# List of Central Michigan University people

This is a list of notable alumni and faculty of Central Michigan University.

## Alumni
### Acting

* Tim Allen – actor, Toy Story, Home Improvement (attended; transferred to Western Michigan University)
* Larry Joe Campbell – actor, co-starred on According to Jim as Andy
* Jeff Daniels – Emmy-winning actor, Terms of Endearment, Arachnophobia, Gettysburg, Dumb and Dumber, Good Night, and Good Luck, The Newsroom
* Carter Oosterhouse – reality TV star of Trading Spaces
* Terry O'Quinn – Emmy-winning actor, co-starred on Lost as John Locke
* Amy Roloff – reality TV star of Little People, Big World
* Brad Slaight – actor, The Young and the Restless, Love Chronicles, Unsolved Mysteries; comedian

### Broadcasting

* Cam Brainard – voiceover artist and broadcaster
* Dick Enberg – Emmy-winning sports broadcaster
* Clark Howard – syndicated consumer talk-show host
* Edythe Lewis – pioneering Black disc jockey
* Lem Tucker – Emmy-winning correspondent, CBS News

### Journalism

* Terry Foster – The Detroit News columnist and WXYT-FM radio host
* John Grogan – author of best-selling memoir Marley & Me and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist
* Lorrie Lynch – weekend editor, columnist, USA Today magazine
* Roger Schawinski – Swiss media pioneer and founder of TeleZüri and Tele24
* Drew Sheneman – award-winning editorial cartoonist, The Star-Ledger

### Politics and military

* Ralph Baker – U.S. Army brigadier general
* Matt Bevin – former Governor of Kentucky
* Kevin Cotter – former speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives
* Vivien Crea – U.S. Coast Guard vice admiral and 25th Vice Commandant of the United States Coast Guard
* Michael P. DeLong – U.S. Marine Corps lieutenant general
* Robert P. Griffin – United States Senator and House of Representatives member
* Scott Haraburda – U.S. Army colonel and president of Indiana Society of Professional Engineers
* Joseph R. Inge – U.S. Army lieutenant general
* Reuben D. Jones – U.S. Army major general
* William F. Kernan – U.S. Army general and commander of Joint Forces Command
* Dan Kildee – United States Representative for Michigan's 5th congressional district
* Alveda King – activist, author, and former state representative for the 28th District in the Georgia House of Representatives; niece of Martin Luther King Jr.
* Andrea LaFontaine – represents 32nd District in Michigan House of Representatives
* Brenda Lawrence – United States Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district, former mayor of Southfield, Michigan, and 2010 Democratic Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan
* Michael R. Lehnert – U.S. Marine Corps major general
* Mike Maturen – 2016 United States presidential candidate
* Herbert H. McMillan – former Maryland state delegate
* William Nolde – U.S. Army colonel last official combat casualty of Vietnam War
* Thomas M. Pappas – U.S. Army colonel disciplined from the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal
* Pete Peterson – U.S. Air Force colonel and Florida Representative
* Lorraine K. Potter – 14th Chief of Chaplains of the United States Air Force
* Philip Potvin – represents 102nd district in Michigan House of Representatives
* Joseph Ralston – U.S. Air Force general and commander of NATO
* John W. Raymond – U.S. Space Force general
* Verlina Reynolds-Jackson – politician who represents the 15th Legislative District in the New Jersey General Assembly
* Courtney Rogers – U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and Tennessee Representative
* Jimmy D. Ross – U.S. Army general and commander of Army Materiel Command
* John B. Sams – U.S. Air Force Lieutenant General and commander of 15th Air Force
* Peter Schoomaker – 35th Chief of Staff of the United States Army
* Norton A. Schwartz – 19th Chief of Staff of the Air Force
* Mary Sheffield – President of the Detroit City Council
* Lance L. Smith – U.S. Air Force general
* Michael D. Steele – U.S. Army colonel
* Stephen Twitty – U.S. Army major general, Commanding Officer Fort Bliss
* Anthony Zinni – businessman and retired U.S. Marine Corps general

### Sports

* Curtis Adams – former National Football League running back for the San Diego Chargers
* Phil Baroni – professional MMA fighter formerly with the UFC
* Dan Bazuin – former NFL defensive end for the Chicago Bears
* Walter Beach – former NFL safety for the Cleveland Browns
* Nick Bellore – NFL fullback for the Washington Commanders
* Ray Bentley – former NFL linebacker, primarily with the Buffalo Bills; ESPN broadcaster
* Jim Bowman – former NFL defensive back for the New England Patriots
* Mark Brisker – American-Israeli professional basketball player
* Antonio Brown – former NFL wide receiver for the Pittsburgh Steelers
* Josh Collmenter – former MLB player with the Arizona Diamondbacks
* Tyler Conklin – NFL tight end for the New York Jets
* Paris Cotton – CFL running back with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* Tom Crean – head men's basketball coach for the Indiana Hoosiers (2008–2017)
* Todd Dagenais – head coach for UCF Knights women's volleyball
* Titus Davis – former NFL wide receiver
* Tony F. Elliott – former NFL defensive back for the Green Bay Packers
* Paul Emmel – MLB umpire
* Dietrich Enns – MLB pitcher
* Tony Ferguson (attended) – mixed martial artist, The Ultimate Fighter 13 winner, currently competing in the UFC's Lightweight Division
* Eric Fisher – former NFL offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts
* Eric Ghiaciuc – former NFL center for the Cincinnati Bengals
* Luke Goedeke - NFL offensive tackle for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Josh Gordy – former NFL defensive back for the Indianapolis Colts
* Brock Gutierrez – former NFL center, primarily for the Detroit Lions
* Troy Hairston - NFL fullback for the Houston Texans
* Gary Hogeboom – former NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
* Nate Huffman – professional basketball player, 2001 Israeli Basketball Premier League MVP
* Tory Humphrey – former NFL tight end for the New Orleans Saints
* Robert Jackson – former NFL defensive back for the Cincinnati Bengals
* Cullen Jenkins – former NFL defensive end for the Green Bay Packers
* Stephen Jones – CFL All-Star and Grey Cup champion
* Chris Kaman – former NBA player
* Adam Kieft – former NFL offensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals
* Chris Knapp – MLB pitcher
* Dan LeFevour – former NFL quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts
* Andy MacDonald – head coach for Northern Arizona Lumberjacks football (1965–1968)
* James McElroy – former NBA player for the New Orleans Jazz and the Atlanta Hawks
* Dan Majerle – former NBA player, primarily for the Phoenix Suns
* Zach McKinstry – MLB player currently with the Detroit Tigers
* Suzy Merchant – women's basketball head coach, Michigan State
* Drew Mormino – NFL offensive lineman for the Miami Dolphins
* Shane Morris – Arena Football League quarterback for the Baltimore Brigade
* Marguerite Pearson – All-American Girls Professional Baseball League player and athletic instructor at CMU
* Kito Poblah – former CFL wide receiver, primarily for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
* Jim Podoley – former NFL wide receiver for the Washington Redskins
* Ben Poquette – former NBA player for the Detroit Pistons
* Ryan Radcliff – former quarterback
* Bernhard Raimann - NFL offensive tackle for the Indianapolis Colts
* Thomas Rawls – former NFL running back for the Seattle Seahawks
* Mose Rison – head coach for North Carolina Central Eagles football (2007–2010)
* Dan Roundfield – former NBA player, primarily with the Atlanta Hawks
* Cooper Rush – NFL quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys
* Chase Simon (born 1989) – basketball player for Maccabi Ashdod of the Israeli Basketball Premier League
* Joe Staley – former NFL offensive tackle, first-round draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers (2007)
* George "The Animal" Steele – professional wrestler
* Kevin Tapani – former MLB pitcher, primarily with the Minnesota Twins
* Zurlon Tipton – former NFL running back for the Indianapolis Colts
* Tom Tresh – 1962 AL Rookie of the Year, shortstop, primarily with the New York Yankees
* Jonathan Ward – NFL running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers
* J. J. Watt – former NFL defensive lineman for the Houston Texans; left school after one year
* Curt Young – former MLB pitcher, current pitching coach with the Oakland Athletics
* Frank Zombo – former NFL linebacker for the Kansas City Chiefs

### Miscellaneous

* Angeline Boulley – author of Firekeeper's Daughter
* Jeffrey R. Caponigro – president and CEO of Caponigro Public Relations, Inc
* Harold Cronk – screenwriter, director, producer and founding partner at 10 West Studios
* Alex Cruz – former British Airways CEO
* Cerelyn J. Davis – Memphis Chief of Police
* DDG – Youtuber and rapper
* Andrew Dost – pianist in the Grammy Award-winning band Fun
* Dennis Frederiksen – vocalist
* James Kamsickas – chairman and CEO of Dana Incorporated
* Eric Limarenko – video artist
* Brandi Love – pornographic actress
* Guy Newland – Professor of Philosophy and Religion
* Karen J. Nichols – physician and former medical school dean
* Terry Nichols – participant in the Oklahoma City bombing (attended 1 semester)
* Jennifer Schomaker, chemist, professor, researcher
* Bill Schwab – fine art photographer
* Keith Sintay – animation artist
* Lori Nelson Spielman – author
* C. W. Thornthwaite – geographer and climatologist

## Faculty

* Jeffrey Addicott – Adjunct law professor
* Bill Ballenger – Political science professor
* Stephen M. Colarelli – Psychology professor
* Sidney Graham – Math professor
* Mitchell K. Hall – History professor
* Eric A. Johnson – History professor
* Sari Ibrahim Khoury – Art professor
* Charles V. Park – Library science professor
* Paul Yu – Philosophy professor