The Kansas City Chiefs have had several notable Hall of Fame athletes represent their franchise on Sundays including the likes of Willie Lanier, Derrick Thomas, and Tony Gonzalez. It also looks like the Chiefs might have another Hall of Fame prospect on their hands in the form of current quarterback, Patrick Mahomes. But as of right now, the title of greatest Kansas City Chiefs goes to outside linebacker, Bobby Bell. The 6'4, 230lbs linebacker was ahead of his time in regards to versatility and pure athletism. Coming off the edge, Bell caused hell for his opposition throughout the 1960s and '70s.
Prior to playing his college ball at the University of Minnesota, Bell won All-State honors as a quarterback in high school. While in college, he made the jump to defensive lineman, where he contributed to a National Championship (1960) and a Rose Bowl win (1962). Bell would go on to be selected 16th overall in the second round of the 1963 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs where he played all twelve seasons of his career. Throughout his stint as a Chief, Bell was a 6x AFL All-Star, 3x NFL Pro Bowler, and was selected as Defensive Player of the Year once in 1969. Bell helped the Chiefs secure a Super Bowl win in 1970 and holds the record for most interceptions returned by a linebacker with eight total touchdowns.
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."