The Greenwood Commonwealth from Greenwood, Mississippi • Page A35

PROFILE 2011 Page 33 Greenwood Commonwealth Thursday, February 24, 2011 Top 25 Sports Figures Star of stars he Greenwood area has produced or been a part of the careers of some world-famous athletes, most notably Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice; former Olympic track star Willye B. White; Lusia Harris- Stewart, who won a silver medal with the U.S. national basketball team in the 1976 Olympic Games; and Kent Hull, who played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills. Rice is no doubt the best wide receiver ever to play football and is arguably the best to play the game at any position. He started his NFLrecord-setting career just down the road in Itta Bena at Mississippi Valley StateUniversity, where he played from 1980-1984.

He acquired the nickname while at MVSUbecause there a ball in the world he catch. On Nov. 4, 2010, Rice was chosen by NFLFilms production Top 100: Greatest as the top player in NFLhistory. a look at the 25 most successful sports figures from this area or who made their mark here: Ashley Ambrose: He was a star defensive back for Mississippi Valley State in the early 1990s and is a member of the Sports Hall of Fame. Ambrose was drafted in the second round (29th pick overall) by the Indianapolis Colts in 1992.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 1996 while playing with the Cincinnati Bengals. He played 13 seasons in the NFLand had 42 career interceptions, three of which were returned for touchdowns, and 167 tackles. Ambrose, 40, the last MVSU player drafted by the NFL, now coaches defensive backs at the University of California. Louis Coleman: The former Pillow Academy standout and Schlater native finished last season as a relief pitcher for the Omaha Royals, the Triple-Aaffil- iate of the Kansas City Royals. Coleman, 24, who in July 2009 was selected in the fifth round of the Major League Baseball Draft, is expected to see action in the major leagues this season.

He recorded one of the greatest seasons in Louisiana State University history in 2009 in leading the Tigers to a national title. He was a consensus first-team All- America selection as a senior at LSU and the Southeastern Conference Pitcher of the Year. He made 25 appearances (16 starts), recording a 2.93 ERAin 129 innings with 23 walks and 142 strikeouts the season No. 2 in the nation in wins and No. 4 in strikeouts.

Archie He brought national attention to Mississippi Valley State with his innovative passing offense no-huddle attack that featured five wide receivers. Cooley led the Delta Devils to their only Division 1-AAplayoff appearance in 1984 as quarterback Willie Totten and receiver Jerry Rice set plenty of passing, receiving and scoring records. Cooley was the head coach in Itta Bena from 1980-1986. He had three winning seasons, going 7-2-1 in 1983, 9-2 in 1984 and 7-2 in 1985. To this day, Cooley is the winningest coach in the history of the Delta Devil football program.

Hugh Critz: Critz, who died in Greenwood in 1980 at the age of 79, was a second baseman in the major leagues for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1920s and the New York Giants in the 1930s. He won the World Series with the Giants in 1933. In a 12-season career, he batted .268 with 38 home runs and 531 RBIs in 1,478 games. He had 97 career stolen bases, 832 runs scored, 195 doubles and 95 triples. Critz accumulated 1,591 hits in 5,930 at-bats.

Carlos Emmons: The former Greenwood High School defensive end and linebacker played at Arkansas State and then had a successful NFLcareer. He was a four-year starter at Arkansas State University and earned second-team All-Big West Conference honors following his senior season, when he had 63tackles, Rice shines above rest AP After setting numerous NCAArecords at Mississippi Valley State, Jerry Rice went on to set even more in the NFL. He set the league records for receptions, receiving yards, touchdown receptions and total touchdowns. Ambrose Coleman Cooley Critz STORY BY BILLBURRUS.