List of people from Fresno, California

C

• Brian Cage – professional wrestler, TNA Impact, AEW
• Ernie C – musician, guitarist for the rock group Body Count
• David Carr – former NFL player, Houston Texans
• Derek Carr – NFL player,former Las Vegas Raiders
• Mike Chabala – soccer player
• Frank Chance – Baseball Hall of Famer
• Christian Chaney – soccer player
• Luke Chueh – artist
• Andrew Christian – underwear designer
• Chris Colfer – actor, Kurt Hummel on TV series Glee
• Lorraine Collett – Sun-Maid Raisin Girl
• Harold Comstock – World War II fighter ace
• Mike Connors (aka Krekor Ohanian) – actor, Mannix
• Victor Conte – BALCO founder
• Dick Contino – musician, accordionist
• Ryan Cook – MLB pitcher, Oakland A's
• Terry Cooney – former MLB umpire
• Joe Cooper – NFL player
• William John Cooper – served as U.S. Commissioner of Education, 1929–33
• Young Corbett III – professional boxer
• Pat Corrales – former MLB player and manager
• Jim Costa – U.S. House of Representatives
• Bobby Cox – former MLB player, retired Hall of Fame manager, Atlanta Braves
• Ron Cox – NFL player
• Phil Cristian – musician, Cheap Trick
• Dwayne Crump – former NFL player, St. Louis Cardinals
• Tyrone Culver – Miami Dolphins NFL player

D

• Lucius Davis (born 1970) – basketball player
• Bison Dele (born Brian Williams) – former NBA player, Los Angeles Clippers
• Trent Dilfer – former NFL quarterback of Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, Monday Night Football commentator
• Harry Dixon (metalsmith) (1890–1967), metalsmith, jewelry designer, sculptor, and educator
• Harry St. John Dixon (1848–1898), lawyer, military officer, and cattle rancher
• Maynard Dixon (1875–1946) painter whose body of work focused on the American West

E

• Jerry P. Eaton – geologist, born near Fresno
• Henry Ellard – former Los Angeles Rams wide receiver, former NFL coach
• Dick Ellsworth – former MLB pitcher
• Melvin Ely – former NBA player, Los Angeles Clippers
• John Erickson – former professional golfer
• Johnny Estrada – MLB player
• William Everson – poet
• Dana Ewell – convicted triple murderer

F

• Fashawn – rapper
• Kevin Federline – ex-husband of Britney Spears
• Freddy Fender – singer, songwriter
• Andy Finch – member of Olympic snowboarding team
• Tom Flores – former NFL quarterback, former Oakland Raiders head coach, NFL Hall of Fame member
• Mac Foster – professional boxer
• Farrah Franklin – singer, model, former member of Destiny's Child
• Jethro Franklin – former NFL player, Seattle Seahawks; assistant coach, Oakland Raiders
• Zoila Frausto Gurgel – MMA fighter, Bellator women's flyweight world champion
• Mike Freeman – former NFL player, Atlanta Falcons

G

• Patrick K. Gamble – educator and United States Army officer
• Mark Gardner – former MLB pitcher, coach for San Francisco Giants
• Matt Garza – Milwaukee Brewers MLB pitcher
• Blackie Gejeian – race car driver and designer
• Paul George – NBA All-Star player, Philadelphia 76ers
• Matt Giordano – former Indianapolis Colts NFL safety
• Bill Glasson – former PGA Tour golfer
• Bob Glazebrook – former NFL player, Atlanta Falcons
• Tom Goodwin – former MLB player
• Christopher Gorham – actor
• Keith Gooch – former CFL football player
• Jalen Green – NBA player, Phoenix Suns
• Ed Gregory – former head basketball coach at Fresno State, Golden State Warriors
• Kenny Guinn – Governor of Nevada

H

• Sid Haig – actor
• Alex Hakobian – teacher, filmmaker
• Millard Hampton – former Olympian
• Brandon Hancock – former USC fullback, fitness expert
• Victor Davis Hanson – scholar, historian, author
• David Harris – Vietnam War draft resistance leader
• Derek Henderson – pro rollerblader, Razors Skate Co
• Chris Herren – former NBA player
• Lee Herrick – California Poet Laureate
• Pat Hill – former head football coach at Fresno State
• Jaime Hipp – former Olympian
• John Hoover – former MLB pitcher
• Steve Hosey – MLB player
• Pat Howell – former NFL player, Atlanta Falcons
• Rex Hudler – former MLB player, broadcaster

