7 of the Most Famous Athletes from South Dakota

Get our free mobile app

7 Famous Athletes from South Dakota

South Dakota may have a small population, but our state's contributions to sports have been pretty big.

People born in the 605 have gone on to be in the NFL, Major League Baseball, the NBA, WWE, WNBA, and in the Olympics.

Meet seven of the most famous:

9 Driving Laws in South Dakota that Might Surprise You, Some You Didn't Know Existed

There are some things you can do on South Dakota roads that you may have once thought illegal but aren't. Like, can you ride in the back of a pickup, or drive barefoot in South Dakota?

While perusing the South Dakota Department of Public Safety I was reminded of some things that come up in conversation quite often.

Here are a few to ponder:

Ten Best Companies to Work for in Sioux Falls in 2022

Canva/Getty Images

1
Brock Lesnar
The WWE King of the Ring and world-class wrestling champ Brock Lesnar, was born in Webster, SD in 1977. He became the first fighter to beat The Undertaker in a WrestleMania match in 2014 and tried out for the Minnesota Vikings.
2
Mike Miller
NBA superstar Mike Miller was named Rookie of the Year in 2001 while playing for the Orlando Magic; won a NBA Championship with the Miami Heat in 2012, and played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Washington Wizards. He was born in Mitchell, SD. in 1980.
3
Adam Vinatieri
Adam Vinatieri was born in Yankton in 1972 and is one of the best kickers the NFL has ever seen. He won three Super Bowl titles with the Patriots and one title with the Colts. Vinatieri has been called "Mr. Clutch", "Automatic Adam", and "Iceman" by the media due to his reputation for success when kicking under pressure. Did you know that he is also a third cousin to the daredevil Evel Knievel?
4
Chad Greenway
Linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, Chad Greenway was born in Mount Vernon, SD. in 1983. The 2-time Pro Bowler is also very active in his many charities, the Greenway Foundation, and has been named the Vikings' Community Man-of-the-Year.
5
Becky Hammon
Beck Hammon is a 6-time All-Star for the New York Liberty and San Antonio Silver Stars. In 2014, she was hired to be an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the first female coach in NBA history. She was born in Rapid City, SD.
6
Billy Mills
Billy Mills was the second Native American to ever win a gold medal finishing first in the 10,000-meter race in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, becoming the only American to win the event. That victory is still considered one of the greatest of Olympic upsets in history. Born in Pine Ridge, Mills was is a member of the United States Olympic Hall of Fame.
7
Mark Ellis
Born in Rapid City, SD. Mark Ellis repeatedly hammered the ball over the fence while playing for the American Legion's Rapid City Post 22 in the early 90's. Ellis played second base who spent the first ten years of his career with the Oakland Athletics. He was played by Brent Dohling in the film "Moneyball." starring Brad Pitt. He was also, incredibly, in the same graduating class as WNBA star Becky Hammon! He also played for the Rockies, Dodgers, the St. Louis Cardinals. He announced his retirement in 2015.