Maryland is an interesting state for our project of choosing its greatest college athletes. Nine schools play Division I athletics in all sports with Johns Hopkins a powerhouse in lacrosse.
The University of Maryland is the flagship university of the state and certainly has its share of NCAA championships. Most of those are courtesy of sports played with sticks. Then there’s the service academy in Annapolis with a rich history all its own. Additionally, there are numerous smaller schools whose notable alumni are also worthy of consideration.
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So how do your narrow it all down to a list of 10? The process wasn’t easy and the final selections are a cross section of the panorama of college athletics. Here then are our choices for the top 10 collegiate athletes who played their home games in the Old Line State.
Roger Staubach, Navy
Before winning two Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys, ‘Roger the Dodger’ was making a name for himself at the Naval Academy as one of the great college football players of his era. The winner of the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award in 1963, he amassed 4,253 career yards of total offense with the Midshipmen. In his Heisman season, he led Navy to a 9-1 record in the regular season and No. 2 finish in the final poll before a loss to Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
Navy quarterback Roger Staubach (12) runs with the ball against Michigan during their 1963 season at Michigan Stadium.
Len Bias, Maryland
With ACC basketball very much in its heyday in the 1980’s, few stars shone brighter than Bias, the two-time league player of the year who averaged 16.4 points and 5.7 rebounds for the Terrapins from 1982-86. Known on the court for his athletic ability, he also was a skilled forward that helped Maryland to four tournament appearance and trip trips to the Sweet 16. Sadly, he is remembered as a tragic tale of what might have been as he died from a cocaine overdose just days after being chosen second overall by the Boston Celtics in the NBA draft.
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USA 250 LISTS: Alaska | Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Florida | Georgia | Hawaii | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland
David Robinson, Navy
The man who would come to be known as the Admiral put Navy in the rare basketball spotlight. He carried the Midshipmen to an unlikely Elite Eight appearance in 1986 and earned the Naismith and Wooden Awards as a senior in 1987 after a season averaging 28.2 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. The San Antonio Spurs were more than willing to wait for him to fulfill his service obligations as they drafted him first overall.
Jen Adams, Maryland
The Maryland women’s lacrosse program was in full dynasty mode at the turn of the century, and the Brighton, South Australia, native with flashy stickwork fueled four of those championship seasons from 1998-2001. She concluded her playing career by winning the inaugural Tewaaraton Award, finishing her college run with 267 goals and 178 assists before embarking on her coaching career.
Jack Turnbull, Johns Hopkins
One of the pioneers of the legendary Johns Hopkins men’s lacrosse program, the national award for the sport’s top attackman still bears Turnbull’s name. Though statistics are sketchy at best from the early 1930’s, he was a three-time All-American and widely regarded as one of the most creative scorers of his era. He also found time to play on the school’s football team and found its men’s hockey team.
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PROGRAM RANKINGS: Top 25 | Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
Boomer Esiason, Maryland
Football is admittedly not always Maryland’s strongest sport, but the left-handed quarterbacked the Terrapins to an ACC title in 1983 before his lengthy NFL career. He accumulated 6,259 passing yards and 42 TDs in his time in College Park, while setting 17 school records and earning honorable mention All-America honors in his final two seasons.
Lonnie Baxter, Maryland
Though he didn’t enjoy as much NBA success as other ACC alums, Baxter deserves a nod for being a key component in the Terrapins finally breaking through and winning their first men’s basketball national championship in 2002. A force in the middle, his career totals of 1,858 points and 998 rebounds still rank in the top 10 all-time at Maryland.
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Paula Infante, Maryland
Field hockey is Maryland’s other signature women’s sport, and Infante was among the best to pick up a stick for the Terrapins. Later a member of the Chilean national team, she was a four-time All-America selection and twice claimed the Honda Award while leading the Terrapins to a pair of NCAA titles while scoring 58 career goals from 2003-06.
Pat Spencer, Loyola
Before taking an unusual path to the NBA, Spencer was flashing his athletic skills on the lacrosse field for Loyola. He helped the Greyhounds reach the national semifinals in 2016 and was the school’s’ first Tewaaraton winner in 2019, finishing his career with 231 assists and 380 total points before returning to the basketball court.
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Perhaps the best to ever lace up women’s basketball sneakers for the Terrapins, Thomas is still Maryland’s all-time leader in points (2,356) and rebounds (1,235). The three-time ACC player of the year led the Terps to a Final Four appearance as a senior in 2014.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: USA250: 10 greatest college athletes from Maryland
