Sports Birthdays for December 8 — Dwight Howard and More
Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on December 8:
Mike Mussina
Age: 44
Profession: Retired MLB Player
Best Known For: A five-time All-Star pitcher, Mike Mussina played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees from 1991 to 2008. Mussina won seven Gold Glove Awards and finished his career with 270 victories.
Kevin Harvick
Age: 37
Profession: NASCAR Driver
Best Known For: Kevin Harvick is a NASCAR driver who has won 19 races since making his debut on the Cup Series circuit in 2001. Harvick was named Rookie of the Year in 2001. He replaced the late Dale Earnhardt for the Richard Childress Racing team. His most notable victories were at the 2003 Brickyard 400 and 2007 Daytona 500.
Ryan Newman
Age: 35
Profession: NASCAR Driver
Best Known For: Ryan Newman is a NASCAR driver who has won 16 races since making his debut on the Cup Series circuit in 2000. Newman was named Rookie of the Year in 2002 and Driver of the Year in 2003. His most notable victory was the 2008 Daytona 500.
Vernon Wells
Age: 34
Profession: MLB Player
Best Known For: Vernon Wells is an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Wells played with the Toronto Blue Jays from 1999 to 2010, making three American League All-Star teams and winning three Gold Glove awards.
Philip Rivers
Age: 31
Profession: NFL Player
Best Known For: Philip Rivers is the quarterback of the San Diego Chargers. He has been with the team since 2004, when the Chargers selected Eli Manning with the first-overall pick and traded him to the Giants for Rivers and three draft picks. Rivers has been named to four Pro Bowls and was selected NFL Quarterback of the Year in 2010.
Dwight Howard
Age: 27
Profession: NBA Player
Best Known For: Dwight Howard is a center for the Los Angeles Lakers, who traded for him prior to the 2012-13 NBA season. Howard previously played for the Orlando Magic, who selected him with the first-overall pick of the 2004 NBA Draft. After the 2011 NBA Lockout ended, Howard asked to be traded to the New Jersey Nets, Dallas Mavericks or Lakers. Howard has been named an All-Star six times, and he has won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award three times. He led the NBA in rebounding four times and blocked shots twice. Howard won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest championship in 2008 when he donned a red cape and a blue Superman shirt during one of his dunks. He was a member of the U.S. men's basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.