Sportsmen of the Year 1954-2002
'50s
1954
ROGER BANNISTER
With love, to Sir Roger, history's first sub-four-minute miler
1955
JOHNNY PODRES
Brooklyn lefty gives Pinstripers the Bums' rush in epic Series
1956
BOBBY MORROW
Two sprint golds put American on top at Down Under Games
1957
STAN MUSIAL
When at the plate, the batting-crown-winning Mr. Cardinal stoops
to conquer
1958
RAFER JOHNSON
Record-breaking decathlete helps thaw Cold War in Moscow
INGEMAR JOHANSSON
1959
Patterson is no Pretty Boy Floyd after KO by Swedish heavyweight
'60s
1960
ARNOLD PALMER
We're in his army now after Arnie wins Masters and U.S. Open
JERRY LUCAS
1961
NCAA finalist Buckeyes are led by center with a memory as sharp
as his aim
1962
TERRY BAKER
Merriwell's not available, so we pick Beavers' golden boy QB
1963
PETE ROZELLE
The Commish, a consummate backroom negotiator who had landed big
TV deal, upholds integrity of NFL by suspending stars Alex
Karras and Paul Hornung for gambling
1964
KEN VENTURI
Heroics at Congressional beat back U.S. Open field and personal
demons
SANDY KOUFAX
1965
Despite arthritic elbow, Cy Young--winning Dodgers lefty has the
right stuff: 27 complete games, a 2.04 ERA and two World Series
shutout victories
1966
JIM RYUN
A year out of high school, Kansas wunderkind shatters mile record
1967
CARL YASTRZEMSKI
Triple Crown winner supplies Yaz-ma-taz for Red Sox Nation
BILL RUSSELL
1968
The thinking man's center had already won nine NBA championships
as a player before moving to the Celtics' bench and winning
another as player-coach
1969
TOM SEAVER
Rise of Mets to world champs is story too Terrific to ignore
'70s
BOBBY ORR
1970
Beantown god redefines "defenseman," leads Bruins to Stanley Cup
sweep
1971
LEE TREVINO
Open-and-shut case: Mex wins U.S., Canadian and British
1972
BILLIE JEAN KING
SI's first Sportswoman shares award with UCLA hoops coach John
Wooden
1973
JACKIE STEWART
World driving champion is also world-class bon vivant
MUHAMMAD ALI
1974
The Greatest beats Joe Frazier in the Garden, rope-a-dopes George
Foreman in the jungle and regains heavyweight title taken from
him seven years earlier
PETE ROSE
1975
The Big Red Machine gets its petrol from the ultimate hustler
1976
CHRIS EVERT
Old school charm helps make her America's Sweetheart
STEVE CAUTHEN
1977
When he was 17, it was a very good year for this jockey: 487
victories
JACK NICKLAUS
1978
No longer Fat Jack, 38-year-old Golden Bear is still the most
feared player on Tour, winning a third British Open title and
earning $256,000
WILLIE STARGELL AND TERRY BRADSHAW
1979
Slugger and quarterback turn Steel Town into Title Town
'80s
U.S. OLYMPIC HOCKEY TEAM
1980
Like everyone else, we believe in miracles, so after coach Herb
Brooks's ragtag team beats the Soviet Union, we give the Lake
Placid wonder boys our yearly gold medal
1981
SUGAR RAY LEONARD
A sweet trifecta: welterweight, junior middleweight champ and
Sportsman
1982
WAYNE GRETZKY
Scoring marks are on thin ice with the Great One at his peak
1983
MARY DECKER
A year before the Fall, distance queen holds seven records
1984
MARY LOU RETTON
Gymnast shares prize with Olympian hurdler Edwin Moses
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR
1985
The Lakers' Captain Sky Hook is NBA Finals MVP and ours, too,
after rising above Celtics, 4--2
1986
JOE PATERNO
Penn State patriarch wins by doing things the right way
1987
ATHLETES WHO CARE
This group proves good deeds can come from good players
1988
OREL HERSHISER
Dodgers ace's orel dissertation: 59 straight scoreless innings
1989
GREG LEMOND
Le monde de cycling bows to his second Tour de France win
'90s
1990
JOE MONTANA
Notre Dame drama king leads 49ers to fourth Super Bowl win
MICHAEL JORDAN
1991
Tongue-wagging scoring machine and global shoe salesman finally
receives his proper props by leading Bulls to NBA title over
favored Lakers
1992
ARTHUR ASHE
Few athletes transcended sports the way this pioneer did
1993
DON SHULA
Strong chin, strong man--and NFL's winningest coach
1994
BONNIE BLAIR
JOHANN OLAV KOSS
Speed skating champs lower the hammer in Lillehammer
CAL RIPKEN JR.
