Welcome to Legends for Kids | Celebrity Guests

Celebrity Guests

For more information on each of our Celebrity Guests please click the + icon beneath their picture.

2013
2012

2013

Bret Saberhagen

Pitcher
Kansas City Royals

Bret Saberhagen – In the 1982 MLB Draft the Kansas City Royals used their 19th round draft pick on Bret Saberhagen. He was a right-handed starting pitcher that was coming straight out of high school at Grover Cleveland HS in Reseda, California.

In 1985, Saberhagen took control of the Royals pitching staff and became the ace, while going 20-6 with an ERA of 2.87 and leading his team to the World Series. The same year he was chosen as the World Series MVP and chosen as the American League Cy Young. Over his tremendous career he led the league in innings pitched, complete games and strikeout to walk ratio along with winning another Cy Young Award.

Saberhagen retired in 2001 shortly after overcoming injury and earning the Comeback Player of the Year in 1998. He was inducted to the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame in 2005 and is one of the Royals most well-known players of all-time.

Chad Greenway

Linebacker
Minnesota Vikings

Greenway was drafted in the First Round (#17 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2006 NFL Draft. Greenway suffered a season ending knee injury in his first game as a Viking during the 2006 pre-season and spent the entire year rehabbing and preparing for the 2007 season. The wait and preparation paid big dividends for Greenway and the Vikings. Greenway, in virtually his rookie season, was third in total tackles on the Vikings with 105 (78 solo and 27 assisted tackles) while helping the Viking to be one of the best defenses in the NFL. He also had two fumble recoveries and two interceptions taking one back for a 37 yard touchdown.

Greenway is now one of the premier players for the Minnesota Vikings. He was given the franchise tag in 2011 before earning a long term contract which solidified him as an asset for the Vikings for years to come. In 2012, he recorded 148 total tackles to go along with his 3 sacks which propelled him to his second selection to the Pro Bowl and earned him the honor of being named to the NFL All-Pro team.

Hunter Kemper

Olympic Triathlete

Hunter Kemper is the most decorated U.S. triathlete in history. A four-time member of the USA Olympic triathlon team, he is one of only two men in the world to qualify for every Olympic triathlon (2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012) and the only man in the world to complete all four.

Kemper has won seven USA Triathlon Elite National Championships. In 2005, he became the first U.S. male triathlete to finish the season ranked No. 1 in the world and was selected as the U.S Olympic Committee Sportsman of the Year, joining the ranks of Olympic legends such as Michael Phelps and Michael Johnson. That year, he also received the prestigious Jim Thorpe All-Around Award. Other career highlights include earning the gold medal at the Pan Am Games (2003) and gracing the cover of a Wheaties box four times.

A competitive swimmer by the age of six, Kemper entered his first IronKids triathlon at age 10 and won his age division race. He went on to win five consecutive IronKids national championships before attending Wake Forest University, where he was a four-year letterwinner in cross country and track. He captured the USA Triathlon Amateur National Championship in 1997 and turned pro the next year.

Kemper’s stellar career in triathlon is a testament to the power of hard work, determination and perseverance. On more than one occasion, he has battled back from devastating illness or injury – including a shattered elbow and subsequent staph infection that kept him out of action for several months in 2011-12 – to turn in an outstanding race performance when it mattered most. He continues to compete at the highest level of the sport and is eyeing a bid for a record-breaking fifth U.S. Olympic Team berth in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

A devoted family man, Kemper and his wife, Val, are the parents of three young sons, with a fourth child due this fall. His love for kids and his desire to help them achieve their goals led him to accept a role as the official ambassador for the 2013 Hy-Vee IronKids Midwest Series of 20 youth triathlons, leading up to the Hy-Vee IronKids U.S. Championship on August 31 in Des Moines, Iowa

Joe Theismann

Quarterback
Washington Redskins

    Joe Theismann is an entrepreneur and the former star quarterback for the Washington Redskins. He spent the last two decades working for ESPN on their NFL broadcast and the NFL Network.
    A 1971 graduate of University of Notre Dame, Mr. Theismann received All-American honors and led the Fighting Irish to consecutive Cotton Bowls and was runner-up to Jim Plunkett in the Heismann Trophy balloting. In 2003, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
    After turning down offers from the Minnesota Twins and Miami Dolphins, Joe began his pro career in the Canadian Football League., spending three years with the Toronto Argonauts before joining the Redskins in 1974. From the humble beginnings as a punt returner to Super Bowl Champion, Mr. Theismann has experienced many of the challenges we all face in our constant quest to find success, by overcoming adversity.
    As a 12 year NFL veteran, Mr. Theismann played in 163 consecutive games from 1974 to 1985 and holds the Redskin record for passing yards, completions and attempts. He was a two time Pro Bowl selection and led the Redskins to a 27-17 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl XVII.
    In 1982, Joe was elected the NFL’s Man of the Year for his community service and dedication to the health and welfare of children. In 1983, he won the league’s MVP award. Then, in 1985, Joe’s career was abruptly cut short when his leg was shattered in a game against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.
    Today, Joe oversees a popular Washington DC restaurant that bears his name. Staying true to his concern for children, Mr. Theismann is a member on the Sports Advisory Board of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
    What you will hear today are not shallow platitudes, but lessons on how we can all find the Champion within.

