The Top Dogs of the Power Five (Part Four)
And the greatest athlete in the history of the Power Five is...
To honor the now-defunct Power Five conferences, I began ranking the most influential athletes from all 64 Power Five schools this month. Today, I’m highlighting the last 16, the best of the best. Check out Parts One, Two and Three if you missed them. And of course, we’re baaaaaaackkk! Enjoy the games this weekend.
16. Jim Brown (Football)
Representing: Syracuse
You know Jim Brown as the NFL’s most decorated running back, but were you familiar with Jim Brown the Hall of Fame lacrosse player? At Syracuse, Brown excelled in everything he did: he was the second-leading scorer on the basketball team, a two-time All-American in lacrosse, and competed in the National Championship as a decathlete. And of course, there was football, where he was a consensus First-team All-American and finished fifth in Heisman Trophy voting. In the NFL, he made the Pro Bowl every season, won three MVPs (the only running back to win more than once), and won a championship with the Cleveland Browns in 1964.
Beyond sports, Brown became a prominent civil rights activist and launched a prolific acting career in the 1970s. He passed away last year, leaving behind a complex legacy as both a cultural icon and a deeply troubled individual.
Honorable Mention: Carmelo Anthony, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little
15. Jerry West (Basketball)
Representing: West Virginia
It feels strange to say this about a 14-time All-Star and 9-time NBA champion (as both a player and executive), but no one overcame more bad luck than Jerry West. His tortured quest for a first NBA title took eight attempts, including six consecutive losses to his arch-rival Boston Celtics. At West Virginia, he lost the 1959 NCAA championship game…by one point. He won the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player award and the 1969 Finals MVP despite losing in both championships, highlighting his agonizing pursuit of victory and unambiguous greatness. Only Jerry West could earn the nickname “Mr. Clutch” in defeat.
His passing a little over two months ago has brought the profound significance of his career into sharper focus. West was both the epitome of excellence and a paragon of misfortune, but above all, he was resilient and enduring—the Godfather of the NBA. May his silhouette forever grace the league.
Honorable Mention: Sam Huff, Pat White
14. Deion Sanders (Football)
Representing: Florida State
If you hadn’t noticed, we’ve entered the realm of absurdly high achievers. We’re talking champions, cross-sport phenoms, people who walk on water. Deion Sanders embodies it all. Champion? Check the Super Bowl hardware. Cross-sport phenom? He’s the only athlete to play in both the Super Bowl and the World Series. Walks on water? He turned the University of Colorado into the epicenter of college football for a month last year.
You kids want to talk aura? “Prime Time” invented it. On the field, Sanders was one of the greatest cornerbacks ever. Off the field, he publicly ranks his children, further proving the point that he can do, and will do, whatever he wants. We’ve seen him conquer the sports world as an athlete, and now he’s taking on a side quest—building a sustainably successful college football program. No one knows where this journey will lead, but we’ll all be watching.
Honorable Mention: Derrick Brooks, Charlie Ward, Brooks Koepka
13. Bo Jackson (Football)
Representing: Auburn
One moment in the 30:30 documentary ‘You Don’t Know Bo’ captures Bo Jackson’s mystique: a former coach recalls watching Bo jump over a Volkswagen, his voice cracking with disbelief as he mutters, “I saw it.” That’s the consensus from anyone who witnessed Bo Jackson—regarded by many as the greatest athlete of all time.
The peak of the Bo experience was at Auburn. He nearly led the Tigers to a national title in 1983, culminated by a 256-yard performance in the Iron Bowl. In 1985 he batted .401 for Auburn’s baseball team and won the Heisman in football. His pro career, though brief, was just as astonishing. In 1989, he bashed 32 homers and stole 26 bases for the Kansas City Royals, then joined the Los Angeles Raiders midseason and ran for nearly 1,000 yards in 11 games. Bo remains the only athlete to make both an NFL Pro Bowl and MLB All-Star game. His career reads like a tall tale, but the history books—and those who saw it—confirm the legend.
