1730) William Peden

William "Torchy" Peden (1906 – 1980). Canadian cyclist. He was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 1955 and the BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1966.

After winning five titles at the indoor Canadian championships in Montreal, he turned professional. He discovered and excelled at six-day racing. During the Great Depression, the sport was cheap for spectators and very popular. Beginning in 1929, he won 24 of 48 races over the next four years. In 1932, he set a record that still stands: 10 victories. At times, he teamed up with his younger brother Doug (the sport used two-man teams). Overall, he won 38 of 148, a record unbroken until 1965. In 1931, he set a record; riding behind a car providing a shield against the wind, he achieved a speed of 73.5 miles per hour (118.3 km/h). He also coached the 1932 national cycling team and the 1936 track team.

During the Second World War, he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He participated in his last six-day race in 1942 and his last professional cycling race in 1948.

He moved to the United States in the 1950s and opened a sporting goods store.

- "The redhead acquired the nickname "Torchy" when a journalist described him as a "flame-haired youth leading the pack like a torch"." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Peden

1723) Austin "Red" Robbins

Austin "Red" Robbins (1944 –  2009). American basketball player.

Robbins, a 6'8" power forward/center from Leesburg, Florida, starred at the University of Tennessee in the 1960s and then played professionally for the American Basketball Association's New Orleans Buccaneers (1967–1970), Utah Stars (1970–1972), San Diego Conquistadors (1972–1973; 1973–1974), Kentucky Colonels (1973; 1974–1975), and Virginia Squires (1975–1976).

- "Robbins was nicknamed for his red hair and perceived fiery personality, and grabbed over 6,000 rebounds in his career." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Robbins

1718) Keith Magnuson

Keith Arlen Magnuson (1947 – 2003), Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1969 and 1979.

Magnuson grew up in Wadena, Saskatchewan. His family moved to Saskatoon when he was 10 years old. When he was seventeen he played for the Saskatoon Blades, before he received a hockey scholarship to the University of Denver. Magnuson joined the Chicago Black Hawks for the 1969–70 season and led the league in penalty minutes in his first two seasons. He became an assistant coach for the Black Hawks after retiring in 1979 and was promoted to head coach for the 1980–81 season.

- "Many fans remember the fights and the flowing red hair, but many more remember Keith Magnuson as one of the greatest ambassadors the Chicago Blackhawks franchise has ever had."   https://committedindians.com/keith-magnuson-late-hawks-captain-ties-chicago-denver/

- "... his fiery red hair and his determined countenance always struck me as magnificent. [...] It was here where a red-haired boy named Keith Arlen Magnuson was born on April 27, 1947, the youngest of four children to Joe and Birdie Magnuson."   https://api.pageplace.de/preview/DT0400.9781623683641_A24020601/preview-9781623683641_A24020601.pdf

1701) Eugenio Monti

Eugenio Monti (1928 – 2003). Italian bobsledder and alpine skier. He is one of the most successful athletes in the history of the bobsleigh, with ten World championship medals (of which nine gold) and 6 Olympic medals including two golds. He is known also for his acts of sportsmanship during the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck, Austria, which made him the first athlete ever to receive the Pierre de Coubertin World Trophy.

He was the first non-German to win a gold in both the two-man and four-man events in the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble. After his victory, he received Italy's highest civilian honor – the Commendatore of the Italian Republic and then retired to labor in his skiing facilities in Cortina.

Struck by numerous hardships (separation from his wife, the departure of his daughter for the United States, the death of his son from an overdose), suffering from Parkinson's disease, on 30 November 2003 he shot himself in the head; transported to the hospital in Belluno, he died the next day.

