33 Professional Athletes Who Are From The Abilene Texas Area
Texas is known for producing some of the top athletes on the planet. And, the Abilene area is no exception. Check out 33 professional athletes who hail from the Abilene, Texas area.
In recent history, we've seen the likes of John Lackey, Case Keenum, and Colt McCoy but we've also bred some pros from back in the day, like Sammy Baugh, Bill Sharman, and Bob Lilly.
While there are a bunch of famous people from the Abilene area, I'm most impressed with the famous pro athletes that we've had come from here. As a huge sports fan, it's always been cool seeing these guys around town at times.
So take a few minutes to check out the gallery, below, of the pro athletes that have come from the Abilene area. How many of them have you met?
LOOK: Professional Athletes from the Abilene Area
Other additions to this list include some athletes that we don't have access to photos for, including:
Chuck Hughes: Born in Philly, but moved to Abilene and played for Abilene High. He is, to date, the only NFL player to die on the field during a game. Hughes played for the Eagles and Lions.
Bill Gilbreth: Grew up in Abilene and went to Abilene Christian Schools, but because they never had a baseball team, he didn't play in high school. Gilbreth went on to star at ACU then eventually drafted by the Detroit Tigers. Gilbreth also played for the Angels.
Trey Forkerway: He was a three-sport athlete at Abilene High that went on to star at Texas Tech. He played baseball for the Chicago Cubs for four years before joining the club in other capacities.
Ray Berry: He went to Cooper and played football with another one on this list, Terry Orr. Following a stand-out college career, Berry went on to play in the NFL for the Vikings and Seahawks.
Due to the fact that the Abilene area constantly churns out amazing athletes, I'm sure this list will continue to grow. If there are any that we might have missed, please let me know so we can update this article.
Being that many of these athletes are still alive, there's a good chance you might bump into them around town, so don't forget to ask for an autograph or selfie. Heck, you might even get bailed out by one, Billy Olson. Also, Charles Coody owns Diamondback Golf Course, locally, so grab your clubs and go shoot around.