Hailing from Lawernce, Kansas, John Willard Hadl might have been somewhat undersized at quarterback standing at 6'1, but he's been able to create quite the legacy for himself as an elite passer and athlete in pro-football. Prior to his AFL/NFL career, John Hadl played his collegiate football in his home state at the University of Kansas where he not only played quarterback, he played halfback and defense back as well. In 1960, Hadl was named All-American for his performance as a running back and All-American the following year for his performance as a quarterback. Hadl led the Jayhawks to victory in the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1961 and won MVP in the College All-Star Game that same year.
John Hadl was selected 10th overall in the 1962 NFL Draft and 24th overall in the third round of the 1962 AFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers where he played from 1962 to 1972. In 1963, Hadl helped lead the Chargers to an AFL Championship and was named a 4x AFL All-Star and 2x NFL Pro Bowler throughout his sixteen-season pro-football career. In 1971, Hadl led the league in passing yards and touchdowns. Prior to retiring in 1978, John Hadl also played for teams like the Los Angeles Rams, Green Bay Packers, and Houston Oilers.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."