Navy Day: Notable student-athletes to attend the Naval Academy

First organized in 1922, Navy Day was established to honor the men and women in the Navy and falls on October 27 each year. That date was selected because it was the birthday of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was a big supporter of the Navy. 

In honor of the day, we take a look back at some of the great student-athletes who attended the Naval Academy. 

Keenan Reynolds

The former Navy quarterback, who is currently a wide receiver on the Baltimore Ravens practice squad, made quite an impact during last year's college football season. The Antioch, Tennessee, native finished his collegiate career as the FBS leader in total touchdowns (88), rushing yards by a quarterback (4,559) and points scored (530). Reynolds finished fifth in the 2015 Heisman Trophy voting. He was selected by Baltimore in the sixth round (182nd overall) in the 2016 draft.

David Robinson  

The 7-foot-1 center is a 10-time NBA All-Star, two-time NBA champion and a two-time Olympic gold medalist (1992, 1996). Robinson attended the Naval Academy from 1983-1987, playing under head coach Paul Evans. In 1986, he helped No. 7-seeded Navy reach the East Regional final of the NCAA tournament, where the Midshipmen fell to Duke, just missing a Final Four appearance. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs as the first overall pick in the 1987 NBA draft, but he didn’t play with the team until 1989 in order to fulfill his time of duty with the Navy. Robinson was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame in 2009.

Roger Staubach

The former NFL quarterback played for the Midshipmen from 1962-1964. He also played on the baseball team in 1965. In 1963, Staubach won the Heisman Trophy and that season led Navy to the national championship, where they lost to top-ranked Texas at the Cotton Bowl. Staubach was the last person from a military academy to win the Heisman. He was drafted  in 1964 by the Dallas Cowboys, who he would play for from 1969-1979.

Angela Myers

Myers was a standout player in the Navy women’s basketball program. She was honored as the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Year in both 2009 and 2010, making her the first Mid to win the award and the first repeat winner of the accolade in the league. In addition, she earned first-team All-Patriot League honors in 2010.

Phil McConkey  

Prior to a five-year career in the NFL, McConkey was a wide receiver for Navy, helping the Midshipmen to a 9-3 record during his senior season in 1978. McConkey played for the New York Giants, Green Bay Packers and San Diego Chargers. He was named the MVP of the inaugural Holiday Bowl in his last game with Navy.

Joe Bellino

Bellino played for Navy and won the Heisman Trophy in 1960. In his senior year, he rushed for 834 yards and caught 15 passes for 264 yards and three touchdowns. He also played baseball for the Midshipmen. Bellino was drafted in 1961 in both the AFL and NFL draft and was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977.

Napoleon McCallum

McCallum was a running back for the Navy and played six seasons in the NFL with the then-Los Angeles Raiders.With the Midshipmen, he set an NCAA record for all-purpose yards at the time with 7,172. McCallum was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003. He has an award named after him given to the player with the most all-purpose yards, which is awarded annually at the Navy's annual football banquet. Last year, Reynolds was honored with the award.

Becky Dowling (Calder)

Dowling's No. 32 jersey was officially retired by the Naval Academy, making her the first women's basketball player to have her number retired. She helped kickstart the first era of successful Navy women's basketball teams in the Patriot League. She was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year and received second-team all-conference honors in 1995, before receiving first-team all-league honors in both 1997 and '98. She concluded her Navy playing career ranked among the top 10 school leaders in 14 career statistical categories.

Jasmine DePompeo

DePompeo was very successful during her time with the Navy women's lacrosse team. In 2013, she set a Patriot League single-season record with 65 assists, along with earning the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.