Thursday, July 2, 2015

Did You Know?

As if from the file "where are they now" we will look today at people from Rocky Mount that made it to the big dance of professional baseball, football and basketball.  I bet you will be surprised at some who made it but there is of course those we all know.  Ten players born in Rocky Mount have made it.  Five have been players in the AFL/NFL, four NBA and surprisingly only one from baseball.

First the only one in baseball:  Chuck Hinton .......Played 11 years in MLB baseball making the American League All Star team in 1964.  Career 262 hitter with 113 home runs.  Live in DC after baseball.

NBA:  Anthony Avent.... Played High school basketball  in New Jersey and at Seton Hall college. Seven years in NBA averaging 5.56 points per game.

Charles Pittmam:......Northern Nash High  played at Maryland and four years in the NBA averaged 4.7 points in career.

Phil Ford ........Rocky Mount, Carolina, and NBA rookie of the year in 1979.  Played eight years averaged 6.81 points per game.

Charles "Buck"Williams...... Rocky Mount, Maryland.  18 year NBA career.  All time leading scorer in Brooklyn Nets history.  Scored over 16,000 points and 13,000 rebounds.  NBA Rookie of the year 1982. Three time NBA All Star.

Football: J J Arrington..... Northern Nash, California Berkley,  four year career.  Played in 58 games
returned two kick offs back for touchdowns.  Rushed for 658 yards during career.

Wesley Barbour..... Played high school ball in Durham.  Went to Wake Forest number one draft pick of New York Giants in 1945.

Alva Stallings.....  Better known today in Rocky Mount as Don.  Rocky Mount, Carolina and the Washington Redskins.  Defensive end played nine games in 1960

Bill Mathis...... born Rocky Mount, Clemson. Play nine season New York Titans/Jets.  Member of 1969 Jets who won Super Bowl.  Rushed for 3589 yards in career.

Jim Clack....... Rocky Mount, Wake Forest.  Played on two Super Bowl championship teams while in Pittsburgh.  Finish 11 year career in New York playing for the Giants.
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Michael Ray Tyson (January 13, 1950 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina), is a former Major League Baseball second baseman and shortstop. He played in the majors from 1972 to 1981 for the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.

Tyson was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 3rd round of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft and made his MLB debut with St. Louis on September 5, 1972. He was a regular in the Cardinals' lineup until the end of the 1979 season when he was traded to the Cubs for relief pitcher Donnie Moore.

An underrated defensive shortstop, Tyson finished in the top ten in the National League in WAR (wins above replacement) in 1974 and 1977. His best offensive season came in the injury-shortened 1976 campaign, when he compiled career highs with a .286 batting average and a .445 slugging percentage while missing about half the season.

Tyson was released by the Cubs on March 15, 1982, at which point he retired from baseball. His lifetime batting average was .241.

July 2, 2015 at 10:55 AM
Jack S said...


Charles Pittman lived in Whitakers--not Rocky Mount--JJ Arrington was from Nashville---If you are going to pick & choose, Ray Murray from Spring Hope was a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletic from 1949-1955

July 2, 2015 at 8:57 PM

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