Michael Cooper

Guard
LA Lakers

Drafted out of New Mexico by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1978 NBA Draft, Michael “Coop” Cooper became the 60th pick and a key component to one of the best teams in NBA history. Cooper is known for being one the best Laker defenders to every play, he was named to 8 NBA All Defensive teams and took home the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987. Only Cooper, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson were on the Lakers for all five of the team’s 1980’s Championships.

After his career with the Lakers Cooper got into coaching. Getting his start with the Lakers as an assistant, he went on to coach the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks where he earned Coach of the Year and multiple WNBA Championships. Since then he has coached in the NBA D-League and also for the USC Women of Troy.

Prince Amukamara

Cornerback
New York Giants

As a University of Nebraska Cornhusker, Prince became one of the best cornerbacks in college football by earning All-American honors. He tallied 59 tackles and one sack to go along with only allowing 18 completed passes in his direction his entire senior year. This propelled him to the top of many NFL team’s draft lists, which is why the New York Giants drafted him in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft.

After a broken leg sidelined Prince for a majority of his rookie season he has come back as one of the premier cornerbacks in the NFL. He already has one Super Bowl under his belt and with the bright future of this young athlete, there is no telling how many he will end up with.

Ryan "Darth" Bader

Ultimate Fighter
Professional Mixed Martial Arts

Bader is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir. On December 13, 2008, Bader defeated Vinicius Magalhães to win a contract with the UFC and the title of The Ultimate Fighter's light heavyweight championship.

Ryan "Darth" Bader entered Mixed Martial Arts after an amazing career in amateur wrestling. As a high school wrestler, he won two State Championships, being ranked as high as 4th in the country for Wrestling. After high school, Ryan went on to wrestle at Arizona State University. While at ASU, Ryan was a three-time PAC 10 Champion and two-time Division 1 All-American. His 120 wins ranks him eighth on the all-time wins list for ASU. Bader was college teammates with current UFC competitors Cain Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway.

Currently, Bader has a total MMA record of 16 wins and 3 losses and is ranked the 9th light heavyweight fighter in the world.

2012

Ryan Bader

MMA Fighter
UFC

Ryan "Darth" Bader entered Mixed Martial Arts after a successful career in amateur wrestling. As a high school wrestler, he won two State Championships, being ranked as high as 4th in the Country for Wrestling. After high school, Ryan went on to wrestle at Arizona State University. While at ASU, Ryan was a three-time PAC 10 Champion and two-time D-1 All-American. His 120 wins ranks him eighth on the all-time wins list for ASU. Bader was college teammates with current UFC competitors Cain Velasquez and C.B. Dollaway.

Currently, Bader has a total MMA record of 14 wins and 2 losses. His next fight puts him up against former light-heavyweight champ, Lyoto Machida, at the Los Angeles' Staple Center on August 4th, 2012.

Jack Morris

Starting Pitcher
Minnesota Twins/Detroit Tigers/Toronto Blue Jays

As a right-handed starter Jack Morris led three different teams (Twins, Detroit and Toronto) to World Championships in his 18 year major league career. In the 1980’s, the Brigham Young alum started more games, pitched the most innings, and won the most games of any player. During that time he was a fierce competitor who found a home with the Detroit Tigers for 13 years after getting drafted by them in the fifth round of the 1976 MLB draft. In 1979 Jack cracked the pitching rotation of the Tigers and posted a 17-7 record with a 3.29 ERA that solidified him as the ace for the Tigers. After winning a World Championship in 1984 with the Tigers, Morris found himself signing a one year contract with his hometown team, the Minnesota Twins, in 1991. Morris started three games in the World Series that year against the Atlanta Braves. Jack was honored with the World Series MVP and found himself in the mix of the top pitchers in the league once again. The very next season Jack signed with the Toronto Blue Jays and recorded 21 wins in a season for the second time in his career and won his third World Series in 1992. After short stints with different teams, Morris retired in 1996 and has proven to be one of the greatest pitchers of his era.

Clyde Drexler

Shooting Guard
Portland Trailblazers/Houston Rockets

Known as Clyde “The Glide” Drexler was a member and main contributor to the 1992 U.S. Olympic “Dream Team” sums up the impact Clyde has made on the history of basketball. After being cut from his high school team when he was a junior he became one of the top recruits in the nation his senior year, which led him to the University of Houston where he played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon and Michael Young . Clyde helped lead Houston to two straight Final Four appearances and as a junior decided to take his talents to the NBA. He was drafted 14^th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers and ended up leading them to multiple championship series before being traded to the Houston Rockets to be reunited with former teammate, Hakeem Olajuwon. Together, the dynamic duo led the Rockets to yet another championship and finished his career as a Houston Rocket in 1998 with 10 NBA All-Star selections under his belt. Clyde quickly returned to basketball for a 2 year stint at his alma mater as the head basketball coach before retiring to spend time with family. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and with the records to back it. He holds records that put him into the discussion of greats such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and all the NBA greats. Clyde finished his career with more than 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, and 6,000 assists, with these statistics he was voted to the NBA’s 50^th Anniversary All-Time Team.

Thurman Thomas

Running Back
Buffalo Bills

This Professional and College football Hall of Famer is one of football’s all-time greats. In college he played alongside the likes of Barry Sanders and ended his college career as the all-time leading rusher in Oklahoma State history, which earned him the honor of being only one of the three players to ever have their number retired at Oklahoma State. After being named a Heisman Trophy candidate his senior year of college, Thomas was picked 40th overall in the 1988 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. He ended up playing for the Bills for 12 outstanding seasons and compiling one of the most impressive resumes in history for NFL running backs. He is a five time Pro Bowl selection, four time AFC Champion, three time First-team All-Pro and led the Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances. Thomas holds multiple records which puts him among the NFL greats Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, and Barry Sander. After a short stint in 2000 with the Miami Dolphins he signed a one day contract so he could end his career a part of his beloved Buffalo Bills that he helped create the legacy for. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 solidifying his name among the greatest running backs to ever play. He compiled 12,074 yards and 88 touchdowns which included eight straight seasons of over 1,000 yards and being the only player in NFL history to lead the league in total yards from scrimmage in four consecutive seasons.

Chad Greenway

Linebacker
Minnesota Vikings

A staple for the Minnesota Vikings for 6 years now, Greenway has turned into one of the premier players for his team. He was given the franchise tag in 2011 before earning a long term contract which will solidify him to continue to be an asset for the Vikings for years to come. In 2011 he recorded 154 total tackles to go along with his 2 sacks. Greenway was drafted in the First Round (#17 overall) by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2006 NFL Draft. Greenway suffered a season ending knee injury in his first game as a Viking during the 2006 pre-season and spent the entire year rehabbing and preparing for the 2007 season. The wait and preparation paid big dividends for Greenway and the Vikings. Greenway, in virtually his rookie season, was third in total tackles on the Vikings with 105 (78 solo and 27 assisted tackles) while helping the Viking to be one of the best defenses in the NFL. He also had two fumble recoveries and two interceptions taking one back for a 37 yard touchdown. Greenway is a two-time All-Big Ten selection who finished career ranked fifth in school history with 416 tackles at the University of Iowa. He started 38 of the 45 games he played in during his career at Iowa and recorded at least 10 tackles in a game 25 times during his collegiate career. His 156 tackles as a senior in 2005 ranks third in school history.

Demaryius Thomas

Wide Receiver
Denver Broncos

This former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket came to the Denver Broncos as the 22nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. He was named to the freshman All-ACC first team and the freshman All-American team. He was the leading receiver for the Yellow Jackets in multiple years and finished his career in college with a junior season of 46 receptions, 1,154 and 8 touchdowns which propelled him into the top of the receiver 2010 draft class. In his short career in the NFL, Thomas has already caught 54 passes for 834 yards and 6 touchdowns. Most notable was his catch to win the game in the 2012 playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in overtime that went for 80 yards and a touchdown which propelled the Broncos into the second round of the playoffs. With flashes of greatness and the addition of Peyton Manning, the Broncos are sure Thomas will become the number one receiver and be a fixture at receiver that the Broncos need.

Ashley Hardee

Head Volleyball Coach
University of North Dakota

Hardee, the current Head Volleyball coach for the University of North Dakota, took over the job in 2009 after being an assistant at New Mexico State University where he spent 8 years. In his short time with UND he has already earned two Great West Conference Coach of the Year accolades while leading his team to two GWC regular season titles and two GWC tournament titles. Last year UND posted an impressive record of 25-5 and went 12-0 in the GWC and recorded an impressive 15-match win streak. With Hardee’s impressive background and terrific start at UND the future is looking bright for the UND volleyball team.