Not Just Your Average Joe Trivia Quiz

Answer: Joe Louis

While he is best known as Joe Louis, he was born Joseph Louis Barrow. There are several suppositions about the dropping of his last name, but the most popular explanation is that he wished to keep his boxing ambitions a secret from his mother. In a professional career that lasted from 1934 until 1951, Joe Louis had 68 fights, won 65 times, 51 of those wins by knockouts.

He had 27 championship fights and defended his title successfully 25 times. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1942 as a private, and served until 1945 when he was awarded a Legion of Merit medal and left the service with the rank of sergeant.

Answer: Joe Torre

Joe Torre played for the Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves in the position of catcher, and occasionally as a first baseman, from 1960 to 1968. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, and played as a catcher in 1969 and 1970, then as third baseman from 1971 to 1974. In 1975 he was traded to the N.Y. Mets, and from 1975 to 1977 he played as third baseman/coach. For a short period of time he was a player/manager, before becoming the actual team manager.

He managed the Mets 1977-1981, the Braves 1982-1984, the Cardinals 1990-1995, the NY Yankees 1996-2007 and in 2008 went to the L.A. Dodgers. From 1985 until 1990, he was a television analyst for the California Angels. Joe Torre's older brother, Frank, was also a professional baseball player. He played first baseman for both the Milwaukee Braves and the Philadelphia Phillies.

Answer: Joe Montana

Joe Montana was born in 1956 in Pennsylvania, and despite favoring basketball when he was a child, and being offered a basketball scholarship by NCSU, he went on to become a legendary quarterback. He graduated from Notre Dame with a degree in business administration and marketing, and began his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979.

He stayed with the 49ers until 1993, and then went on to play two more seasons with the Chiefs. During his career, he started in four Super Bowls, all of which his team won, and played in eight Pro Bowls.

He earned his nickname for his ability to stay cool under pressure.

Answer: Joe Frazier

Nicknamed 'Smokin' Joe', Joe Frazier had a wicked left hook and a 'bob and weave' style that made him practically undefeatable in the ring. After his 1964 gold medal win, he turned pro in 1965. During his first year as a professional boxer he had four fights and won all four in less than four rounds. He had three Heavyweight Championship fights with Muhammad Ali, the first of which he won.
In 1973 he lost his undefeated record of 29-0 to George Foreman. After retiring in 1976, he had one comeback fight in 1981 against Floyd Cummings which ended in a draw.

Answer: Joe DiMaggio

Born in 1914, and named Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Joe had two brothers who were also major league baseball players. Joe Dimaggio played his entire career with the N.Y. Yankees, playing center field from 1936 until 1951, interrupted only by a three year stint in the service.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces in 1943 as a physical education instructor, and left the service in 1945. He was the first baseball player to contract for a salary/bonus deal that cracked the $100,000.00 mark. Besides his 5 stolen home bases, he was voted MVP 3 times, played in 13 All Star games, and had a 56 game hitting streak.

Answer: Jersey Joe Walcott

Jersey Joe was actually born Arnold Raymond Cream. Even as a youngster he had the drive and ambition to become a great boxer, and took on the name of his idol - a welterweight champion named Joe Walcott (nicknamed the Barbados Demon). Beginning in 1930, with his first fight against Cowboy Wallace, and ending in 1953, he racked up 51 wins, 32 by knockout, out of 71 fights.

When he was 37 he became the oldest boxer to win the title of Heavyweight Champion - a record he would hold until 1994 when George Foreman won the title at the age of 45. After his boxing career, in 1972 he became the Sheriff of Camden County in New Jersey, and from 1975 until 1984 he was the Chairman of the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.

Answer: Joe Namath

In a rather brash and bravado-filled press interview, Joe Namath guaranteed that the N.Y. Jets would beat the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III. They did in fact win, and Joe Namath's quote became legendary. Also known as 'Broadway Joe', Namath was plagued by knee injuries, and did not rack up 'superstar' statistics. But he did have charisma, public presence, was a 4-time AFL All-Star.

Answer: Joe Sakic

Born in British Columbia in 1969, Joe Sakic played his entire career with a single team. Drafted by the Quebec Nordiques in 1987 - which was sold and renamed the Colorado Avalanche in 1995 - Sakic was voted into 13 NHL All Star games. He played in 12 of the games, and captained 2 of them.

In 2002, as part of Team Canada, he helped lead his team to their first Winter Olympics gold medal in 50 years.

Answer: Joe Adcock

Joe Adcock, born in 1927 in Louisiana, began his professional career in 1950, playing the positions of first baseman and outfielder. He played for the Cincinnati Reds (1950-1952), the Milwaukee Braves (1953-1962), the Cleveland Indians (1963) and the L.A./California Angels (1964-1966).

In addition to setting a record for the most home runs in one game he also set a record, in the same game, for attaining the most (18) bases in a game. After his playing career, he went on to manage the Cleveland Indians in 1967, and then spent another two years managing in the minors.

Answer: Joe Jackson

During the Black Sox Scandal of 1920, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson was supposedly the recipient of this poignant plea. There is some dispute about the actual wording and interaction, but the shattering of young American's trust and belief in integrity and sportsmanship was historical. Regardless of the scandal, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson was a powerhouse slugger. With a rookie year batting average of .408, he averaged .356 during a career that spanned from 1908 to 1920.

He played for the Philadelphia Athletics, New Orleans Pelicans, Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox.