Northwestern High School (Michigan)
Encyclopedia
Northwestern High School is a secondary education facility in Detroit, Michigan
. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC, interscholastic and intramural athletics. NHS also offers several advanced placement (AP) courses.
championships to Olympic
gold medals - and everything in between.
In addition to the world of sports, a partial list of distinguished Northwestern graduates includes highly respected names from the political and entertainment arena.
In 2008, Northwestern High won the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League Championship in men's basketball. Since 1919, Northwestern basketball teams have claimed a total of sixteen DPSSAL titles. Northwestern also won the 1928 Michigan High School Athletic Association
basketball championship.
Coach Bert Maris led the Northwestern swimming and diving program to three consecutive MHSAA team titles (1925 through 1927). In 1930, the Colt swimming team, coached by Leo Maas, won another MHSAA championship trophy; Maas also guided the school to five consecutive DPSSAL titles (1933 through 1937).
To this day, Northwestern remains the only Detroit public high school to win a state team championship in the sport of swimming and diving.
The Northwestern Colts also boast an impressive record in track and field.
During the same year Bert Maris coached Northwestern to a state championship in swimming, he and Coach Warren Hoyt led Northwestern to the 1925 MHSAA title in track. Toward decade's end, Coach Malcom Weaver and the Colts won the state track championship in 1927, 1929 and 1930. The Michigan high school sports archives also document Northwestern's MHSAA championship titles in tennis (1927), and cross country (1929).
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. The most recent enrollment figures for Northwestern indicate a student population of approximately 2,000. Northwestern High School features numerous extracurricular activities; including: Debate, US Army JROTC, interscholastic and intramural athletics. NHS also offers several advanced placement (AP) courses.
Known Throughout the Land
For more than one-hundred years, Northwestern High School has produced a multitude of outstanding student athletes who excelled at the collegiate level and beyond; Colt alumni achievements range from National Collegiate Athletic AssociationNational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
championships to Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
gold medals - and everything in between.
In addition to the world of sports, a partial list of distinguished Northwestern graduates includes highly respected names from the political and entertainment arena.
Distinguished alumni
- John Widman, won the javelin and ran on the 1st-place 880-yard relay team at the 1925 MHSAA Track Championships
- Albert B. Cleage Jr.Albert CleageAlbert Cleage was a Christian religious leader, political candidate, newspaper publisher, political organizer and author. He is founder of the Shrine of the Black Madonna Church and Cultural Centers in Detroit and Atlanta...
, was an eloquent Christian minister. During the mid-twentieth century, Cleage was nationally recognized as a leading advocate of the civil rights movement. Albert Cleage's book The Black Messiah was published in 1968.
- George Huber, set city and state records in the discus throwDiscus throwThe discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...
at DPSSAL Championships & MHSAA Finals
- Jack Fundis, won both the shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
and discus throw at the 1930 MHSAA finals; he was the last Detroit public school athlete to win a state title in the discus.
- Damon KeithDamon KeithDamon Jerome Keith is a Senior Judge for the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.-Biography:Keith grew up in Detroit, where he graduated from Northwestern High School in 1939; Keith then moved on to West Virginia State College , Howard University School of Law , and Wayne State...
, Senior Judge - United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitUnited States Court of Appeals for the Sixth CircuitThe United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts:* Eastern District of Kentucky* Western District of Kentucky...
- Mac Umstattd, set a state record of 1:56.6 to win the half-mile run at DPSSAL Championships; national record was 1:54.6
- Norman WhitfieldNorman WhitfieldNorman Jesse Whitfield was an American songwriter and producer, best known for his work with Berry Gordy's Motown label during the 1960s...
, American songwriter and producer, one of the creators of the Motown Sound
- John ConyersJohn ConyersJohn Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, United States Congressman (1965–present); Chairman, House Judiciary Committee
- George Newman, swam on Northwestern's 1948 city championship team; in later years, Newman was a successful swimming and diving coach at Detroit-EasternMartin Luther King High School (Michigan)Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. High School is located at 3200 East Lafayette Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan; the building is operated by the Detroit Board of Education. King's district encompasses Downtown and Midtown Detroit; it also includes the Brewster-Douglass Housing Projects, the Martin Luther...
and Southeastern High School
- Casey KasemCasey KasemKemal Amin "Casey" Kasem is an American radio personality and voice actor who is best known for being the host of the nationally syndicated Top 40 countdown show American Top 40, and for voicing Shaggy in the popular Saturday morning cartoon franchise Scooby-Doo.Kasem, along with Don Bustany and...
