Notable People from Cerritos

Cerritos, California, is home to many notable people.  The list of sports celebrities is long and noteworthy.  Here are a few standouts from the list of well-known folks that hail from Cerritos.

Troy Aikman

Troy was born in 1966, and grew up in Cerritos.  He may be most recognized for his career as a football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys.  He was the number one overall draft pick in the NFL for 1989. He played quarterback for the Cowboys for twelve seasons.  Over the course of his football career, he was selected for the Pro Bowl six times.  He let the Cowboys to three Super Bowl wins, and was MVP in Super Bowl XXVII.  He’s been in the Pro Football Hall of Fame since 2006.  He definitely had a stellar football career!

At one time, he was joint owner of a NASCAR racing team, and part owner of the San Diego Padres.  He’s transitioned his love of sports into a career as a TV sportscaster for FOX.

Pat Nixon

Pat Nixon was the wife of Richard Nixon, and was First Lady from 1969 until 1974.  Her birth name was actually Thelma Catherine Ryan.  She liked to go by the nickname her Dad gave her, “Pat,” although she never had it legally changed.  She was born in 1912 in Ely, Nevada. Shortly after her birth, the family moved to what is now Cerritos, California.  She worked her way through college. She married Richard Nixon, who was a lawyer at the time, in 1940.  She was a great support to her husband through his congressional and presidential campaigns.

She was quite active in diplomacy as First Lady.  She went with President Nixon to China and the Soviet Union.  She also took diplomatic trips to Africa and South America on her own.  She gained the distinction of being the first First Lady to visit a combat zone.  She earned respect in the host countries, as well as the media, for this outreach.  Pat died in 1993, after a notable life, at age 81.

Jim Zorn

Jim Zorn is an athlete.    During his time at Gahr High School in Cerritos, he played football, baseball, basketball, track, and curling.  After he graduated in 1971, he went on to play football at Cerritos College.   He got a scholarship from Cal Poly Pomona, and transferred there after two years at Cerritos College.  In his 1973 season, he received several distinctive honors for his performance.

During his professional career with the NFL, left-handed Zorn is best known at the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks during their first eight seasons.  After retiring from the quarterback position, he had a coaching career with various teams.  He started as the quarterbacks’ coach for the Seahawks for six years.  He was hired by the Washington Redskins in 2008, then went to the Baltimore Ravens for a couple years.  He then moved on to a coaching position with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2011.

Jim is married and has four children with his wife, Joy.  The both work for philanthropic causes now and live on Mercer Island, close to Seattle.