- "It was in skiing that he first competed at national level, where he earned the nickname “Rosso Volante”, originally coined by sports journalist Gianni Brera. A reference to the colour of his hair and his bold, aggressive style on the slopes..." https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/news/from-the-track-to-the-screen-the-life-of-eugenio-monti-in-the-new-television-series-rosso-volante

- "«Rosso» per il colore dei capelli, «volante» perché nessuno come lui sa sfrecciare sulla neve... [Redhead for the colour of his hair, "flying" because no one knows how to speed through the snow like him.]" https://vocidicortina.it/a5159-Rosso-Volante-La-leggenda-di-Eugenio-Monti-e-del-suo-incredibile-bob#:~:text=%C2%ABRosso%C2%BB%20per%20il%20colore%20dei%20capelli%2C%20%C2%ABvolante%C2%BB,la%20leggenda%20che%20ha%20dato%20il%20nome

- "Appena due anni dopo veniva notato dal giornalista Gianni Brera che gli affibbiò il soprannome "Rosso Volante" (allusione ai colori dei capelli e alla grinta con cui fu sempre conosciuto). [Just two years later he was noticed by the journalist Gianni Brera who gave him the nickname "Flying Redhead" (an allusion to the colour of his hair and the determination for which he was always known).]"   https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugenio_Monti

1691) Ginger Shinault

Enoch Erskine "Ginger" Shinault (1892 – 1930). American Major League Baseball catcher who played for two seasons. He played for the Cleveland Indians from 1921 to 1922, playing in 35 career games. 

 

- "“Red” Shinault — this nickname was another nod both to hair color and persona..." https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/ginger-shinault/ 

 

1690) Bryn "Ginger" Jones

Bryn "Ginger" Jones (1905 – 1986). Professional boxer from Wales. Born in Ferndale, but later based in Ammanford, Jones was notable for becoming the Welsh featherweight champion in 1929.

 

- "With his fiery red hair, he has quickly earned the nickname "Ginger Jones" and has become a fan favorite." https://boxingundefeated.com/boxers/bryn-jones/ 

 

1688) Dennis Johnson

Dennis Wayne Johnson (1954 – 2007), nicknamed "DJ". American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and an alumnus of Dominguez High School, Los Angeles Harbor College and Pepperdine University.
The Celtics retired Johnson's No. 3 jersey which hangs from the rafters of the TD Garden, the home arena of the team. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame officially inducted Johnson to the Hall posthumously in 2010. He is considered by several sports journalists to be one of the most underrated players of all time.

 

- "Johnson was also known for his appearance: he had freckles and red-tinged hair." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dennis_Johnson

 

1687) Bill Walton

Bill Walton (born William Theodore Walton III, 1952 – 2024). American basketball player and television sportscaster. He played collegiately for the UCLA Bruins and professionally in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Portland Trail Blazers, San Diego / Los Angeles Clippers, and Boston Celtics. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame.
His professional career was significantly hampered by foot injuries, requiring numerous surgeries (he underwent 37 orthopedic surgeries in his lifetime).
After retiring from the NBA, Walton overcame stuttering and embarked on a second career as a sportscaster, working both as a studio analyst and color commentator with several networks and teams. He earned an Emmy Award in 1991.

 

- "Walton became the No. 1 overall pick in the 1974 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers and, now with a fiery red beard to match his tousled hair, led the Blazers to a title in 1977." https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/basketball-legend-bill-walton-dead-71/story?id=110588257

 

- "To celebrate the life of the legendary red-headed Deadhead, here’s a collection of SI covers from his career and the stories that go along with them." https://www.si.com/nba/remembering-bill-walton-career-through-sports-illustrated-covers 

 

- "Bill Walton is probably the best red head to ever play the game of basketball..." https://studentunionsports.com/the-greatest-red-headed-basketball-players-of-all-time/ 

 

1684) Al Wingo

Absalom Holbrook Wingo (1898 – 1964). American baseball player.
He began playing baseball at Oglethorpe University and played professional baseball, primarily as an outfielder, for 15 years from 1918 to 1932. He followed his older brother Ivey to the major leagues in 1919 as an outfielder for the Philadelphia Athletics.
He played for the Detroit Tigers from 1924 to 1928 and later played for the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League from 1929 to 1931.

 

- "Absalom had red hair, so, naturally he acquired the nickname “Red.” https://www.vintagedetroit.com/al-red-wingo-1925-detroit-tigers-outfielder-with-harry-heilmann-ty-cobb/?srsltid=AfmBOopeXX3ZK9WsArvFI9THRYuESOT2SrcVE_fjyb9eLOauWAViLyvj 

 

1680) William Hargrave

William McKinley "Pinky" Hargrave (1896 – 1942). American baseball catcher. He played professional baseball for 19 years from 1919 to 1937, including 10 years in Major League Baseball with the Washington Senators (1923–1925, 1930–1931), St. Louis Browns (1925–1926), Detroit Tigers (1928–1930), and Boston Braves (1932–1933).
He was the younger brother of Bubbles Hargrave, who was a catcher in the major leagues between 1913 and 1930.

