34. North Dakota: Roger Maris (Fargo)
Raised in Fargo, Maris was an exceptional athlete who still holds the high school state record for returning four kickoffs for touchdowns in a single game. Choosing baseball, the quiet Midwesterner eventually found himself in the pressure cooker of New York. In 1961, amidst immense media scrutiny and physical stress, he broke Babe Ruth’s sacred single-season home run record by smashing 61 homers, securing back-to-back AL MVP awards in the process.