American Sports Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: Jack Nicklaus

Nicklaus earned the nickname at an early age because of his shock of blond hair and stout build. Nicklaus won 20 major titles before retiring to design golf courses.

Answer: James J. Corbett

Corbett (1866-1933) earned the nickname for his pleasant manners and stylish dress. He beat John L. Sullivan for the heavyweight title in 1892 and lost it to Bob Fitzsimmons in 1896.

Answer: Ty Cobb

Cobb was born in the state of Georgia, The Peach State, hence the name. Arguably the greatest baseball player of all time, he posted a career batting average of .367. At one time, he held 123 baseball records. He played for the Tigers and Athletics.

Answer: Joe Jackson

Jackson, playing for the Indians and White Sox, racked up a career batting average of .356. His major league tenure came to an abrupt end when he was accused but not found guilty of conspiring to fix the 1919 world series against Cincinnati. The nickname came when he showed up for a minor league game minus shoes because his feet were sore from breaking in a new pair. He died in 1951.

Answer: Bill Lee

Lee earned the name for being spacey and unpredictable. He threw what was called an "Leephus" ball, which had a very high trajectory and was very slow. He was reported still playing at the age of 65 in the minor leagues.

Answer: Red Grange

Grange had the nickname bestowed upon him by writer Grantland Rice. He played for the Illini in the 1920s. The name described his ability to evade and run away from would be tacklers. He once scored 5 touchdowns and gained over 400 yards in a game against Michigan.

Answer: Maurice Richard

The Canadiens right winger received the name from a team mate for his speed and intensity. In 1944-1945 he became the first hockey player to score 50 goals in a season.

Answer: Chris Evert

She earned the name because of her cool, unemotional style of play. That image softened over the years. Evert won 20 majors and was the number one women's player from 1974 thru 1978 also 1980 and 1981.

Answer: Dale Earnhardt

Earnhardt gained the name by his aggressive driving. He won 7 championships and 76 races in his career before suffering a skull fracture on the last lap of a race in Daytona in 2001.

Answer: Wilt Chamberlain

Chamberlain is arguably the best basketball player of all time. Playing for four different teams in the National Basketball Association, he won 4 scoring titles and 7 rebounding titles. He was the first to score 100 points in a single game.

Answer: Walter Maranville

Maranville was small (5'5") and quick, hence the nickname. He held the record for seasons at shortstop in the N.L. at 23. He played for the Pirates, Braves, Cubs, Robins and Cardinals. He died in 1954 at the age of 63 and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame that same year.

Answer: Bronislau Nagurski

The name comes from a school teacher's misunderstanding of the name Bronislau, as she had trouble understanding Nagurski's Polish mother. Not big by today's standards, he was a star at the University of Minnesota and for the Chicago Bears of the NFL.

Answer: Ted Williams

His name was derived from his tall (6'4"), slender (175 pounds) frame when he first arrived at the Red Sox camp. He was the last batter to hit .400 in a season and in 1957 at the age of 39, he had a .388 average. He lost 4 seasons to military duty during World War II and Korea.

Answer: Earvin Johnson

A newspaper reporter came up with the moniker when Johnson was in high school. He described his play as being like magic. Playing for the Lakers, Johnson was instumental in winning 5 championships between 1980 and 1988.

Answer: Lawrence Berra

A childhood nickname. Growing up in St. Lous, Berra imitated an Indian fakir after watching a movie travelogue. A friend noted that he looked like a yogi. He was a rarity in that he was an excellent hitter and a great defensive catcher. He played in 14 World Series, a total of 75 games. As a manager, he won pennants in both the American and National leagues.