Maine is another one of those states that just refuses to invest in their athletic programs. We're sure they have the talented and willing youth, but for some reason, Maine continues to be a lackluster region for producing pro-level athletes. However, the Pine Tree State has provided the NFL with the likes of defensive linemen, Al Harris. While born in Bangor, Maine, he attended high school in Hawaii and played his collegiate ball at Arizona State University. After earning Consensus First-Team All-American honors during his senior year in 1978, Harris declared himself for the NFL Draft.
The following year, Harris was selected 9th overall in the 1979 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears and became an instant impact player. Quick off the line, light on his feet, and able to read the offensive sets of opposing teams, coaches were forced to recognize his presence on the field. Unfortunately, for Harris, the one year he decided to holdout and not play due to a contract dispute, the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl in 1985. Harris ended his career with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1990 notching a total of 20.5 sacks and four interceptions in twelve seasons.
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."