Some of the greatest sportsmen in Kansas City history.
Maurice Greene
Kansas City raised one of the fastest men in the world. A native of Kansas City, Maurice Greene attended F.L. Schlagle High School before winning two gold medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney in the 100-meter and 4x100m relay. He returned to the Olympics in 2004 in Athens and won silver and bronze medals, concluding his career with four medals and the 100m world record, running at 9.79 seconds. Greene also won five gold medals at the World Championships.
Mike McCormack
Regarded as one of the greatest offensive tackles of all time, Mike McCormack attended De La Salle High School in Kansas City before three years with the Kansas Jayhawks. McCormack was a two-time NFL champion in 1954 and 1955 with the Cleveland Browns and nine-time All-Pro selection before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Vlatko Andonovski
Over a decade after moving to Kansas City to pursue pro indoor soccer as a player, Vlatko Andonovski led the Comets to the MISL championship and FC Kansas City to back-to-back NWSL championships. The Park University graduate’s quick success eventually landed him as the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Team, where he managed the World Cup winners from 2019 to 2023.
Casey Stengel
A KC native, Casey Stengel attended Central High School until he dropped out to pursue baseball, where he won two World Series titles as a player with the New York Giants. He served as the manager of the New York Yankees from 1949 to 1960. In those 12 years, the Hall of Famer won a record seven World Series titles.
Matt Besler
Not many get to lead their hometown teams, but Matt Besler did exactly that. Besler played soccer at Notre Dame after graduating from Blue Valley West High School. The Overland Park native was drafted eighth overall by the Kansas City Wizards in 2009. Besler became a staple in Sporting’s defense, winning the 2013 MLS Cup and three Open Cup titles. The 2012 MLS Defender of the Year also represented the United States at the 2014 World Cup and won Gold Cup titles in 2013 and 2017.
Albert Pujols
Baseball slugger Albert Pujols moved to Independence when he was 16 years old and attended Fort Osage High School. Pujols played a year at Maple Woods Community College and was drafted in the 13th round by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1999. He won two World Series titles and two National League MVP awards with the Cardinals. A decade after leaving the Cardinals, Pujols returned to St. Louis to finish with 703 career home runs, fourth most in MLB history.
Tom Watson
Among the greatest golfers of all time is Overland Park native Tom Watson. The Stanford University graduate won eight majors, including five British Opens in a nine-year span from 1975 to 1983. Watson also won The Masters twice and the U.S. Open once. Watson won 38 total PGA Tours and is a six-time PGA Player of the Year.
David Cone
The Kansas City native attended Rockhurst High School and Mizzou before being drafted by the Royals in the third round in 1981. Cone went on to win the World Series five times and led the MLB in strikeouts twice and wins once. He also won the American League Cy Young in 1994 with the Royals and pitched a perfect game in 1999 with the Yankees.
Kansas City Sports Magazine 
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