“I feel that I had been rescued from the gutter by America. One day I was under the gutter, chased by police, thinking dogs were going to get me. I laid there listening to the dogs and the gutter. The next day, there I am standing on the Olympic platform, and you hear the anthem. I was proud.”

American professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author

George Edward Foreman was an American professional boxer, businessman, minister, and author. Active in boxing from 1967 to 1997, he was known as “Big George.” He won a gold medal at the Olympics and became a two-time world heavyweight champion. Beyond the ring, Foreman also worked as a businessman, minister, and author. He is also the namesake of the George Foreman Grill, a product that helped make his name familiar far beyond boxing.