Houston Texans Wes Welker (born 1981), wide receiver for Denver Broncos Wayne Wells (born 1946), Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling, first ever Nike signature athlete Jason White (born 1980), OU quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner Bud Wilkinson (1916–1994), OU coach, College Football Hall of Fame Shelby Wilson (born 1937), Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling Shelden Williams (born 1983), former NBA player Reggie Willits (born 1981), left fielder for Los Angeles Angels Matt Wiman (born 1983), UFC fighter James Winchester (born 1989), long snapper for Kansas City Chiefs Jamey Wright (born 1974), MLB relief pitcher Kenyatta Wright (born 1978), NFL linebacker from Vian, Oklahoma Trae Young (born 1998), NBA All-Star point guard for the Atlanta Hawks Authors William Bernhardt (born 1960), novelist John Berryman (1914–1972), poet Ralph Ellison (1914–1994), writer and scholar Martin Gardner (1914–2010), author specializing in recreational mathematics Tony Hillerman (1925–2008), journalist, historian, professor, and novelist S.E. Hinton (born 1948), author and novelist Nicole Jordan (born 1954), author Louis L'Amour (1908–1988), western novelist Billie Letts (1938–2014), novelist Tracy Letts (born 1965), playwright, screenwriter, actor N. Scott Momaday (born 1964), author, printmaker Bill Moyers (born 1934), journalist and public commentator Jason Nelson (born 1970), internet artist and digital poet Wilson Rawls (1913–1984), author Jeff Rowland (born 1974), cartoonist, author of WIGU Josh Shipp (born 1981), author and motivational speaker Jim Thompson (1906–1977), novelist Aviators and astronauts Thomas and Paul Braniff, airline entrepreneurs, founders of Braniff International Airways Gordon Cooper (1927–2006), astronaut Owen K. Garriott (1930–2019), astronaut John Herrington (Chickasaw, born 1958), astronaut James Jabara (1923–1966) world's first jet ace, and Korean War triple ace with 15 kills Shannon Lucid (born 1943), astronaut William R. Pogue (1930–2014), astronaut Wiley Post (1898–1935), first pilot to fly solo around the world (born in Texas but grew up in Oklahoma) Will Rogers (Cherokee, 1879–1935), aviator Thomas Stafford (born 1930), astronaut Clarence L. Tinker (Osage, 1887–1942), U.S. Army Air Corps general and supreme commander of the U.S. Army Air Corps in the Pacific during World War II Businesspeople Rick Bayless (born 1953), restaurateur, chef, PBS television personality Clay Bennett (born 1959), chairman, Dorchester Capital; owner, Oklahoma City Thunder Sherman Billingsley (1896–1966), owner of Stork Club James A. Chapman (1881–1966), oil industry businessman Edward K. Gaylord (1873–1974), founder, Daily Oklahoman Edward L. Gaylord (1919–2003), editor, Daily Oklahoman; founder, TNN & CMT; owner, Grand Ole Opry Sylvan Goldman (1898–1984), businessman and inventor of the shopping cart