57 Notable alumni of
Boise State University
Updated:
Boise State University is 824th in the world, 305th in North America, and 284th in the United States by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 57 notable alumni from Boise State University sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Kellen Moore
- Enrolled in Boise State University
- Studied in 2007-2012
- Occupations
- American football coachAmerican football player
- Biography
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Kellen Christopher Moore is an American professional football coach and former quarterback who is the head coach for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos, setting the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) record for quarterback wins. Moore spent the majority of his professional career from 2012 to 2017 as a backup, seeing playing time with the Dallas Cowboys in 2015. After retiring as a player, Moore began a coaching career and became the Eagles' offensive coordinator in 2024. On February 7, 2025, he was announced the new head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
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Jay Ajayi
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Jay Ajayi is an English-born former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at Boise State University and was selected by the Dolphins in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft. Ajayi spent three seasons with the Dolphins, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2016, before being traded to Philadelphia during the 2017 season. As a member of the Eagles, Ajayi was a member of the team that won the franchise's first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII. He struggled with injuries afterwards, leading to his 2022 retirement.
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Leighton Vander Esch
- Occupations
- American football playergridiron football player
- Biography
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Leighton Vander Esch is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos, and was selected by the Cowboys in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. He spent six seasons with the team, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors in his rookie season before neck injuries prematurely ended his playing career.
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Bryan Harsin
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Bryan Dale Harsin is an American college football coach. He is the offensive coordinator at California. He was the head coach at Auburn Tigers from 2021–2022. Prior to coaching at Auburn, he coached the Boise State University Broncos from the 2014 season through the 2020 season where he posted a 69–19 overall record. He began his head coaching career at Arkansas State University for the 2013 season. Harsin was the co-offensive coordinator at the University of Texas for two seasons. Before leaving for Texas in 2011, Harsin was an assistant at Boise State for 10 seasons, the last five as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
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Demarcus Lawrence
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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DeMarcus Lawrence is an American professional football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2014 NFL draft. He played college football for the Butler Community College Grizzlies and Boise State Broncos.
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Orlando Jordan
- Occupations
- professional wrestler
- Biography
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Orlando Ruben Jordan is an American semi-retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE on its SmackDown brand, where he was a one-time United States Champion and for his time with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling.
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Doug Martin
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Douglas Martin is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons. He played college football for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.
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Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar
- Enrolled in Boise State University
- Studied in 1993-1994
- Occupations
- lawyerbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Elizabeth Barchas Prelogar is an American lawyer who served as solicitor general of the United States from 2021 to 2025. Prior to this, she served as acting solicitor general from January 20, 2021, at the start of the Biden administration, until President Joe Biden sent her nomination to the U.S. Senate on August 11, 2021.
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Shea McClellin
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Shea Keegan McClellin is an American former professional football player who was an outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. He was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
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Coby Karl
- Occupations
- basketball playerbasketball coach
- Biography
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Coby Joseph Karl is an American former professional basketball player who is an assistant coach of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is the son of NBA head coach George Karl.
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Ralph Torres
- Enrolled in Boise State University
- 1997-2001 graduated with Bachelor of Science in political science
- Occupations
- politicianlegislatorlawyer
- Biography
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Ralph Deleon Guerrero Torres is a Northern Marianan politician, who served as the ninth governor of the Northern Mariana Islands, from December 29, 2015, to January 9, 2023. He is a Republican from Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The third longest-serving governor in CNMI history, Torres took office upon the death of Governor Eloy Inos on December 29, 2015, before being reelected as governor in his own right in 2018. He previously served as the tenth lieutenant governor, having been elected to that post in 2014.
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Mike Sanford Jr
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Michael Gunnar William Sanford is an American football coach and former quarterback. He is the former interim head coach for the Colorado Buffaloes. He played college football at Boise State from 2000 to 2004. He then served as the head coach of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (2017–2018).
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Kamalei Correa
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Kamalei Correa is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the second round of the 2016 NFL draft.
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Youth Lagoon
- Occupations
- singer-songwritersinger
- Biography
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Trevor Powers is an American musician from Boise, Idaho. Powers was initially active as Youth Lagoon from 2010 to 2016, after which he announced that he was retiring from the project. He returned to music with a self-titled project in May 2018. In 2022, he took Youth Lagoon out of retirement with the announcement of a new album Heaven Is a Junkyard. Powers' music has been described as electronic and experimental with elements of pop.
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Russ Fulcher
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Russell Mark Fulcher is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Idaho's 1st congressional district since 2019. A member of the Republican Party, he represented the 21st district in the Idaho Senate from 2005 to 2012 and the 22nd district from 2012 until 2014.
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Justinian Jessup
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Justinian Jessup is an American professional basketball player for ratiopharm Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos and was selected by the Golden State Warriors with the 51st overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft.
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Tanoka Beard
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Tanoka Dwight Beard is an American former professional basketball player and coach. During his career, he was able to play both the power forward and center positions. He earned an All-EuroLeague Second Team selection in 2005, while leading the competition in rebounds, with an average of 10.6 per game. He won various European national domestic league championships and national domestic cup titles, in three different European countries.
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Emma Bates
- Occupations
- middle-distance runner
- Biography
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Emma Bates is an American long-distance runner, who competes in the marathon. Her achievements include winning the USA Marathon Championships in 2018, placing second in the 2021 Chicago Marathon, and finishing fifth in the 2023 Boston Marathon. Bates also represented the United States in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, where she set a personal best of 2:23.18 and finished seventh. Her highest position on the World Athletics Rankings was No. 14 in the marathon in July 2022.
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Lauren McLean
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Lauren Stein McLean is an American politician and entrepreneur currently serving as the mayor of Boise, Idaho. McLean was elected in the 2019 mayoral election, defeating incumbent mayor Dave Bieter. She assumed office on January 7, 2020.
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Trent Johnson
- Occupations
- basketball coachbasketball player
- Biography
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Trent Aubrey Johnson is a former American college basketball coach. Johnson had previously been the head coach at Cal State University Northridge, Texas Christian University, Louisiana State University, Stanford University, and University of Nevada.
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Ryan Dinwiddie
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Ryan Lee Dinwiddie is an American professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a quarterback in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders. He is a three-time Grey Cup champion after winning with the Calgary Stampeders as an assistant coach in 2018 and with the Argonauts as the head coach in 2022 and 2024.
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Donte Deayon
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Donte Deayon is an American former professional football cornerback. He played college football at Boise State, and was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent in 2016 before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in 2018.
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James Webb III
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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James Leroy Webb III is an American professional basketball player for the Liaoning Flying Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played college basketball for North Idaho College and Boise State University. He played in the NBA in 2017–18.
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Daryn Colledge
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Daryn Wayne Colledge is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. Colledge was selected in the second round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers and won Super Bowl XLV with them over the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then played for the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins.
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Bill LaBounty
- Occupations
- singer-songwriter
- Biography
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Bill LaBounty is an American musician. He was initially a singer-songwriter in the soft rock genre. As a solo artist, LaBounty recorded six studio albums, including four on Curb/Warner Bros. Records. His first charting single, "This Night Won't Last Forever", was covered in 1979 by Michael Johnson, whose rendition was a top 20 pop hit that year, and eventually also covered by the country group Sawyer Brown in the late 1990s.
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John Hightower
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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John Hightower IV is an American professional football wide receiver for the Michigan Panthers of the United Football League (UFL). He played college football at Boise State and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL draft.
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William Agee
- Occupations
- businesspersonchief executive officer
- Biography
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William McReynolds Agee was an American business executive. In 1976 at age 38, he was appointed president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the Bendix Corporation. From 1988 to 1995, Agee was the chairman, president, and CEO of Morrison-Knudsen.
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Bart Hull
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerice hockey playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Bart Hull is a former running back in the Canadian Football League. He is the son of famed Canadian hockey legend Bobby Hull, nephew of Dennis Hull and younger brother of Brett Hull. Hull had a prolific high school athletic career at Vancouver College High School in Vancouver, B.C. before attending Boise State on an athletic scholarship.
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Wesley Moodie
- Occupations
- tennis player
- Biography
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Wesley Moodie is a former professional tennis player from South Africa who won the 2005 Wimbledon Men's Doubles.
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Bill Sali
- Enrolled in Boise State University
- In 1981 graduated with Bachelor in Business Administration
- Occupations
- lawyerpolitician
- Biography
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William Thomas Sali is an American lawyer and politician who served as a congressman from Idaho. A Republican, he served a single term in the United States House of Representatives, representing Idaho's 1st congressional district from 2007 to 2009. Sali previously served in the Idaho Legislature as a member of the House.