Honorable Mention: Charles Barkley, Cam Newton, Frank Thomas
12. Caitlin Clark (Basketball)
Representing: Iowa
Sports have been played for a long time. We’re accustomed to incredible displays of talent, often comparing those displays to past greats. It’s rare to watch a game and think, “I’ve never seen that before”. That’s the Caitlin Clark experience.
It started as a murmur a few years ago—a headline would flash, a subtle mention that this Caitlin Clark girl was averaging 30 points a game for the Iowa Hawkeyes. You’d double take, Google her name to be sure you heard correctly. The buzz then grew into hysteria during her first signature NCAA tournament run, when she scored 41 points to beat an undefeated South Carolina team in the Final Four. That game felt like her final confirmation of superstardom— she had the clutch gene, the sense for the big moment, she had it all.
Clark didn’t win a national championship at Iowa but leading the program to two straight title games felt like an equal achievement. Now she’s in the WNBA, entrusted with stratospheric expectations and a responsibility to elevate her entire sport as it gains national recognition. She’ll be expected to chase down all the greats that came prior, but doing the impossible is nothing new to her.
Honorable Mention: Nile Kinnick, Alex Karras George Kittle
11. Roger Clemens (Baseball)
Representing: Texas
You probably think I’m insane for this, and honestly, I get it. I spent hours staring at a spreadsheet for Texas, trying to tweak my ratings just enough to nudge Vince Young or Earl Campbell over the top. It’s Texas—the whole state revolves around football. But when I was a kid, it felt like the whole world revolved around Roger Clemens.
To me, Clemens was a supervillain. Other kids feared the boogeyman; I feared this man’s presence on the mound. There was something about his serious demeanor, that burly physicality. He pitched like a guy who would yell at a kid for asking for an autograph. Furthering the boogeyman image was the fact that he was an extraordinary pitcher, with a ridiculous 7 Cy Young awards to prove it.
Before haunting my childhood, Clemens was on the mound when the Texas Longhorns won the 1983 College World Series. College baseball even named an award after him for the best pitcher of the season—until they discontinued it because Clemens’ name isn’t exactly held in high regard these days. He might have faded from the spotlight, but let’s not forget he was once the center of it.
Honorable Mention: Earl Campbell, Kevin Durant, Vince Young
10. Magic Johnson (Basketball)
Representing: Michigan State
If Jerry West is the Godfather of the NBA, then Magic Johnson was his most effective consigliere, carrying out West’s vision and elevating the game to new heights. Earning the nickname “Magic” in high school for his miraculous ball-handling, he became a sensation at Michigan State. His 1979 season is etched in basketball history, leading the Spartans to their first national title by defeating future NBA rival Larry Bird in the most-watched basketball game in history at the time.
Magic carried the significance of that championship game straight into the NBA. Basketball became must-see TV, a game that could showcase the charisma of its superstars in a way no other sport could, with Magic’s “Showtime” style as its centerpiece. To this day, star basketball players are among the most recognizable athletes in the world, in large part due to the blueprint that Magic set.
Honorable Mention: Draymond Green, Bubba Smith, Kirk Cousins
9. Tiger Woods (Golf)
Power Five School: Stanford
I’ve never been much of a golf guy, but Tiger Woods made the sport impossible to ignore. Tiger was the kind of athlete who eclipsed the game he played; people came to watch Tiger Woods, and golf just happened to be the mechanism through which his magnificence was transmitted. I’ve never watched a round of college golf in my life, yet I always knew Tiger went to Stanford, because he laid claim to everything he touched, so Stanford was his school.
There’s a great clip of the Stanford basketball team mounting a wild comeback against Arizona, capped off by a running 3-pointer at the buzzer—one of those insanely cool shots with total fluidity between shot and celebration. But the shot-making isn’t the main attraction, it’s the camera continuously panning to Tiger, sitting court-side, rocking a deadly sweater-jeans-backwards cap combo, fists pumping like he just sank a huge putt at the Masters. Watch it for yourself:
The world simply gravitates around certain people. Tiger is one of them.
