Steve Largent is the original white guy receiver with swag so, it's only right that he holds the throne for the state of Oklahoma. Ironically, some NFL greats including Wes Welker, Dan Hampton, Lee Roy Selmon, and more hail from the state. During his two-year stint at the University of Tulsa, Largent stacked up some ridiculous stats raking in 28 touchdowns and 1,884 receiving yards. Somehow, his efforts went unnoticed by NFL scouts as he was drafted 117th overall in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.
After four preseason games with the Oilers, the organization was preparing to cut the 5'11 wide receiver but later decided to trade him to the Seattle Seahawks, a brand new expansion at the team. Largent went on to play fourteen seasons with the Seahawks becoming the team's most productive receiver to date and the team's first-ever Pro Bowl representative. The 7x Pro Bowler is the first receiver in NFL history to make 100 touchdown receptions and is tied at ninth in all-time touchdown receptions with Tim Brown. While Largent wasn't known for his speed, his hands were some of the most dependable the NFL has ever seen.
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."