Same Name, Sports Edition - Random Trivia Answers

• A1) Adrian Peterson. The Chicago Bears' Adrian N. Peterson, the older of the pair by six years, was the team's starting running back for a few games in 2005 and in the second half of 2007. The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Lewis "A.D. [all day]" Peterson shocked the San Diego Chargers with 296 rushing yards on November 4, 2007.
• A2) John Davidson. Goalie John Davidson helped the Rangers reach the 1979 Stanley Cup Finals and became a broadcaster for and then the president of the Blues. Entertainer John Davidson hosted his own talk show, The John Davidson Show, from 1980 to 1982.
• A3) Keith Jackson. The sportscaster's credits include auto racing, baseball, basketball, boxing, and the Olympics. The receiver won an NCAA title with Oklahoma in 1985, was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame 2001, and earned a Super Bowl ring with the Green Bay Packers in his final season in January 1997.
• A4) Kenny Rogers. Pitcher Kenneth Scott Rogers was nicknamed the Gambler for singer Kenneth Donald Rogers's 1978 song "The Gambler", in which the latter advised, "You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em". The single was his fifth country #1 and reached #16 on the Hot 100.
• A5) John Clayton. In 2007, the sportscaster won the Pro Football Writers of America's Dick McCann Memorial Award for his reporting. Tarzan was born to Lord and Lady Greystoke and was adopted by Kala the ape after their deaths.
• A6) Michael Jackson. Michael Dwayne Jackson, born as Michael Dyson in 1969, returned to his given name briefly at the start of the 1993 season. Michael Joseph Jackson had 13 number one singles in the U.S. between 1972 and 1995, not including "Thriller", whose award-winning video still inspires remakes and parodies almost a quarter-century later.
• A7) Ricky Williams. San Diego-born Errick Lynne Williams, Jr. finished his college career with 6,279 rushing yards and inspired Mike Ditka to trade away all of the New Orleans Saints 1999 draft picks plus two more from 2000 for him. The elder Williams did indeed lose his record the next year, but to Ron Dayne not Ricky Antwan Williams, who was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts but played very few minutes in his only two seasons.
• A8) Frank Thomas. Frank Edward Thomas walloped 34 home runs and plated 94 while his team won only 40 games in their inaugural season. Frank Edward Thomas, born a few years after the elder Thomas retired, finished in the top ten in MVP voting every season from 1991 to 1997 but never won the award. The two appeared on Sports Illustrated covers 42 year apart in 1958 and 2000.
• A9) Roger Craig. Roger Lee Craig was the Detroit Tigers pitching coach when they won the 1984 World Series and managed the San Diego Padres from 1978 to 1979 and the San Francisco Giants from 1985 to 1992. Roger Timothy Craig finished his NFL career with a combined 13,100 total rushing and receiving yards, 73 touchdowns, and three Super Bowl rings with the San Francisco 49ers.
• A10) Paul O'Neill. The lefthanded outfielder Paul Andrew O'Neill was a five-time All-Star who led the American League in batting with a .359 average in 1994. Paul Henry O'Neill resigned from George W. Bush's cabinet after only two years after too may disagreements and documented his views in the 2004 book The Price of Loyalty.
• A11) George Burns. George Francis Burns's final round 73 left him tied for second place, three strokes behind Australian David Graham. The funnier Burns became the oldest Oscar winner at age 80 in 1976, capturing the award for Best Supporting Actor for The Sunshine Boys, and lived to the ripe old age of 100.
• A12) Brian Wilson. Brian Patrick Wilson, forty years younger than the singer for whom he was named, recorded one save in his rookie year in 2006 and six in his sophomore year. Brian Douglas Wilson primarily sang backups for the Beach Boys but composed most of the songs.