I

• Debora Iyall – singer of the 80s group Romeo Void

J

• Vestee Jackson – former NFL player, Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears
• Chris Jefferies – former pro basketball player
• Adam Jennings – NFL player
• Keshon Johnson – NFL player
• Rafer Johnson – 1960 Olympic gold medalist, decathlon
• Bill Jones – California secretary of state
• Bobby Jones – former MLB pitcher, NY Mets
• Gary Jules – singer-songwriter

K

• Robert Kendrick – former professional tennis player, at one time was ranked #69 in the world
• Mychal Kendricks – NFL linebacker, Philadelphia Eagles
• Eric Kendricks – NFL linebacker, Dallas Cowboys
• Kirk Kerkorian – billionaire businessman; owned Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
• Joanna Kerns – actress, Growing Pains
• Richard Kiel – actor, James Bond films
• Angelina J. Knox – inventor, abolitionist, writer, and philanthropist; died in Fresno
• Josh Koscheck – UFC mixed martial artist
• Emily Kuroda – actress, Gilmore Girls

L

• Daryle Lamonica – former NFL All-Pro quarterback, Oakland Raiders
• Jim Landis – former outfielder, Chicago White Sox
• Claude "Pop" Laval – photographer, historian
• Steven Anthony Lawrence – actor
• Sharon Leal – actor, Dreamgirls
• Philip Levine – poet
• Larry Levis – poet
• David Little – former NFL player, Philadelphia Eagles
• Héctor Lizárraga – professional boxer
• Brook Lopez – NBA player
• Robin Lopez – NBA player

M

• Jim Maloney – former MLB pitcher, Cincinnati Reds
• Ricky Manning, Jr. – former NFL defensive back, Carolina Panthers
• J. P. Manoux – actor, writer
• Richard Marshall – former NFL player, San Diego Chargers
• Ryan Mathews – NFL running back, Philadelphia Eagles
• Bob Mathias – Olympic gold medal decathlete, former congressman; retired in Fresno
• Miranda Rae Mayo – actress
• Chad McCarty – former Olympian
• Marcus McCauley – NFL player
• Kevin F. McCready – contributor to anti-psychiatry movement
• Aari McDonald – WNBA player for the Los Angeles Sparks
• Audra McDonald – Tony Award-winning Broadway actress, singer
• Tim McDonald – former NFL player, San Francisco 49ers, coach
• T.J. McDonald – former NFL player, Los Angeles Rams
• Barry McGuire – rock and folk singer-songwriter
• Chris McNealy – former NBA player, New York Knicks
• Jim Merlo – former NFL player, New Orleans Saints
• Rick Merlo – former Olympian
• Dale Messer – former NFL player, San Francisco 49ers
• Barbara Morgan – astronaut, educator
• Larry Mucker – former NFL player, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Barlow Der Mugrdechian – historian and lecturer on Armenian studies

N

• Michael Najarian – relationship and communication expert
• Armen Nalbandian – musician, composer
• Lorenzo Neal – former NFL fullback, San Diego Chargers

P

• Bob Padilla – former football head coach at Fresno State, and NFL Detroit Lions
• Stephone Paige – former NFL player, Kansas City Chiefs
• Carson Palmer – NFL quarterback, Arizona Cardinals
• Vang Pao – Laotian general
• Lou Pardini – Grammy-nominated keyboardist, songwriter and vocalist; member of the rock band Chicago
• Rex Parker – Michael David Sharp, crossword blogger and English professor
• Maxie Parks – Olympic gold medalist
• Chip Pashayan – lawyer and Republican Congressman
• Sam Peckinpah – film director and screenwriter, best known for The Wild Bunch
• Justin Peelle – former tight end who is currently the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons
• Rod Perry – former NFL player, Los Angeles Rams; assistant coach, Oregon State
• David Phillips – entrepreneur; aka "The Pudding Guy"
• Slim Pickens – actor (born in Kingsburg, Fresno County)
• Planet Asia – rapper
• Cliff Pondexter – former NBA player, Chicago Bulls
• Quincy Pondexter – former NBA player, New Orleans Pelicans, assistant head coach of the Washington Huskies
• Chuck Poochigian – California state senator
• Keith Poole – former NFL player, New Orleans Saints
• Marquez Pope – former NFL player, San Francisco 49ers
• James Porteous – inventor of the Fresno Scraper
• Hal Haig Prieste – Armenian-American athlete and world's oldest former Olympic medalist