Honorable Mention: John Elway, John McEnroe, Katie Ledecky
8. O.J. Simpson (Football)
Representing: USC
Writing about O.J. Simpson is uncomfortable, to say the least, but in a discussion of great college athletes with an enduring cultural impact, he can’t be ignored. Before the infamous car chase and trial, there was just O.J. the spectacular football player. In two seasons at USC, he won both a national championship and a Heisman trophy. In the NFL, he was a five-time First-team All-Pro and the 1973 MVP after eclipsing 2,000 yards rushing that season.
Like Jim Brown before him, O.J. parlayed his athletic stardom into extracurricular fame and success, acting in films, hosting SNL, and working as an NFL analyst and broadcaster. He was one of the most revered athletes in American history—until June 1994 changed everything.
Honorable Mention: Lynn Swann, Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart
7. Brittany Griner (Basketball)
Representing: Baylor
Brittany Griner’s basketball legacy may no longer be what’s she’s most recognized for, but it merits significant recognition and a deservingly high placement on this list. Griner was a force of nature at Baylor, earning All-American honors all four seasons, National Player of the Year honors twice, and winning a national championship as a junior. In the WNBA, she’s achieved every accolade imaginable, including a championship with the Phoenix Mercury in her second season. Though not the first woman to dunk in a game, she was the first to do so with regularity, bringing fresh excitement to women’s basketball.
Griner’s public profile expanded from popular athlete to international figure following her 2022 arrest and detainment in Russia. Regardless of opinions on the subsequent prisoner swap, or her controversial political stances, it pales in comparison to her enduring 293 days in a Russian prison for an innocent mistake. Her story has its complexities, but she deserves immense sympathy and celebration for overcoming such horrific circumstances.
Honorable Mention: Mike Singletary, Robert Griffin III, Vinnie Johnson
6. Tim Tebow (Football)
Representing: Florida
Call me crazy, but I considered ranking Tim Tebow even higher on this list, despite the names you’ll see ahead of him. TebowMania might have outpaced his performance at times, but the hype machine started for a reason. His incredible college career at Florida launched him to stardom, blending fierce competitiveness with a persona that appealed to a broad audience—the kind of guy every middle-aged dad would want their daughter to bring home.
Tebow won a lot at Florida. During the 2007 national title game, I remember thinking Florida was rubbing it in by bringing in a backup to score flashy goal-line touchdowns in a blowout. But that backup went on to take the reins, leading the program to even greater heights.
Tebow’s NFL career was mayhem. The First Take debates with Skip and Stephen A. should be designated by the National Film Registry as culturally significant. Sometimes I wonder if, had he been a great NFL quarterback, his popularity might have faded, Harvey Dent-style. Instead, we got one of the wildest athletic arcs ever—from a quarterback who maybe-kinda-sorta couldn’t throw a football.
Honorable Mention: Emmitt Smith, Abby Wambach, Steve Spurrier
5. Michael Jordan (Basketball)
Representing: North Carolina
Be honest, what was your first thought when saw Michael Jordan here? Was it that I considered putting Tim Tebow ahead of him? Or that he’s ranked fifth on this list? Take a deep breath and remember we’re largely evaluating Michael Jordan, the UNC basketball player, which still merits top-five inclusion.
Every player’s career arc is a story, and Jordan’s ultimate sliding doors moment came during his freshman year. Instead of me describing the stakes, I’ll let Matt Damon do it:
What if Jordan missed that shot? Instead of building his mystique as the ultimate clutch basketball player, does he blend into the pack? How does Dean Smith handle losing a fourth straight national title game, again failing to get the title-less monkey off his back? Amidst all this pressure, the ball gravitated to the freshman, who swished the shot with barely a blink. In the moments that separate the greats from the greatest, Jordan never failed.
