Bulldogs Pride: 5 Unforgettable Athletes From Pasadena High School

Sports run deep in Altadena, and Pasadena High School has long been at the heart of it. It’s no surprise some standout talent once wore the Bulldogs uniform. Today we're celebrating five unforgettable athletes from Pasadena High School who made a name for themselves well beyond the hometown field.

1. Armon Binns – NFL Wide Receiver (Jacksonville Jaguars, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Kansas City Chiefs)

Binns is a former NFL wide receiver who attended Pasadena High School before playing at the University of Cincinnati, where he led the Bearcats in receiving and earned First-Team All-Big East honors. After going undrafted in 2011, he played for the Jaguars, Bengals, Dolphins and Chiefs, recording 24 receptions for 277 yards and a touchdown. Binns now serves as wide receivers coach at Northwestern University, mentoring collegiate athletes with his extensive playing experience. (Sources: FoxNews, TheLosAngelesTimes, ProFootballReference)

2. Michael Cooper – NBA Player (Los Angeles Lakers)

Cooper is a legendary basketball player and coach who attended Pasadena High School before starring at Pasadena City College and the University of New Mexico, earning All-WAC and First-Team All-America honors. Drafted 60th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1978, he spent his 12-year NBA career with the Lakers, winning five championships, earning eight All-Defensive Team selections and being named 1987 NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Cooper went on to coach successfully in the WNBA and college ranks and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2024. (Sources: NBA, Newpapers)

3. Stan Smith – Professional Tennis Player

Smith is a legendary tennis player who attended Pasadena High School in California before starring at the University of Southern California, where he won NCAA singles and doubles titles and earned three All-America honors. He captured Grand Slam singles titles at the 1971 U.S. Open and 1972 Wimbledon, reached world No. 1 in 1972, won five major doubles crowns and helped the U.S. secure seven Davis Cup championships. Smith is now a Hall of Famer and ambassador for tennis, with a legacy including his iconic tennis shoe brand. (Sources: TennisFame, ITFTennis, NYTimes)

4. Brittany Spears – WNBA Forward (Phoenix Mercury)

Brittany Spears graduated from Pasadena High School in Pasadena, California, where she was a two-time Pacific League and Pasadena Star-News Player of the Year and helped lead the Bulldogs to league success before a post-graduate year at Notre Dame Prep in Massachusetts. At the University of Colorado, the 6-1 forward became one of the Buffalo’s all-time greats, ranking among the program’s leaders in scoring and other categories and earning First-Team All-Big 12 honors. She was selected 19th overall in the 2011 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury and went on to play professionally overseas. (Sources: CUBuffs.com, Sports Reference, MaxPreps.com)

5. Chris McAlister – NFL Cornerback (Baltimore Ravens)

McAlister is a former NFL cornerback who attended Pasadena High School in California before starring at the University of Arizona, where he earned unanimous All-America honors. Drafted 10th overall in 1999 by the Baltimore Ravens, he helped the team win Super Bowl XXXV, earned three Pro Bowl selections and recorded 26 interceptions and seven defensive touchdowns over his career. McAlister retired after a decade in Baltimore and a final season with the Saints, remembered as one of the premier defensive backs of the 2000s. (Source: ESPN.com, DraftScout.com)

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