51. Gregg Olson
Football, Baseball / Omaha / Born: 1966
QUICK FACTS:
Played for: Omaha Northwest High, Auburn Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers
Best athlete from Nebraska played with or against: Joel Sealer from Millard South
Best moment as an athlete: Making the 1990 All-Star Game. "Mark McGwire was on my left, Wade Boggs was on my right. It's the best of the best, and I'm in the room with them."
Early sign of greatness: During his sophomore year, he started to get people out on a consistent basis and threw a no-hitter.
Gregg Olson has buckled a few knees in his day.
Olson learned to throw his trademark curveball from his dad, Bill, who allowed him to only throw the pitch a few times each game while he mastered the spin and mechanics.
"It was like a toy I couldn't play with," Gregg Olson said.
Once he started throwing the curve as a 15-year-old, it haunted hitters at the high school and college levels, and became Olson's ticket to the majors.
The nasty breaking ball mirrored his demeanor on the mound. He wanted to win, but the fear of losing stoked his competitive fire.
"I wouldn't allow myself to lose," said Olson, who is now retired and living in Newport Beach, Calif. "I did everything I could do to not make it happen."
Losing was something Olson never dealt with at Omaha Northwest, compiling a 27-0 record, 0.76 ERA, 276 strikeouts, four no-hitters and four state titles before playing at Auburn.
He left the college ranks as a two-time All-American and was the fourth pick of the 1988 draft, the highest by a Nebraska native before Alex Gordon went No. 2 to Kansas City this year.
Olson played for nine teams during his major league career, most notably with the Baltimore Orioles. The reliever finished his career with 217 saves in 622 games.
-- Michael Bruntz
QUICK FACTS:
Played for: Omaha Northwest High, Auburn Tigers, Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, Kansas City Royals, Detroit Tigers, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers
Best athlete from Nebraska played with or against: Joel Sealer from Millard South
Best moment as an athlete: Making the 1990 All-Star Game. "Mark McGwire was on my left, Wade Boggs was on my right. It's the best of the best, and I'm in the room with them."
Early sign of greatness: During his sophomore year, he started to get people out on a consistent basis and threw a no-hitter.
