Bet You Never Knew These Folks Were Greensboro, North Carolina Natives

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Greensboro boasts an impressive roster of notable figures—from BET CEO Debra Lee to NBA legend Bob McAdoo. Discover the talent rooted here.

Watching the recent BET Music Awards and hearing the channel’s CEO Debra Lee say that she hailed from our very own Greensboro, NC was shocking. We decided to put together a list of other notable peeps from the city that Kubashi calls home. Granted, technically not all were from the city of Greensboro—a few lived in the 20-30 min surrounding area. So, we claim them.

Debra Lee: Greensboro’s Entertainment Maven

Photo Credit: Nicholas Hunt/BET/Getty Images

Born August 8, 1954 Debra is the (soon to be former) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BET, the parent company for Black Entertainment Television. Lee sat on the board of directors for a number of companies/organizations, including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association the Ad Council, and the National Cable Television Association. The Hollywood Reporter named Debra Lee, Esq. one of the “100 Most Powerful Women in Entertainment” for her numerous achievements during her 30-plus-year career at BET.

Loretta Lynch: From Greensboro to U.S. Attorney General

Photo Credit: Justin Lane/EPA

Born May 21, 1959, Loretta is a lawyer who served as the 83rd Attorney General of the United States. Our nation’s first Black president, Barack Obama, appointed her in 2015. Prior to that, she held the position for United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York under both Bill Clinton (1999–2001) and Barack Obama (2010–15).

John Isner: Greensboro’s Tennis Star

Photographer Prakash Shroff captured tennis star John Isner for Vogue in September 2012.

Born April 26, 1985, Isner is a graduate of Walter Hines Page High School (which happens to be my Alma Mater and also the best high school in Greensboro). John later attended the University of Georgia, where he majored in speech communication and continued his highly decorated tennis career (13 titles, and a 61% win record). He currently resides in Tampa, Florida, where he trains at the Saddlebrook Academy alongside other American tennis pros such as James Blake and Mardy Fish.

Nash Grier: Social Media Pioneer

Photo Credit: Heather Marie Photography

Hamilton Nash Grier, a Vine-famous social media star, was born on December 28, 1997, in Greensboro, where his mother, Elizabeth Floyd, and father, Chad Grier, raised him. At the height of Vine, Nash boasted more than 9 million followers, besting celebs like Wiz Khalifa and Harry Styles. Nash is the second-oldest child with an older brother, Will Grier, who is a quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers; a younger brother, Hayes, and a younger half-sister, Skylynn.

Bob McAdoo: Greensboro’s Basketball Legend

Photo Credit: Getty

Bob McAdoo, born on September 25, 1951, grew up with his mother, who taught at his grade school, and his father, who worked as a custodian at North Carolina A&T University. He attended Ben L. Smith High School, where he was a  2-sport athlete (basketball and track & field). Bob was also in the school marching band as a saxophone player. B Mac played 14 seasons in the NBA where he was a five-time NBA All-Star and named the NBA’s MVP in 1975. He won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers during their Showtime era in the 1980s.

Isaac Carree: Gospel Artist

Photo Credit: Erika Goldring/ Getty

Isaac Carree was born April 28, 1973 to his mother Pastor Nancy Wilson of New Beginnings Community Outreach Church in Greensboro, North Carolina and father Isaac Thompson Carree, Jr. Carree started his music career, in 1996, with the gospel group Men of Standard. He began his solo career in 2011 and has since charted on The Billboard 200 along with chartings on Gospel Albums and Independent Albums charts.

Ken Jeong: Doctor Turned Comedy Star

Photo Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images

Ken Jeong, born on July 13, 1969, grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina, and attended Walter Hines Page High School. There, he joined the Quiz Bowl team, played the violin, and won election to the student council. Jeong gained fame for his roles as Ben Chang on the sitcom Community and Leslie Chow in The Hangover Trilogy. Jeong attended both the University of North Carolina and Duke University where he received his bachelors (1990) and M.D (1995), respectively. He is a licensed physician and once famously jumped from the stage in a comedy club to tend to a woman who was having a seizure. Ken has stopped practicing in favor of his acting career. Not a terrible decision.

Keenan Allen: NFL Wide Receiver with Greensboro Roots

Keenan Allen
Photo Credit: NBC Sports

Born April 27, 1992, Keenan Allen is a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Chargers with deep roots in Greensboro, NC. He played high school football at Northern Guilford High School, where he showcased his incredible talent on the field and became a standout player in the Greensboro community. Allen went on to play college football for the California Golden Bears before leaving after his junior year to enter the NFL. Drafted by the Chargers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft, Allen quickly made a name for himself, setting rookie records for receptions and receiving yards. The NFL named him the Comeback Player of the Year in 2017.

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Haywood Jeffires: Football Standout

Photo Credit: H. Scott Hoffmann/News & Record

Pronounced “Jeffries”, Haywood Jeffires was born in Greensboro on December 12, 1964 and attended high school at Walter Hines Page High School. He continued his education and his football success at North Carolina State University where from 1983 to 1986, he registered 111 receptions for 1,733 yards and 14 touchdowns. I personally remember seeing his accolades in the trophy cases of both Page High School and NC State while I attended. The Houston Oilers selected Jeffires 20th overall in the 1987 NFL Draft.

DeMario Pressley: Greensboro-Born NFL Champion

Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images North America

NFL Player and also a fellow Wolfpacker, DeMario was born Nov 3, 1985 and attended Dudley High School before going on to play collegiate football at North Carolina State University. He was a member of championship New Orleans Saints (2008–2010), Houston Texans (2010), Indianapolis Colts (2011), Denver Broncos (2011), Carolina Panthers (2011), and my own Chicago Bears (2012).

