Michael Vick single-handedly revolutionized the quarterback position by becoming a legitimate running option from the pocket. His unfathomable breakaway speed and passing precision allowed him to become one of the biggest offensive threats during his time in the NFL. In 1998, Vick redshirted for the Virginia Tech Hokies. The following year, Vick led the NCAA in passing efficiency with a rating of 180.4 as a freshman. In two seasons at Virginia Tech, Vick threw for a total of 3,279 yards and rushed for a total of 1,216 yards scoring a total of 38 touchdowns through the air and on foot.
After his impressive two-year collegiate stint, Michael Vick was drafted 1st overall in the 2001 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons where he played the majority of his NFL career. In six seasons with the Falcons, Vick was able to rake in $61.4 million from the franchise before being cut from the team and serving prison time for an illegal dog-fighting ring that was located on a property he owned. While this mishap might have derailed his career, he was able to return to the field as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009. In five seasons with the Eagles, Vick was able to earn over $52.2 million. Michael Vick also played one season with the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers before retiring in 2016.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."