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Sally Boynton Brown
- Biography
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Sally Boynton Brown is an American political strategist who served as the executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party from 2012 to 2017. She was also a candidate for the Democratic National Committee chairmanship election in 2017.
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Abu Kigab
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Abu Haef Kigab is a Sudanese-Canadian professional basketball player for the PS Karlsruhe Lions of the German second-tier league ProA. He played college basketball for the Oregon Ducks and for the Boise State Broncos of the Mountain West Conference. He was a key player on a Canada team that won the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in 2017.
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Chad Zielinski
- Occupations
- Catholic priestCatholic bishop
- Biography
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Chad William Zielinski is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who is the fifth bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm in Minnesota. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of Fairbanks in Alaska from 2014 to 2022.
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Derrick Alston Jr
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Derrick Samuel Alston Jr. is an American professional basketball player for Bàsquet Manresa of the Liga ACB and Champions League. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos.
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Avery Williams
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Avery Williams is an American professional football running back and return specialist for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Boise State.
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David J. Ryder
- Biography
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David J. Ryder is an American government official. He was the Director of the United States Mint from 1992 to 1993, and returned to the position from 2018 to 2021.
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Lori Easley
- Occupations
- teacherbeauty pageant contestant
- Biography
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Lori Otter is an American educator, author, and former beauty queen who served as First Lady of Idaho from 2007 to 2019. Otter is married to the former Governor of Idaho, C. L. "Butch" Otter. She was crowned Miss Idaho USA in 1991.
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Michelle Willis
- Occupations
- composersingerkeyboardist
- Biography
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Michelle Willis is a British-born, Canadian-raised singer/songwriter and keyboard player. She performs regularly as a solo artist and as a side musician with David Crosby and Becca Stevens. She has also worked with Iggy & The Stooges, Laura Mvula, Snarky Puppy, The Parachute Club, and the Zac Brown Band.
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Nick Cunningham
- Occupations
- bobsledderathletics competitor
- Biography
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Nick Cunningham is an American bobsledder who has competed since 2008. Nick Cunningham is a Sergeant in the New York Army National Guard in the 1156 Engineering Company, Vertical, and his job is a Construction and Masonry Engineer. Cunningham graduated from Monterey Peninsula College in 2005 and Boise State University in 2008 with a degree in Communications. While at BSU he was an elected team captain for the track team. Cunningham also holds a master's degree in Athletic Coaching Education from Ohio University. When he is not bobsledding, Cunningham enjoys football, track, surfing, and rodeo. His favorite sliding memory is accepting his first gold medal and standing on top of the podium with the National Anthem being played. Cunningham made the official switch from the back of the sled to the driver's seat in 2010 and has been consistent National Team driver for the U.S. program. Coaches expect Cunningham to be vying for a spot on the 2018 Winter Olympic Team.
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Adam Rita
- Occupations
- athlete
- Biography
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Adam Rita is a gridiron football coach & general manager, most notably in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He has served as the head coach of the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Rough Riders, and BC Lions and as general manager of the Lions and Argonauts. Since leaving the CFL in 2012, Rita has been coaching American football in Europe. Coaching the Bergamo Lions in the Italian Football League (IFL), Calanda Broncos in Switzerland, Prague Panthers in Czech, Berlin Adler Germany, Barcelona Dragons in Spain, in the newly formed European League of Football (ELF) in 2021 and returned again to the Bergamo Lions in 2022.
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Derrick Marks
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Derrick Marks is an American basketball player for Tramec Cento of the Italian Serie A2 Basket. He played college basketball for the Boise State Broncos.
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Calvin McCarty
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Calvin McCarty is an American former professional football fullback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He is currently the running backs coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He played as a tailback until 2014, when he became the starting fullback for the Edmonton Eskimos. McCarty was known for being able to fill many roles at his position, with TSN sportscaster Chris Schultz noting in 2010 that he is a "multi-purpose running back who catches the ball extremely well, blocks well and runs well". He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015.