 

- "His flaming red hair inspired his nickname..." https://members.tripod.com/bb_catchers/catchers/hargravep.htm

 

- "They called him Pinky because of his red hair." https://www.reddit.com/r/baseball/comments/cdl0tf/happy_birthday_bubbles_hargrave_wait_why_did_they/

 

1679) Cuthbert Burnup

Cuthbert James "Pinky" Burnup (1875 – 1960). English amateur sportsman, who played cricket and football around the turn of the 20th century. Burnup played once for the England football team but is more renowned for playing over 200 first-class cricket matches, mainly for Kent County Cricket Club. He was named as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year in 1903.

 

- "For reasons unknown, at Oxford and for all or most of his playing career Burnup was known as ‘Pinky’. He had red hair but it is not clear if this had any relevance to his nickname." https://archive.acscricket.com/books/Kent_Cricketers_A_to_Z_Part_One.pd

 

1666) Arturo Dejana

Arturo Dejana (1938 - 2022). Italian jockey.
He was born in Sardinia and participated in two editions of the Palio di Siena.
The first time was in 1966, running for the Istrice contrada on a horse called Bolero. Unfortunately, on that occasion Dejana unsaddled his rival Bruno Deriu (who was running for the Lupa contrada), and then grabbed the reins of the "shaken" horse Danubio, that was galloping towards triumph. Deiana won the Palio, but the victory was taken away from him and his bad behavior cost him a disqualification for eight editions.
He participated again in the Palio di Siena in 1972, running for the Selva contrada on the horse Pitagora.

 

- "Arturo Dejana detto Pel di Carota, soprannome dovuto ai suoi capelli rossi... [Arturo Dejana, nicknamed Carrot Top for his red hair...]" https://www.brontolodicelasua.it/ciao-pel-di-carota-buon-viaggio

 

- "Gli fu dato il soprannome Pel di Carota per i capelli rossi. [He was given the nickname Carrot Top for his red hair]" https://www.lavocedelpalio.it/2022/12/Ci-ha-lasciato-Arturo-Dejana-detto-Pel-di-Carota

 

1655) Jim McCarthy

James (Jim) Stephen McCarthy (1924 – 2015). Irish rugby union player who played for Munster, the Irish national team, and the British and Irish Lions. He was a member of the Grand Slam winning Irish squad in the 1948 Five Nations Championship.

 

- ""A flying redhead, he was an invaluable ally to Jack Kyle..." https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/munster-legend-jim-mccarthy-dies-aged-90-a-great-character-and-an-even-greater-player/31161646.html 

 

- "The red head of McCarthy popped up everywhere,” https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/rugby/arid-20325368.html 

 

- "... his red hair and all-action displays making him stand out in the Irish back row..." https://www.irishrugby.ie/2015/04/21/jim-mccarthy-a-rugby-life-in-quotes/

 

 

1654) Roei Sadan

Roei Sadan (1982 – 2021). Israeli adventurer who became famous worldwide for cycling around the world.
Roei’s worldwide cycling voyage started in July 2007, in Alaska’s Prudhoe Bay, a voyage that lasted four and a half years.
Sadan next planned a kayak trip across the West Coast of North America. In 2015, while taking a break from his training for the trip, he vacationed in India where he was seriously injured in a mountain climbing accident in the Stok Kangri mountain range. After being stabilized, he was flown to Israel where he was hospitalized at Sheba Medical Center and was in a coma for more than a month before awakening. He had to undergo lengthy rehabilitation and physical therapy.
On 11 March 2021, while riding his bicycle near Rosh Hanikra, Sadan was hit by a bus and suffered permanent brain damage. He died at the hospital the next day.

 

- "An inspiring interview with a courageous Israeli red-head who is about to go cycling around the world for the second time." https://www.outlooktraveller.com/explore/adventure/back-to-faith-an-interview-with-roei-sadan 

 

1648) Robert Herbin

Robert Herbin (1939 – 2020). French football defender and manager. A one-club man as a player AS Saint-Étienne, he later managed the team for eleven years. He won five Ligue 1 titles as a player and four as a manager, and his team lost the 1976 European Cup Final to FC Bayern Munich at Hampden Park.

