Sports Birthdays for December 3 — Bobby Allison and More
Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on December 3:
Bobby Allison
Age: 75
Profession: Retired NASCAR Driver
Best Known For: A winner of 84 Cup series races on the NASCAR circuit from 1961 to 1988, Bobby Allison is regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats. He won the Cup series points championship in 1983 and the Daytona 500 three times. A 1988 crash at Pocono Raceway forced his retirement. Along with Red Farmer, Allison and his brother Davey comprised the 'Alabama Gang' in racing circles. His race car-driving sons Clifford and Davey were killed within a year of each other. Clifford died in a practice crash at Michigan International Speedway in 1992, and Davey in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway in 1993. Bobby Allison was elected to the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1993.
Rick Mears
Age: 61
Profession: Retired Race Car Driver
Best Known For: A three-time Indycar champion, Rick Mears raced on the Indy circuit from 1978 to 1992. He is one of three men, along with Al Unser and A.J. Foyt, to win the Indianapolis 500 a record four times (1979, 1984, 1988, 1991). Mears holds the record for pole positions at Indy with six. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1997.
Katarina Witt
Age: 47
Profession: Retired Olympic Figure Skater
Best Known For: A two-time winner of the Olympic gold medal in women's figure skating, Katarina Witt was a four-time World champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) and won the European championship six consecutive times (1983–1988). She has worked as a model and actress since her retirement. Witt appeared nude in a 1998 edition of 'Playboy.'
James Laurinaitis
Age: 26
Profession: NFL Player
Best Known For: James Laurinaitis is a linebacker for the St. Louis Rams. He has been with the team since it selected him in the 2009 NFL Draft. Laurinaitis played college football at Ohio State, where he was a three-time consensus All-American. His father, Joe Laurinaitis, was 'Road Warrior Animal,' in the pro wrestling tag team the Road Warriors.
Alicia Sacramone
Age: 25
Profession: Olympic Gymnast
Best Known For: A member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team that won a silver medal at the Summer Olympics in Beijing in 2008, Alicia Sacramone is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in the history of the World Championships with 10 total medals from 2005 to 2011. She has also won 12 medals at the U.S. nationals. She posed completely nude while on a balance beam in ESPN: The Magazine's 2011 'Body Issue.' Sacramone is dating Kansas City Chiefs' quarterback Brady Quinn.