National Red Head Day is celebrated each year on November 5th. It's a day for people with red hair to celebrate their hair's color around the world. It is celebrated in the USA, United Kingdom and other parts of the world as well. Today, we will be taking a look at the top redheaded athletes.
Many redhead athletes have defied stereotypes and become stars in their respective sports. There are plenty of superstars with red hair in the world of sports so let's get right into it.
Blake Griffin
Blake Griffin's future in the NBA at 34 years old is in question amid retirement rumors. Griffin has enjoyed an impressive career though.
The Oklahoma product was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. The Clippers had previously struggled mightily but Griffin helped LA find their footing.
The Clippers built a core of players around Griffin and later traded for Chris Paul. This led to the "Lob City" era, which featured CP3 often throwing alley-oops to Griffin and Deandre Jordan. Additionally, players such as Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, and Matt Barnes played important roles on the team.
Although the Clippers failed to win a championship, it was still an exciting time for fans of the team. Griffin established himself as a true superstar during the era as well.
Blake Griffin is a six-time All-Star who also won the Rookie of the Year award. He's won a Dunk Contest as well, and is remembered as one of the NBA's best dunkers in his prime.
Mark McGwire
Mark McGwire enjoyed a legendary career. He surprisingly never won an MVP but finished within the top five of MVP voting on multiple occasions.
In 1998, McGwire led the league with 70 home runs, a record at the time (Barry Bonds later broke the all-time single season home run record).
He played for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals during his career. A 12-time All-Star, McGwire also played a big role in winning a World Series in 1989.
It should be noted that McGwire's link to PEDs has kept him out of the Hall of Fame. Regardless, McGwire certainly belongs on this list of top redhead athletes.
Becky Lynch
Becky Lynch is a wrestler in the WWE. She is an extremely popular member of the WWE and has found plenty of success.
The 36-year-old from Ireland has been wrestling since 2002. In addition to wrestling, Lynch has also done some acting.
But she's most known for her accomplishments in the ring. She has won multiple SmackDown Women's Championships and even defeated Ronda Rousey.
Andy Dalton
Andy Dalton is a quarterback who currently plays for the Carolina Panthers. Dalton is known for finding success with the Cincinnati Bengals during the 2010's decade though.
The QB made three Pro Bowl teams during his time in Cincinnati. Although interceptions were problematic at times, Dalton still performed well overall.
He played with the Bengals from 2011-2019 before joining the Dallas Cowboys for the 2020 season. Dalton has since played with the Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and the Panthers.
He isn't the same star-caliber QB that we saw during the 2010's decade, but Dalton is a quality backup quarterback capable of filling in when necessary.
Shaun White
Shaun White, a former professional snowboarder, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. He was also a professional skateboarder.
White is unquestionably one of the best redheaded athletes ever. In addition to the Olympics, White has won multiple gold medals at the X Games.
When it comes to extreme sports, White is one of the first athletes who comes to mind.
Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay is remembered as one of MLB's best pitchers of all-time. A Hall-of-Famer, Halladay pitched for the Toronto Blue Jays and Philadelphia Phillies during his legendary career.
He won two Cy Young awards and was an eight-time All-Star. Halladay led the league in innings pitched four times, games started once, wins twice, and WHIP once.
Additionally, Halladay pitched the 20th perfect game in MLB history and fired a no-hitter in a playoff game.
Bill Walton
Bill Walton was an excellent NBA player. He played during the 1970s and 1980s, spending time with the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics.
Walton was a two-time All-Star who led the league in rebounds and blocks during the 1976-77 season with Portland. He was also selected to two All-Star games during his career.
Despite dealing with injury trouble during his time in the league, Walton still pieced together a quality NBA career.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is one of the most recognizable NASCAR drivers due to his numerous accomplishments in the sport. Some people may forget that he's a redhead since most of the time he's driving in a car with a helmet on.
Earnhardt Jr. is a two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion and two-time Daytona 500 champion. He's won a number of other events as well and was ultimately elected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Brian Scalabrine
Brian Scalabrine, often referred to as the "White Mamba", was one of the most popular basketball players of his era. In all reality, Scalabrine's numbers were not that great.
Scalabrine's red hair became iconic while he played a bench role throughout his career. Fans supported Scalabrine every time he would check into a game though.
Chuck Norris
We conclude our list with the one and only Chuck Norris.
Norris has led one of the most interesting lives in recent memory. He is listed as a martial artist and actor, but Norris also served in the military and is a writer.
He's a black belt in judo and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Currently, Norris is expected to return to acting in an upcoming action movie.
Norris has reached no shortage of accomplishments in his life. And there is no reason to believe he will slow down any time soon.