Honorable Mention: Mia Hamm, Lawrence Taylor, Julius Peppers
4. Christian Laettner (Basketball)
Representing: Duke
The ethos of these rankings can be summed up by Christian Laettner’s placement over Michael Jordan. The point is, Laettner and Jordan took different paths to their iconic status. If you want to compare their entire basketball resumes, I’m sure there’s a Bleacher Report ranking out there just for you. We’re focusing on their impact at the collegiate level combined with their lasting cultural influence. While professional accolades often fuel the latter, Laettner’s professional career had little effect on his timeless place in sports history.
Think about how many times you’ve seen Laettner’s shot against Kentucky. That’s not even his only NCAA Tournament buzzer beater. Remember the Fab Five at Michigan and their outsized impact on college basketball—Laettner dusted them by 20 in a national title game. He was so reviled (and remembered) by fans that a documentary came out 23 years after his college career named ‘I Hate Christian Laettner’.
Not everyone needs to flourish as a pro to live on forever.
Honorable Mention: Grant Hill, Zion Williamson, J.J. Redick
3. Jesse Owens (Track & Field)
Representing: Ohio State
I’m obsessed with efficiency—every morning I awake thinking about how to knock out my priorities to maximize time for reading about obscure sports history online (joking, kind of). So forgive me for feeling inadequate when I learned that Jesse Owens is the most efficient man to ever live. Others on this list may have achieved more in volume, but I promise you none made their mark as quickly as Owens, who needed only five days to secure his place in history.
Day one—May 25, 1935, at a track meet in Ann Arbor, when Owens broke three world records—the long jump, 200m sprint, and 200m hurdles—in under an hour. The next four days were at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, when he won four gold medals: the 100m sprint, 200m sprint, 4x100m relay, and long jump. Adding to the moment’s gravity, his dominance was a direct affront to Hitler’s vision of Aryan supremacy.
The next two Olympics were cancelled due to World War II, making 1936 his sole appearance, but that’s the beauty of efficiency—you make the best with what you have.
Honorable Mention: Jack Nicklaus, John Havlicek, Orlando Pace
2. Mark Spitz (Swimming)
Representing: Indiana
My generation has Michael Phelps; our parents had Mark Spitz. Spitz set the bar for Olympic swimming greatness, winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympics, each in world record time. What many don’t know is how pivotal Indiana University was in Spitz’s journey.
Spitz’s first Olympic experience in 1968 was humbling. He entered those games at 18 years old holding ten world records but failed to win an individual gold medal. With four years until the next Olympics, Spitz trained under coach Doc Counsilman at Indiana. He won eight individual national titles and was part of a Hoosiers program that won six straight national championships from 1968 to 1973. Sports Illustrated even wrote, “A good case can be made for the 1971 Indiana swimming team being the best college team ever—in any sport."
Spitz’s post-Indiana accomplishments are what he’s remembered for, but his development is forever intertwined with the program that helped him reach his full potential.
Honorable Mention: Isiah Thomas
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Basketball)
Representing: UCLA
Next time you open a Webster’s dictionary, check the entry for “perfection”—if it’s not a summary of Kareem Abdul Jabbar’s UCLA career, throw it out. Known then as Lew Alcindor, he began his career on the UCLA freshman team. In his first appearance, the freshman team scrimmaged the varsity squad, who were the two-time reigning national champions. The freshman team won by 15 points, with Alcindor dropping 31 points and 21 rebounds. When he joined the varsity team, he won the national championship, was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player, and received the National Player of the Year award for three straight years before turning professional.
This raises a critical question: why is Kareem often excluded from the MJ vs. Lebron debate as basketball’s greatest player? He has as many NBA titles as Jordan and three times as many college championships. We praise Lebron’s longevity, but Kareem played until he was 41 years old, remaining effective on a championship-winning level until the end, before modern medical advancements increased athletic longevity. Regardless of the GOAT conversation, there’s little to debate in these rankings— Kareem is the King of the Power Five, and the greatest collegiate athlete of all time.
Honorable Mention: Arthur Ashe, Bill Walton, Jackie Robinson