 

- "He was recognisable for his large red hair, and for his reserved personality he was known as "Le Sphinx". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Herbin 

 

- "... as the 18-year-old Herbin arrived in Loire complete with a thick mop of auburn hair that would later morph into his distinctive wispy ginger afro." https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2020/classic-teams-1-st-etienne-1970-76/

 

1573) George Camsell

George Camsell (1902 - 1966).

English footballer. Scored a club record 325 league goals in 418 games for Middlesbrough. Also holds the highest goals-to-games ratio of any England player who played more than once, scoring 18 goals in 9 appearances.

"John Arlott, the great cricket journalist who for a time covered football for the Guardian, wrote that Camsell 'was not just a poacher, but a well-equipped footballer…red-headed, athletically built, buoyant, balanced and fast.'"

https://thesetpieces.com/latest-posts/george-camsell-forgotten-goal-machine/ 

1567) Maurice "Red" Elder

Maurice "Red" Elder (1916 – 2011). American football and baseball coach. He served as the head football coach at Colorado State University Pueblo (CSU Pueblo) from 1946 to 1951.

Elder was a fullback at Kansas State University in the mid–1930s, where he played on the conference champion 1934 Kansas State Wildcats football team. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in 1937 but dropped out of training camp and, instead, pursued a career in coaching.

He married twice, had five children, 16 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild.

Elder was the maternal grandfather of NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia.

 

- "He added, “And he’s who I got my red hair from.” https://gilroydispatch.com/always-positive-maurice-red.../

 

 

1564) Paddy Graham

Paddy Graham (1932 - 2019). British boxer.

Born in County Down (Northern Ireland), he later lived in the Markets area and became a regular fixture at a time when thousands would attend weekly and monthly fights at the Ulster and Kings Hall.

His record saw him win 33 fights with 19 by knockout, as well as 19 losses with six by knockout and one draw.

 

- "A respected figure from a golden age of boxing, easily recognised for his bright red hair..." https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/tributes-to-fighter-who-was-part-of-the-golden-generation-of-belfast-boxing/38585785.html

 

 

1552) Sidney Franklin

Sidney Franklin (born Sidney Frumkin; 1903 – 1976). First American to become a successful matador, the most senior level of bullfighter.

He was born to Orthodox Jewish parents. In 1922, he traveled to Mexico City, where he began a career in bullfighting, and fought bulls in Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama.

Franklin was praised by Hemingway in Death in the Afternoon.

 

- "This remark, tossed off in a Mexico City café, infuriated a young poster artist with flaming red hair and a temper to match." https://content.time.com/.../article/0,33009,817393,00.html

 

- "Light skinned with reddish hair, Mr. Franklin was a raconteur who relished being the center of attention." http://www.somosprimos.com/sp2019/spaug19/spaug19.htm

 

- "In Bullfighter from Brooklin he recounts a wonderfully implausible tale of meeting an Indian tribe near Guatemala that worships his red hair and pale skin..." https://books.google.it 

 

 

1551) Dave Sime

Dave Sime (David William Sime, 1936 – 2016). American sprinter, multi-sport athlete at Duke University, and a pioneering ophthalmologist. He won a silver medal in the 100-meter dash at the 1960 Olympic Games. He held several sprint records during the late 1950s.

Sime never played sports professionally. He graduated in the top 10% of his class at the Duke University School of Medicine. He then practiced medicine as an ophthalmologist in Florida, where he was a pioneer in intraocular lens transplants.

 

- "... he could just as easily have added that the young man in question would be red-haired, wear size 11 shoes, play the trumpet and have an affinity for pizza pie." https://vault.si.com/vault/1956/06/04/superman-in-spikes

 

- "The tall, redheaded sprinter with the free-floating stride made his bid on the turn of the 200-meter dash." https://content.time.com/.../article/0,33009,824284,00.html

 

- "A tall, rangy redhead at 6 feet 2 ½ inches and 179 pounds..." https://www.nytimes.com/.../dave-sime-once-the-worlds...