John Elway was one of the most highly-intelligent gun-slingers in the entire NFL during his era in the league. His work ethic and willingness to go the extra mile is why he's one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever hit the field. What many tend to forget about Elway due to his immaculate passing ability is that he was an amazing rusher for his 6'3, 215lb frame. Hailing from Port Angeles, Washington, John Elway enrolled at Stanford University where he would go on to set several career records for the school including passing attempts and completions. Elway also excelled at baseball being drafted by the New York Yankees in 1981 MLB Draft. However, Elway would go on to set nearly every passing record for the Pac-10 Division and graduate with a bachelor's degree in economics after going 20-23 as a Stanford Cardinal.
Despite not leading his college team to a single bowl game, John Elway was drafted 1st overall in the 1983 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts. Elway caused a lot of controversy when he refused to suit for the Colts and finagled his way onto the Denver Broncos roster. Three years later, Elway would lead the Broncos to Super Bowl XXI against the New York Giants but fall short of winning the championship. In 1997, Elway helped the Broncos win their first-ever championship in Super Bowl XXXII, the following season Elway led the Broncos to their second title defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl XXXIII which was his final game in the NFL. The 9x Pro Bowler and 1x NFL MVP Award-winner is the only quarterback to have a rushing quarterback in four different Super Bowls. Prior to the arrival of Tom Brady, Elway held the record for Super Bowl quarterback starts with a total of five.
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."