Biggest late-career bloomers

Actors division - Tom Skerritt, Charles Durning, Dame Maggie Smith and Judy Dench
Athletes division - Joe Torre (managing), Eckersley, Michael Cooper, Ray Allen, Vinnie Johnson.

 

Ray Allen and Eckersley weren't late bloomers. They'd already bloomed, went dormant, then resurrected themselves. I was more referring to guys who didn't have the mountain before the valley. Those are great comebacks (like George Foreman), but they're not late bloomers.

 

Golf version: Ben Hogan

For his first seven years on Tour, he was a journeyman who had never won, and was considering giving up the professional game as he rolled into the 1940 North & South Open at Pinehurst No. 2. Finally, he won there - and then BOOM: Ben Hogan at Pinehurst | Pinehurst Resort

 

Ray Croc gets honorable mention.

 

Vince Lombardi? He was 46 when he took over the packers and hadn’t been a head coach at a level above high school. Now, 46 may not seem that old now, but he was considered an old man when he joined the packers.

 

Not a superstar or anything, but R.A. Dickey was a never-was and washed out when he signed with the Mets in 2010 at age 35. Perfected the hard knuckleball and won the Cy Young in 2012. Got a big contract with the Jays.

Incredible personal story as well.

 

Jim Morris, who got hurt, washed out of the minors, became a school teacher and coach, and ended up trying out for the Rays to pay off a bet with his team and ended up making it the majors as a September call-up..

 

About Johnny Bower - he was always a Hall-of-Fame goalie. But in his day the NHL had six teams and no backup goalies, so six jobs. His first year in the NHL with the Rangers, IIRC, he took over for the injured incumbent, then it was back to the minors the next when the Rangers decided to keep the other guy. Also, he loved playing in Cleveland and wasn't keen at first when the Leafs came calling when he was 34 years old. So it wasn't like he suddenly bloomed at 34.

 

Didn't notice this thread the other day, so chiming in now to say that the "Airplane" and "Naked Gun" commentaries are worth listening to, because the producers talk about the casting process and crack wise throughout, especially on the "Naked Gun" movies. They said that when they tried to cast Nielsen, a studio executive told them that Nielsen was the guy you cast a week before a movie - meaning, after everyone else had passed or pulled out.

 

Interesting to note - I don't think a single NBA guy has been named. Jeremy Lin was 22, 23 and in his second season. I'm sure there are guys who have gone from average player or journeyman to all-star, but I can't think of a situation where a guy was like a five-year pro or end of bench guy that went to an all-star. Kyle Lowry was 27 and on his third team when he became a star with the Raptors, but he was playing major minutes in the two previous stops and was thought more of as "talented but a headache."