, (born, Kemal Amin), globally recognized, award winning American radio and television personality
- James JamersonJames JamersonJames Lee Jamerson was an American bass player. He was the uncredited bassist on most of Motown Records' hits in the 1960s and early 1970s , and he is now regarded as one of the most influential bass players in modern music history...
(1954), Bass guitarist; performed on 30+ #1 Hits for Motown RecordsMotown RecordsMotown is a record label originally founded by Berry Gordy, Jr. and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation in Detroit, Michigan, United States, on April 14, 1960. The name, a portmanteau of motor and town, is also a nickname for Detroit...
; known as the Father of Modern Bass Guitar
- Melvin FranklinMelvin FranklinDavid Melvin English better known by the stage name Melvin Franklin, was an American bass singer. Franklin is best known for his role as a member of Motown singing group The Temptations from 1960 to 1994....
(1959), Bass singer for Motown Records' internationally renowned performers, The TemptationsThe TemptationsThe Temptations is an American vocal group having achieved fame as one of the most successful acts to record for Motown Records. The group's repertoire has included, at various times during its five-decade career, R&B, doo-wop, funk, disco, soul, and adult contemporary music.Formed in Detroit,...
- Mary WellsMary WellsMary Esther Wells was an American singer who helped to define the emerging sound of Motown in the early 1960s...
, Star singer with Motown Records, famous for hit song, "My Guy"
- Ray Parker Jr.Ray Parker Jr.Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. , is an American guitarist, songwriter, producer and recording artist. Parker is known for writing and performing the theme song to the motion picture Ghostbusters, for his solo hits, and performing with his band Raydio as well as the late Barry White.-Early life and...
, Guitarist, songwriter, producer, recording artist; wrote theme for the blockbusterBlockbuster (entertainment)Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
motion picture, GhostbustersGhostbustersGhostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
- Joe Cosey (1973), named to Sunkist All-American Basketball Team
- Kenneth "Moochie" Jones (1974), named to Scholastic Coach Magazine All-American Basketball Team
- Alan Hardy, named to Scholastic Coach Magazine's All-American Basketball Team
- Helen Williams, gold medalist in the shot putShot putThe shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....
event, at the 1975 MHSAA Track and Field Championships
- Carlos RogersCarlos Rogers (basketball)Carlos Deon Rogers is a retired American professional basketball player who was selected by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1st round of the 1994 NBA Draft....
(1989), retired professional basketball player; first round selection of Seattle SuperSonicsSeattle SuperSonicsThe Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
during 1994 NBA Draft1994 NBA DraftThe 1994 NBA Draft took place on June 29, 1994 in Indianapolis, Indiana. It is notable for the fact that two NBA rookies of the year were picked in the first round, as Jason Kidd and Grant Hill were co-winners of the award for the 1994–95 NBA season...
- Evlista Clemon, 800 meter run champion at the 1996 MHSAA Track and Field Finals
- Amber Walker, won the 400 meter dash at the 2001 MHSAA Track and Field Championships
- Chris Douglas-RobertsChris Douglas-RobertsChris Douglas-Roberts, also known as CDR is an American basketball player who plays for Virtus Bologna. He played college basketball for the Memphis Tigers.-High school:...
, professional basketball player for the Milwaukee BucksMilwaukee BucksThe Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
Northwestern Colts
From the earliest days, in a wide variety of sporting endeavors, Detroit-Northwestern High School has enjoyed a long and storied tradition.In 2008, Northwestern High won the Detroit Public Secondary Schools Athletic League Championship in men's basketball. Since 1919, Northwestern basketball teams have claimed a total of sixteen DPSSAL titles. Northwestern also won the 1928 Michigan High School Athletic Association
Michigan High School Athletic Association
-About:The Michigan High School Athletic Association is a service organization for high school sports in Michigan and is headquartered in East Lansing...
basketball championship.
Coach Bert Maris led the Northwestern swimming and diving program to three consecutive MHSAA team titles (1925 through 1927). In 1930, the Colt swimming team, coached by Leo Maas, won another MHSAA championship trophy; Maas also guided the school to five consecutive DPSSAL titles (1933 through 1937).
To this day, Northwestern remains the only Detroit public high school to win a state team championship in the sport of swimming and diving.
The Northwestern Colts also boast an impressive record in track and field.