R

• Radagun – musical group, began in Fresno
• Stewart Rhodes – founding member of the Oath Keepers
• Les Richter – former NFL player, Los Angeles Rams, Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee; former senior vice president of NASCAR; former president of the Riverside International Raceway
• Darryl Rogers – former head coach of Fresno State, San Jose State, Detroit Lions
• Phil Roman – animator, founder of Film Roman
• Nicole Row – bassist, vocals, Panic! At The Disco
• Chester Harvey Rowell – journalist, Lincoln-Roosevelt League co-founder
• Aaron Ruell – actor, Napoleon Dynamite
• Johnny Russell – country western singer-songwriter

S

• Todd Santos – former NFL player, San Francisco 49ers
• William Saroyan – Pulitzer Prize and Oscar-winning playwright, novelist
• John Scalzi – Hugo Award-winning science fiction author
• Gary Scelzi – NHRA champion
• Kate Scott – sportscaster
• Tom Seaver – MLB Hall of Fame pitcher, 3-time Cy Young Award winner; NY Mets, Cincinnati Reds
• Dick Selma – former MLB pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
• Juan Serrano – flamenco guitarist
• David Seville, aka Ross Bagdasarian – songwriter, recording artist
• Michael Sharp – Crossword puzzle blogger (under the name Rex Parker)
• Frank Hamilton Short – lawyer, Conservation movement
• Kelly Skipper – NFL assistant coach for Buffalo Bills
• John Sontag – train robber, died in Fresno jail in 1893 and interred at Calvary Cemetery there
• Gary Soto – author, poet
• Dennis Springer – former MLB knuckleball pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers
• Sloane Stephens – tennis player, US Open champion
• Richard Martin Stern – author
• DeShawn Stevenson – NBA player, Atlanta Hawks
• Mike Stewart – former NFL safety, Los Angeles Rams
• Randy Stumpfhauser – BMX pro and four-time world champion
• William A. Sutherland – lawyer, author, politician
• Ashley Swearengin – former Mayor of Fresno
• Jim Sweeney – former head football coach at Fresno State
• Kevin Sweeney – former NFL player, Dallas Cowboys

T

• Timmy T – singer of the multi-platinum hit song "One More Try"
• Tim Thackrey – former taekwondo athlete, US National Team, Pan Am Games Champion, Olympic coach
• Jerry Tarkanian – former head basketball coach at Fresno State, UNLV, San Antonio Spurs NBA
• Jacques Terzian – sculptor and businessperson in San Francisco
• Bernard Thompson – former NBA player, Portland Blazers
• Brian Turner – poet

V

• Lolly Vegas - founder of rock band Redbone
• Pat Vegas - founder of rock band Redbone
• Billy Volek – former NFL quarterback, Tennessee Titans
• Jason Von Flue – Ultimate Fighter season 2 reality show, UFC veteran
• Bill Vukovich – two-time Indianapolis 500 Winner

W

• Marcus Walden – pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers
• Mykal Walker – linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons
• Anthony Washington – NFL defensive back, Washington Redskins
• Tim Washington – NFL defensive back, San Francisco 49ers
• Heidi Watney – Boston Red Sox reporter for NESN
• Nick Watney – PGA Tour golfer
• Gary Weaver – NFL player, Oakland Raiders
• Del Webb – real estate developer, former owner of New York Yankees
• Marcus Wesson – convicted murderer
• Frederick C. Weyand – former U.S. Army Chief of Staff (1974-1976) and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Flex Wheeler – bodybuilder
• Michael Willett – singer, Shane on MTV's Faking It
• J.D. Williams – NFL player, Buffalo Bills, assistant coach at Georgia State
• Lynn Williams – soccer player for NJ/NY Gotham FC and the United States national team
• Marquice Williams – special teams coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons
• Randy Williams – Olympic gold medalist in the long jump
• Susan Montgomery Williams – world record holder for the largest bubble gum bubble
• Mick Wingert – voice actor and director
• Tony Woodruff – NFL player, Philadelphia Eagles
• Ickey Woods – NFL player, Cincinnati Bengals running back
• Rick Worman – CFL quarterback and coach, Grey Cup champion, coach of the Fresno Frenzy af2 football team
• Cameron Worrell – NFL player, Chicago Bears
• Xavier Worthy – NFL player, Kansas City Chiefs

Y

• Conrad Yama – actor
• Steve Yarbrough – writer
• Charles Young – former NFL All-Pro tight end, San Francisco 49ers

Z

• Steve Zaillian – Oscar-winning screenwriter
• Gus Zernial – former MLB player, Philadelphia Athletics
• Warren Zevon – singer-songwriter, "Werewolves of London"

References