USC, 1977
John Naber was an Honorary Inductee to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Hall of Fame in 2012.
John Naber began swimming competitively at age 13, and soon was practicing 10 miles a day in the pool, six days a week, 11 months a year, with Olympic goals in mind. His years of dedication came to fruition at USC, where he won 10 individual and five relay national titles while helping lead the Trojans to four consecutive NCAA championships -- all while counseling his fellow students as a resident adviser.
The summer before his senior year, Naber competed in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, where he was America's most decorated Olympian, with four gold medals and one silver. His victories there broke six world records -- including the first 200-meter backstroke in under 2 minutes -- two of which stood unbroken for seven years. He was named Swimming World Magazine's Male Swimmer of the Year in 1976, and won the James E. Sullivan Award for America's top amateur athlete in 1977.
After earning his bachelor's degree in psychology in 1977 and retiring from swimming, Naber went on to successful careers as a sports broadcaster and motivational speaker. He covered nine Olympiads for TV and radio, and served as Olympic torch bearer four times. An active member of the Southern California community, Naber also served as an honorary swim coach for the Special Olympics, and was on the board of "Swim with Mike," a scholarship for disabled student-athletes.
Born: Evanston, Ill.
High School: Woodside High School
Occupation: Sports Broadcaster