David Amerson: NFL Cornerback

Photo Credit: Raider Nation

The NFL named him the Comeback Player of the Year in 2017, a recognition that highlighted his remarkable resilience and determination. Building on this achievement, he continued to showcase his talent and dedication on the field, solidifying his reputation as one of the league’s standout players.

Close Calls: Celebrities Near Greensboro

These were close enough, so we’ll claim ’em.

Torry Holt: Gibsonville’s NFL Superstar

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Torry Holt wasn’t technically from Greensboro, he grew up just 20 minutes away in the small town of Gibsonville. Born on June 5, 1976, Holt attended Eastern Guilford High School, where his athletic talent began to shine. Over the course of 11 seasons in the NFL, he established himself as a highly decorated wide receiver. Holt retired as a seven-time Pro-Bowler, with the 10th most receiving yards in NFL history, including an unprecedented six consecutive seasons with over 1,300 yards. Known as “Big Game” for a reason, Holt played college football at North Carolina State University, where he earned consensus All-American honors. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft, and spent the next ten years with the Rams and is one of the members of the “Greatest Show on Turf.”

Chris Daughtry: McLeansville Rock Star

Photo Credit: Fox

Chris Daughtry, born December 26, 1979, in Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina, didn’t stay there long. His family relocated to McLeansville, a small town just outside Greensboro, where he grew up. In 2006, Chris captured national attention as a contestant on the fifth season of American Idol, finishing in fourth place and landing a record deal with RCA Records. Next, Chris famously formed the band, Daughtry with their self-titled debut album skyrocketing to success and becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album in Nielsen SoundScan history. It even reached the number-one spot on the Billboard chart in just nine weeks. Today, Chris Daughtry stands as the third most successful American Idol alum, trailing only behind two winners: Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood.

Honorable Mentions

These are recommendations made by our readers.

Orson Scott Card: Sci-Fi Author with Greensboro Ties

Orson Scott Card, the celebrated novelist behind Ender’s Game and its sequel, Speaker for the Dead, has a strong connection to Greensboro, North Carolina, though he isn’t a native of the city. Card often credits Greensboro as having a significant influence on his work. His achievements in science fiction are unparalleled; he won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards for these novels, making him the only sci-fi writer to claim both prestigious prizes in back-to-back years. Ender’s Game later made the leap to the big screen, with Card serving as co-producer for the 2013 film adaptation. Today, he continues to call Greensboro home.

Credit: John Bradley Nosek

Charlie Sanders: Hall of Fame Athlete from Greensboro

Charles Alvin Sanders, born August 25, 1946, passed in 2015. He was a Hall of Fame tight end (2007) for the Detroit Lions and was chosen to the All-Decade Team. Sanders was born in 1946 in Richlands, North Carolina but later attended James B. Dudley High School in Greensboro where he was a 3-sport athlete (football, baseball, and basketball).

Credit: Eric Ryan Sr.

Frank Lucas: Infamous Figure with Greensboro Connections

Lucas was technically born in La Grange, North Carolina, but was later raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. A tidbit made famous in Steven Zaillian’s 2007 film American Gangster. Frank was a notorious drug trafficker who operated in Harlem during the late 60s and early 70s and was known for cutting out “middlemen” and buying heroin directly from the source.

Credit: Eric Ryan Sr.

Brendan Haywood: NBA Star from Greensboro

Brendan Todd Haywood is a retired professional basketball player who played for the Washington Wizards (2001–2010), Dallas Mavericks (2010–2012), Charlotte Bobcats (2012–2014), and Cleveland Cavaliers (2014–2015). He attended James B. Dudley High School where he won North Carolina’s Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year and selected to the ’97 McDonalds All-American Team. More notably, Haywood finished his college career as the ACC’s all-time leader in field goal percentage (63.7%). He’s also the school’s all-time leader in blocked shots (304). Haywood now announces for CBS Sports.

Credit: Eric Ryan Sr.

Joey Cheek: Greensboro’s Olympic Speed Skater

Born June 22, 1979, William “Joey” Cheek is a former speed skater and inline speed skater who received gold and silver at the 2006 Olympic Games and bronze at the 2002 games in Salt Lake City. Joey attended  James B. Dudley High School and attended Princeton University.

Credit: Eric Ryan Sr.

Caroline Lind: World-Class Rower from Greensboro

Born October 11, 1982 in Greensboro, Caroline is a world-class rower winning golds in both the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games, and a slew of World Championship golds—6 to be exact. At the end of 2014 she was ranked the #1 female rower by World Rowing.

Credit: Eric Ryan Sr.

Whitney Way Thore: Reality Star and Body Positivity Advocate

Whitney Way Thore, born April 14, 1984, is a television personality best known for her appearances on the television show My Big Fat Fabulous Life. Thore received recognition on a national level for her positive body image campaign for promoting positive body image, No Body Shame.

Credit: David Mehler

Phonte Coleman: Greensboro’s Unsung Hip-Hop Lyricist

Talented rapper Phonte of the now-defunct North Carolina trio Little Brother was born December 28, 1978 and attended Walter Hines Page High School. He continued his education at North Carolina Central University where he also met member Big Pooh and legendary producer 9th Wonder. Phonte is highly regarded as one of the best lyricists who never got the accolades deserved by his peers and fans.

Credit: David Rogers Jr.

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