. A few of my friends were friends with him too.

Not a schoolmate of mine, but Elizabeth Banks was born in my hometown of Pittsfield, MA. Yeah, I had to look her up on IMDB too.

Jeff Reardon was born in my mom's hometown of Dalton ... go western Mass!

* Derek Jeter - shortstop for the New York Yankees - born in Pequannock.[11]
played LLB in kalamazoo mi

Went to school with and played Football with Cedric Benson, he now plays for the bears. Let me tell you a real class act.

I used to date Missi Pyle when she was in high school. She was a year ahead of my younger brother at Germantown High School.

I know a few other people who were somewhat famous, but the only one I remember going to school with was Penny Hardaway he was in a few of my classes when I went to Memphis State.

John Elway of the Denver Broncos used to live right down the street from me during the off season, didn't go to school with him but whatever.

Todd Jones of the Detroit Tigers lives somewhere in my town during the baseball off season. His daughter is in my son's class at school.

Seems like there were some other athletes from my high school that were either a couple years ahead or a couple years behind that went on to turn pro, but I can't remember who they might be at the moment.

Never got to meet any of em, but a friend of mine is friends with the SNL type crowd from the 70's. Steve Martin, Martin Short, Lorren Michaels. Got to hear steves voice on her answering machine once though! lol.

If being one of the talking heads on VH1 I love the 90s series counts, there is this comedian / actor named Chris Wilde (really his name is Chris Knoll) that I went to college with. He's had some bit parts in a few movies and has been in some ads as well. For a while Comedy Central had a show called Late Night with Chris Wilde. Not sure any of that really counts as famous, but it's as close as I get.

Ryanh1801 said:

Went to school with and played Football with Cedric Benson, he now plays for the beers. Let me tell you a real class act.

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Really? I would have guessed as much. Interesting.

Several famous people graduated from my high school, but the only one that was there at the same time as me was news goose Paula Zahn. She was our homecoming queen my freshman year (her senior year). Didn’t know her personally, but I had a math class with her sister Leslie, who is my age. My sister was there during the same time as Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

The only other remotely famous person in my graduating class was Miss Illinois, 1981, Leslie Renfrow. She was eliminated early in the Miss USA pageant that year and went on to have forgettable bit parts in a couple of movies. One, I was told, featured her topless, screaming at some bogeyman character.

I went to college with columnist and film critic Richard Roeper.

I forgot my obvious one... I went to Uconn during the time Ray Allen and Rip Hamilton(both NBA players) were there. They came to a few parties that my roommates and I had. Ray Allen seemed nice enough, Hamilton thought pretty highly of himself so wasn't very friendly...

No one famous from my high school. But I did go to college at the same time as Donovan McNabb. We were not in any classes together, but saw him on campus.

The Baldwins were from Camillus, NY where I live now. They went to a dfferent high school than me...and they were older than me...

Richard Gere and Tom Cruise at some point were living in the Syracuse area. Never went to school with them either...

No famous classmates, but my fist cousin is Jonathon Brandmeier, a radio personality in the Chicago area (on the Loop). Haven't seen him in prolly 20 years, not even when his dad (my uncle) died. He was in AZ at the time and couldn't fly home for medical reasons.

Bernie Brewer said:

... my fist cousin is Jonathon Brandmeier...

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Cool! I listen to him on my drive to work every morning. That must also mean you're related to Tony Shalhoub, b/c Brandmeier claims they are cousins!

My High School produced Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch, Jim Otto and Jeff Dellenbach, super bowl rings for Jim and Jeff and Dellenbach had a role in Ace Ventura Pet Detective. Funny thing about it is that I had a movie making class with Dellenbach in High School. The other two were before my time.

Played High School hockey against Craig Ludwig of the Canadiens and Stars, and Mark Johnson, USA Gold medal team.

Played College hockey with Chris Chelios, Bruce Driver, Pat Flatley, Mike Richter, Jimmy Johannson, Brian Mullen, Tony Granato and so may others that came from the title years. I can't complain about never really getting to play. But, I could kick their ass in pool though.

Even took shots from Brian Engblom, the hockey announcer, during a hockey camp. Bastard was cranking slapshots on me when I was only 14.

And ofcourse there's "Badger" Bob Johnson and Jeff Sauer, both Coaches.

And, as some of you may know, some of these guys are famous now...Hall-a-famers to be.

Rhoobarb said:

Cool! I listen to him on my drive to work every morning. That must also mean you're related to Tony Shalhoub, b/c Brandmeier claims they are cousins!

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Ya know, I didn't even know that! No, Tony Shalhoub isn't related to me. Jonathon is related to Tony on his mothers's (the Lebanese) side, while he and I are related on his father's (the German) side. Clear as mud, right?

Not while I was a student there, but Axl Rose (then William Rose) went to my HS, and Shannon Hoon from Blind Melon and most of the members of GNR were from my hometown...

Amelia Erhart taught at Purdue (in the town I grew up in) and started her last flight from there.
Orville Reddenbacher was a student there.
Lots of sports folk went through Purdue.
David Byrne went to my college.


I know there's others, but I can't think of them.

kvh

kvh said:

David Byrne went to my college.

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A friend of mine kicked Jerry Harrison's ass in bumper pool.

Michael Richards (Kramer) went to my high school. Didn't know him, would have taken the cake for this thread before the idiot started in on the racism .

Belinda Carlisle (singer) also went to my high school and so did Marion Jones of olympic fame. She was amazing to watch on the track. She had her own coach because the other weren't giving her any competition.