Sports Birthdays for July 27 — Alex Rodriguez and More

Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on July 27:

Irv Cross

Age: 73

Profession: Retired NFL Player / Broadcaster

Best Known For: The first African-American to work full-time on televised sports, Irv Cross was an analyst and in-studio commentator for ‘The NFL Today’ on CBS from 1975 to 1989. Prior to his work on TV, Cross was a serviceable cornerback whose career lasted from 1961 to 1970, primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. In 2009, the Pro Football Hall of Fame presented Cross with the Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award for his broadcast contributions to football.

Peggy Fleming

Age: 64

Profession: Retired Figure Skater / Analyst

Best Known For: A three-time World Champion figure skater, Peggy Fleming won the gold medal at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France. Fleming also won five consecutive U.S. figure skating titles from 1964 to 1968. Since retiring she has served as an analyst on figure skating broadcasts.

Triple H

Age: 43

Profession: Professional Wrestler

Best Known For: Born Paul Michael Levesque, Triple H has become one of the most recognized professional wrestlers in the world. he has wrestled in the International Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, but made his greatest impact in the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment. After debuting as Hunter Hearst Helmsley — the name from which he derived his current moniker —Triple H has won 23 different titles in the WWE and has participated in all of the organization’s signature pay-per-view events like WrestleMania, SummerSlam, the Royal Rumble and more. He is married to Stephanie McMahon, the daughter of WWE promoter Vince McMahon.

Alex Rodriguez

Age: 37

Profession: MLB Player

Best Known For: A 14-time All-Star, Alex Rodriguez is one of the best all-around players in baseball history. A five-time American League home run champion, his 644 career home runs rank him fifth on the all-time list. Rodriguez won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 2003, 2005 and 2007. After starting his career at shortstop for the Seattle Mariners in 1994, Rodriguez eventually left to play for the Texas Rangers after the 2000 season, signing a 10-year deal worth $252 million in salary — then the largest contract in baseball history. He was traded to the New York Yankees in 2004, where he shifted to third base. In 2009, Rodriguez admitted to using steroids from 2001 to 2003. He was a member of the Yankees’ team that won the 2009 World Series.

Jacoby Ford

Age: 25

Profession: NFL Player

Best Known For: A track athlete turned football player, Jacoby Ford is a wide receiver and return specialist for the Oakland Raiders. Ford was an NCAA All-American in track while attending Clemson University from 2006 to 2010. Since being selected by the Raiders in the 2010 NFL Draft, Ford has scored three touchdowns.