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Brandyn Thompson
- Occupations
- Canadian football playerAmerican football player
- Biography
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Brandyn Thompson is an American college football coach and former cornerback. He is the cornerbacks coach for California State University, Sacramento, a position he has held since 2024. He was selected by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL) in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL draft and was also a member of the Toronto Argonauts, Ottawa Redblacks, and Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Boise State.
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Dennis Eichhorn
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Dennis P. Eichhorn was an American writer, best known for his adult-oriented autobiographical comic book series Real Stuff. His stories, often involving, sex, drugs, and alcohol, have been compared to those of Jack Kerouac, Ken Kesey, and Charles Bukowski.
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Emmanuel Akot
- Years
- 1999-.. (age 26)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Emmanuel Akot is a Canadian and South Sudanese professional basketball former player of Anwil Włocławek of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). He played college basketball for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, Arizona Wildcats and the Boise State Broncos.
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Kenny Gasana
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Kenneth Gasana is a Rwandan professional basketball player who currently plays for Bangui Sporting Club of the Road to BAL. Born in the United States, he represents the team of Rwanda internationally.
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RayJ Dennis
- Years
- 2001-.. (age 24)
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Raymond "RayJ" Patterson Dennis is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Indiana Mad Ants of the NBA G League. He played college basketball player for the Boise State Broncos, the Toledo Rockets and the Baylor Bears.
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Taylor Tharp
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Taylor Tharp is a former American football quarterback for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent following the 2008 NFL draft. Tharp also played Arena football and in Italian Football League (IFL). He played college football at Boise State. He is known for designing the Statue of Liberty play, which gave Boise State the win in overtime of the 2007 Fiesta Bowl.
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Renward Wells
- Occupations
- politiciansprinter
- Biography
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Renward Ricardo Wells is a Bahamian politician and retired sprinter who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Bamboo Town from 2012 to 2021. In sprinting, he specialized in the 100 metres.
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Mark Criner
- Occupations
- American football player
- Biography
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Mark Criner is an American football coach. He currently serves as the outside linebackers coach for the Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team. At the college football level, he served defensive coordinator for six seasons at the University of Idaho, and also held the same position at Middle Tennessee, Cincinnati, Portland State, the original XFL's Las Vegas Outlaws, and CSU–Pueblo. He has also worked as a defensive assistant at Minnesota, Eastern Michigan, Utah State, Lamar, LSU, the Alliance of American Football's Atlanta Legends, and Tulane. He was also the linebackers coach and assistant special teams coach for the Seattle Dragons.
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Jason Ellis
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Jason Ellis is a retired American professional basketball player. He played five seasons with Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League, two seasons for GasTerra Flames and two seasons with Boncourt. He played college basketball for Boise State University.
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Matt Bauscher
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Matthew Don Bauscher is an American former professional basketball player. Bauscher played three years for the Boise State Broncos, from 2005 till 2008, during his college career. He was the team captain at Boise State while winning the regular season and tournament championship. He earned All Conference Defense and All Conference Tournament Team. Afterwards he played six seasons as a professional player in Europe, spending most of his time in the Netherlands, in the Dutch Basketball League (DBL). Bauscher won the DBL championship in 2010. He also played in top divisions of Germany and Cyprus.
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Mark Sanchez
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Mark Sanchez is a former American-Mexican professional basketball player.
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Gregory Chaney
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Gregory Dallas Chaney is an American attorney and politician. He was as a Republican member of the Idaho House of Representatives from 2014 to 2022, where he represented the 10B district.
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Alan Heathcock
- Years
- 1960-.. (age 65)
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Alan Heathcock is an American fiction writer. He is the author of the acclaimed short story collection VOLT (2011) and the dystopian novel 40 (2022).
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Bryan Defares
- Occupations
- basketball player
- Biography
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Bryan Defares is a Dutch former basketball player. Defares was a member of the Dutch national basketball team from 2004 till 2012.
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Larry Laverty
- Occupations
- television actorfilm actor
- Biography
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Laurence Laverty is an American character actor. His film roles include playing Larry Davies in The Hamiltons (2006), as well as appearances in Dead Tone (2007) and in Gus Van Sant's Elephant (2003). Laverty made television guest appearances in Judging Amy, The Practice, Breaking Vegas, Nash Bridges, and MADtv. His performance on The Tonight Show led to a number of appearances on daytime soap operas including Days of Our Lives, Passions, Port Charles, and All My Children.