1995
As strike-impaired national pastime nears strike three with the
public, the Orioles' iron man brings the game back
1996
TIGER WOODS
The Kid Who Would Be King begins to change the face of his game
1997
DEAN SMITH
Once hung in effigy, Tar Heels coach sets NCAA wins record
1998
MARK MCGWIRE
SAMMY SOSA
Bash brothers bring bewitching battle to baseball
U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM
1999
Nation takes off its collective shirt to salute Brandi Chastain
and our World Cup Wonders
2000s
2000
TIGER WOODS
A Masters short of a Slam, Eldrick is our first two-timer
RANDY JOHNSON AND CURT SCHILLING
2001
Co-MVPs turn on the heat in Diamondbacks' seven-game World Series
win
2002
LANCE ARMSTRONG
Texas Tornado roars to fourth straight Tour de France win
COLOR PHOTO: MARK KAUFFMAN
COLOR PHOTO: RICHARD MEEK
COLOR PHOTO: PHIL BATH
B/W PHOTO: HANK WALKER/TIMEPIX
COLOR PHOTO: JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN
COLOR PHOTO: MARK KAUFFMAN
COLOR PHOTO: TOM ALLEN
B/W PHOTO: AP
COLOR PHOTO: NEIL BARR
COLOR PHOTO: TONY TRIOLO
B/W PHOTO: JAMES DRAKE
B/W PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.
COLOR PHOTO: RICH CLARKSON
COLOR PHOTO: FRED KAPLAN
TWO COLOR PHOTOS: JAMES DRAKE (2)
COLOR PHOTO: TONY TRIOLO
COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.
B/W PHOTO: HULTON ARCHIVES
TWO COLOR PHOTOS: TONY TRIOLO (2)
COLOR PHOTO: HEINZ KLUETMEIER
COLOR PHOTO: GRAHAM FINLAYSON
COLOR PHOTO: JERRY COOKE
COLOR PHOTO: LANE STEWART
COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.
COLOR PHOTO: HEINZ KLUETMEIER
COLOR PHOTO: MANNY MILLAN
TWO COLOR PHOTOS: BRIAN LANKER (2)
COLOR PHOTO: JERRY COOKE
COLOR PHOTO: MANNY MILLAN
COLOR PHOTO: RONALD C. MODRA
COLOR PHOTO: RICHARD HESS
COLOR PHOTO: PIER CONSAGRA
COLOR PHOTO: BRIAN LANKER
COLOR PHOTO: PETER READ MILLER
COLOR PHOTO: MANNY MILLAN
COLOR PHOTO: MICHAEL O'NEILL
B/W ILLUSTRATION: MARK SUMMERS
COLOR PHOTO: MICHAEL O'NEILL
COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.
COLOR PHOTO: JACK SMITH/AP
B/W PHOTO: BRIAN LANKER
COLOR PHOTO: WALTER IOOSS JR.
COLOR PHOTO: ROBERT BECK
COLOR PHOTO: GERARD RANCINAN
COLOR PHOTO: BRIAN LANKER
COLOR PHOTO: JONAS KARLSSON