Is Tony Stewart the best Hoosier ever?

Some friends and I used to make fun of those Subway commercials with Jared and NASCAR Champion Tony Stewart, saying that those 30-second TV spots showcase two of Indiana's greatest legends. Jared went to school at IU and lost hundreds of pounds eating sandwiches in Bloomington, while Stewart was born in my hometown of Columbus and still lives there.



Although it's a total caricature, it's comical to think of Tony, a NASCAR driver, as one of the finest citizens of a state best known for its corn, there's a kernel of truth to it (Get it? Kernel...kernel...). Love him or hate him, Stewart is one of the best drivers in the country's top racing circuit. He's won the Winston/Nextel Cup Championship twice, and he won his second race at the Brickyard today. Keep in mind that last time he won at Indy, my hometown had a parade in his honor (which I helped cover at The Republic).



Stewart's win today got me thinking: Where does Tony rank among the best Hoosiers in sports today?



Let's find out. Here's my top 10 list of athletes with Indiana ties.



A couple quick clarifications: I stuck to current athletes, so no coaches (sorry, Cam Cameron) or coaches (that means you, Mark Cuban). Also, I extended the list to include players who went to school in Indiana - not just native Hoosiers.



10. Adewale Ogunleye: DE, Chicago Bears. One of the biggest reasons the Bears' D was the best in the league. He went to the Pro Bowl in '03, playing opposite Jason Taylor with the Dolphins and racking up 15 sacks. Only had 6.5 sacks last year, but still got 'da Bears to 'da Super Bowl. Who would have thought an IU grad would ever do anything in the NFL?



9. Scott Rolen: 3B, St. Louis Cardinals. The Jasper native was the second overall pick in the 1993 amateur draft and played with the Phillies. He was one of the best third basemen in the league, but also a self-centered jerk. Pretty decent pro career, winning a World Series ring with the Cardinals last year, but has only hit over .300 once.

8. Mike Conley Jr.: PG, Memphis Grizzlies. The other freshman from Ohio State who went to Lawrence North H.S. in Indy, Conley was the fifth pick of this year's draft by the Grizz. The Nap-Town native is the best young point guard to come along since Chris Paul, and he has the speed and explosive ability to be even better than that. We'll see if he has the maturity and jumper to become a star.

7. Julius Jones: RB, Dallas Cowboys. Notre Dame grad has had a solid but injury-plagued pro career with the Boys, increasing his rushing total each year. Despite sharing the rushing load with Marion Barber, he had 1,084 yards last year and could be on his way to a Pro Bowl in the near future.

6. Tony Stewart: NASCAR driver. We've already been through his credentials. He's won in midget cars, open-wheel cars and NASCAR, including two series championships. Tony has 31 NASCAR victories, including two at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, something the Columbus native/Rushville Rocket truly treasures. Also, when he wins, the Dairy Queen downtown offers dirt-cheap chocolate milkshakes!!!

5. Brady Quinn: QB, Cleveland Browns. The Golden Boy with the Golden Arm who played, well, within a spiral's throw from the Golden Dome. Either the first or second best QB in the draft, he found a good home with Cleveland and left tackle Joe Thomas. He helped Notre Dame wake up the echoes of years past with a 19-6 record over the last two seasons.

4. Zach Randolph: PF, New York Knicks. Marion native was the NBA's 2003-2004 Most Improved Player with the Trailblazers, but had his real break-through season last year when he averaged 24 points and 10 rebounds a game. Now that he's moved to the Eastern Conference, he should dominate with the Knicks. Even if he is a jerk.

3. Jeff Gordon: NASCAR driver. Born in California, the Rainbow Warrior (hehe) moved to Pittsboro, Ind. for the racing. Smart move. He's won four NASCAR Championships, four Brickyard 400 races and three Daytona 500s. He's well on his way to becoming the best driver since Dale Earnhardt and, fittingly, his first race was Richard Petty's last. Oh, and he's first in this year's Nextel Cup points race.

2. Greg Oden: C, Portland Trailblazers. Conley's teammate at Lawrence North and Ohio State, the Terre Haute native was the first pick of this year's NBA Draft. He led the Buckeyes to the NCAA title game this year and had the best game of his young career there. While his offense needs work (translation: sucks), he's expected to be one of the best defensive big men ever. Oh, and he led Lawrence North to three straight state titles.

1. Drew Brees: QB, New Orleans Saints. One of the nicest guys in sports (and my pick for last year's SI Sportsman of the Year), Brees brought excitement to a city that desperately needed it. He took the Saints to the NFC Championship and could bring them a Super Bowl this year. Better still, it's not the first time the best QB not named Peyton or Brady has worked miracles: he took Purdue from obscurity to the 2001 Rose Bowl.