During the same year Bert Maris coached Northwestern to a state championship in swimming, he and Coach Warren Hoyt led Northwestern to the 1925 MHSAA title in track. Toward decade's end, Coach Malcom Weaver and the Colts won the state track championship in 1927, 1929 and 1930. The Michigan high school sports archives also document Northwestern's MHSAA championship titles in tennis (1927), and cross country (1929).
Legends of the Scarlet and Gray
- Philip Northrup (1923), top rated long jumpLong jumpThe long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...
er among Michigan high school athletes in 1923; he became a three-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American, in the javelin throwJavelin throwThe javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...
and pole vaultPole vaultPole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...
, for the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
(1925–27). Northrup was inducted to the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
- Willis WardWillis WardWillis F. Ward was a track and field athlete and American football player who was inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1981....
(1931), won the high jump at 1929 MHSAA championships; won both the 120 and 220-yard hurdle events at 1930 MHSAA finals. Ward set a national high school mark (1.98 meters) in the high jumpHigh jumpThe high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....
while winning a third consecutive DPSSAL title in 1931. Willis Ward became just the second African-American to letter in football at the University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
; in track, Ward was a three-time All-American and eight-time Big-Ten champion. Ward later served many years as a Wayne CountyWayne County, Michigan-History:Wayne County was one of the first counties formed when the Northwest Territory was organized. It was named for the American general "Mad Anthony" Wayne. It originally encompassed the entire area of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, as well as small sections that are now part of northern...
probate judge.
- During the early 1930s, William Prew was a city champion swimmer for Northwestern; by 1942, Prew was a two-time U.S. national AAUAmateur Athletic UnionThe Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
titlist (100 yard freestyle and 150-yard medley relay). That same year, Prew set the U.S. national record in the 100-yard freestyle; he also won a NCAA championship in that event. Following a very successful athletic and coaching career (for the Detroit Athletic ClubDetroit Athletic ClubThe Detroit Athletic Club , is a private social club and athletic club located in the heart of Detroit's theater, sports, and entertainment district. The clubhouse was designed by Albert Kahn and inspired by Rome's Palazzo Farnese. It maintains reciprocal agreements for their members at other...
) William Prew was inducted to the International Swimming Hall of FameInternational Swimming Hall of FameThe International Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame, located at One Hall of Fame Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States, operated by private interests serving as the central point for the study of the history of swimming in the United States and around...
.
- Forest EvashevskiForest EvashevskiForest "Evy" Evashevski was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He played college football at the University of Michigan from 1938 to 1940 and with the Iowa Pre-Flight Seahawks in 1942...
graduated (at the age of sixteen) in 1935; two years later he received an academic scholarship to the University of Michigan. As a Wolverine (1938–40), Evashevski won three letters each in football and baseball; he was Michigan's quarterback, pulling double-duty as blocking-back for 1940 Heisman TrophyHeisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Tom HarmonTom HarmonThomas Dudley Harmon was a star player in American college football, a sports broadcaster, and patriarch of a family of American actors...
. In 1941, during his first year out of school, Evashevski was head coach at Hamilton College; he would then serve in the US Navy (1942–45). From 1946-49, Evashevski was an assistant coach at Syracuse and Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,...
. Evashevski was head coach at Washington State UniversityWashington State UniversityWashington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
before accepting the top spot at the University of IowaUniversity of IowaThe University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. With Evashevski at the helm, Iowa became a national power; winning Big-10 championships in 1956, 1958, and 1960. Evashevski had seven winning seasons in nine years, and his 1958 Iowa Hawkeyes were named national champions by the Football Writers Association. Forest Evashevski was a 2000 inductee to the NFFNational Football FoundationThe National Football Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1947 by General Douglas MacArthur, legendary Army Black Knights football coach Earl "Red" Blaik and journalist Grantland Rice...
College Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameThe College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
- David M. NelsonDavid M. NelsonDavid Moir Nelson was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, author, and authority on college football playing rules...
(1938) as a 5-7/155-pound University of Michigan halfback, Nelson played on the same team with (fellow NHS graduate) Forest Evashevski, and Californian Tom Harmon. In 1941, Nelson led the Wolverines in rushing, averaging 6.3 yards per carry. Nelson would gain widespread recognition as an innovative football coach. Among several contributions to the game, Nelson developed the Wing T formation. Nelson was the head football coach at the University of DelawareUniversity of DelawareThe university is organized into seven colleges:* College of Agriculture and Natural Resources* College of Arts and Sciences* Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics* College of Earth, Ocean and Environment* College of Education and Human Development...
