Reviewed by: Pat Byington
3 of Alabama’s best athletes are from Greater Birmingham
Reading time: 2 minutes
In celebration of America 250, Sports Illustrated released “Best Athletes from All 50 States,” highlighting 250 names in honor of the anniversary.
From the five listed from our state, three of them were from the Greater Birmingham Area.
Sports Illustrated ranks America’s best athletes
Sports Illustrated editors dug up a 1999 issue highlighting American coaches and altered it to include only athletes for a 2026 edition.
According to SI, athletes were considered based on certain criteria:
- Where an athlete attended high school (for a majority of years or for the graduating year)
- Primary residence as a child, if an athlete did not attend high school
- Based on the 1999 list, “not necessarily to where they were born, but to where they first showed flashes of the greatness to come.”
3 out of 5 Alabama greats are from Birmingham
We could go on and on about the state’s athletic talent, but here’s who SI dons Alabama’s greatest:
- Henry (Hank) Aaron: Mobile
- Willie Mays: Fairfield, one of the MLB’s most well-known players who started as a star of the Birmingham Black Barons
- Bo Jackson: Bessemer, a household name in Alabama known for football and baseball
- Satchel Paige: Mobile
- Charles Barkley: Leeds, Sir Charles! An Auburn grad who went on to play 16 seasons in the NBA
Tim Capurso, the Sports Illustrated writer, emphasized Alabama’s rich baseball history, while also paying tribute to Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson (going pro in two sports!) and Hall of Famer Charles Barkley.
We always knew Alabama, and specifically Birmingham, was home to greats—it looks like national brands agree!
Do you agree with Sports Illustrated’s list of Alabama’s greatest athletes? Tag us @bhamnow and let us know your hall of famers.