from 1951–1965; he also served as the school's athletic director from 1951-1984. David M. Nelson is a member of the NFF College Football Hall of Fame
- As a Northwestern HS junior, Fletcher GildersFletcher GildersFletcher Gilders was a Detroit native who won fame as a talented multi-sport athlete for the Colts of Northwestern High School and the Buckeyes of Ohio State University...
was 1948 MHSAA Track and Field Athlete of the Year; in 1949, Gilders established a national interscholastic record in the pole vault (13' 3"). Gilders was also one of the best springboard divers in the United States; he competed at the 1948 and 1956 US Olympic Trials. Following four years of military service, Gilders became a two-time NCAA diving champion; he is also the only four-sport letter winner in modern-day Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
history. In later years, Fletcher Gilders became a Hall of Fame swimming and diving coach at Ohio UniversityOhio UniversityOhio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
and Kenyon CollegeKenyon CollegeKenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
- Charlie "Sweets" North (1958), Two-time All-State basketball selection; played collegiately at the University of Detroit
- Northwestern's Fred Hatcher (1960) was undefeated in the shot-put during his senior season. Fred's winning effort of 17.88 meters, at the city league finals, ranked third in the state for 1960. Fifty years later, Hatcher's mark is still the DPSSAL record.
- Willie HortonWillie Horton (baseball player)Willie Wattison Horton is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for six American League teams, primarily the Detroit Tigers. He hit 20 or more home runs seven times, and his 325 career home runs ranked sixth among AL right-handed hitters when he retired...
(1960), Former All-Star Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player for the Detroit TigersDetroit TigersThe Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
and other MLB teams
- Henry CarrHenry CarrHenry Carr is a former American track and field athlete who won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.-Early life:...
(1961), transferred from Southwestern High to become a city champion sprinter at Northwestern. A former world record holder at 200-meters, Henry won two gold medals at the 1964 Summer Olympics1964 Summer OlympicsThe 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
. While competing for Arizona State UniversityArizona State UniversityArizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
, Carr was a national collegiate and national AAUAmateur Athletic UnionThe Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
champion. Upon retiring from the sport of track, Carr played in the National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
; selected in the fourth round of the 1965 NFL Draft1965 NFL DraftThe 1965 National Football League Draft took place on November 28, 1964. The first player selected was Tucker Frederickson, back from Auburn, by the New York Giants. The draft was marked by the failure of the St...
by the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Carr played three seasons as a safety and cornerback.
- Ron A. Johnson (1965) was an All-City football player for the Colts; he played collegiate football at the University of Michigan. Among Johnson's many accolades was his (1968) NCAA single-game rushing record of 347 yards, versus the University of Wisconsin. Although Ron's mark was surpassed in 1971; it stands to this day as a Michigan Wolverine varsity record. Johnson was selected to the 1968 All-America Team; then in 1969, Ron was chosen in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. Prior to the 1970 season, Ron Johnson was traded to the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
; he played six seasons in a New York uniform.
- John MayberryJohn MayberryJohn Claiborn Mayberry is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from 1968 to 1982.-High school and minor leagues:...
(1967), Former All-Star with the Kansas City RoyalsKansas City RoyalsThe Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
; also played for MLB teams in HoustonHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, TorontoToronto Blue JaysThe Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and New YorkNew York YankeesThe New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
- As a Northwestern sophomore, Leona Mathis (1971) won the 100 (11.1) and 220-yard dash (25.6) at the 1969 Michigan AAU Championships; later that summer, she ran 25.2 for 200-meters at the Canadian All-Star Invitational. For her efforts, Leona was voted 1969 Michigan High School Track and Field Athlete of the Year
- Yet another in a long line of NWHS gridiron greats, came another Ron JohnsonRon Johnson (cornerback)A seven-year veteran of the National Football League, Ron Johnson performed as a cornerback for the Pittsburgh Steelers; Ron played all seven of his NFL seasons in a Pittsburgh uniform.-Biography:...
(1974). Ron played collegiately for Eastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan UniversityEastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
. In 1978, Johnson was selected in the first-round of the NFL draft by the Pittsburgh SteelersPittsburgh SteelersThe Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Patrolling the defensive backfield as a cornerback and safety, Johnson performed for seven seasons as a Steeler.
- Terry TylerTerry TylerTerry Christopher Tyler is a retired American basketball player.A 6'7" forward/guard from Northwestern High School and the University of Detroit , Tyler played 11 seasons in the NBA as a member of the Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Dallas Mavericks...
(1974), selected to Sunkist All-American Team; played 11 seasons of professional basketball with three NBA teams