St. Patrick's Day special: 10 greatest Patricks in sports history

It's St. Patrick's Day, so it's time to parade out the top 10 Patricks to ever do it in the sports world. For this list's purpose, we're only including sports stars who go by Patrick (even if one is a last name), so no Pats (sorry to fans of Riley, Summitt, LaFontaine and Tillman). 

1. Patrick Mahomes. The face of the NFL is the clear No. 1. Fresh off leading Kansas City to its second straight Super Bowl title and third ring in five years, Mahomes is the easy choice as the Greatest Of All Patricks. The G.O.A.P. is getting closer and closer to the conversation of G.O.A.T, currently held by one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady. 

2. Patrick Roy. The Islanders' current coach was one of the greatest goalies of all-time. He won four Stanley Cup titles (two with the Montreal Canadiens and two with the Colorado Avalanche). A three-time Vezina winner, he also won three Conn Smythe trophies. His 551 career wins rank third on the all-time list for goalies.

3. Patrick Ewing. This isn't the first time the Knicks' all-time great just missed making the final two (too soon, Knicks fans?). Despite never winning a championship, coming oh-so-close against the Rockets in 1994, Ewing is the greatest Knick from a statistical perspective. He is the franchise's all-time leader in points (23,665), games (1,039), rebounds (10,759) and so many more — including steals (1,061). 

4. Patrick Vieira. Regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, the soccer star did his best work as a member of Arsenal from 1996-2005, scoring 29 goals in 279 Premier League games. He scored six goals for the French national team, and has since become a manager, including a stint with New York City FC from 2016-18. 

5. Danica Patrick. She blazed a trail at record speeds, becoming the first woman to win an IndyCar Series event when she took first at the Indy Japan 300 in 2008. The race car driver burst on to the scene in 2005 with a fourth-place finish in the Indy 500, a race in which she led for 19 laps. She also competed in NASCAR, and in 2013, became the first female driver to win a pole in a Cup Series race when she qualified No. 1 for the Daytona 500. She placed eighth. 

6. Patrick Kane. Sixth on the active career goals leaders with 465, Kane scored 446 of those in 15-plus seasons with Chicago, which included three Stanley Cup titles. He was traded to the Rangers during the 2023 season and is currently playing for Detroit. 

7. Patrick Willis. One of the best linebackers of his generation, the 49ers' defensive leader was named first team All-Pro five times, made seven Pro Bowls and was the 2007 Defensive rookie of the year. He totaled 950 tackles, 20.5 sacks, 16 forced fumbles and eight interceptions (including two pick-6s) in eight seasons.  

8. Patrick Chan. The Canadian figure skater is a three-time World Champion (2011, 2012, 2013) and won a gold medal at the 2018 Olympics in the team event. He won individual silver at the 2014 Games, as well as silver for the team event. He won more than 30 titles during his 15-year career.

9. Patrick Reed. The golfer's greatest moment involved something green, fitting for this St. Patrick's Day-themed list. In 2018, Reed earned a green jacket by winning The Masters. He had nine tournaments wins on the PGA Tour before joining LIV Golf in 2022. 

10. Patrick McEnroe. You may know him more as John's brother or a current broadcaster, but the Manhasset native cleaned up in doubles tournaments. He had a career record of 310-182, including 16 titles on the tour and peaked at a No. 3 ranking. In 1989, he won the French Open doubles title with Jim Grabb. 

By Joe Manniello

joe.manniello@newsday.com@joe_manniello

Joe Manniello, an editor on the sports copy desk, has written the NFL picks column since 2015. Manniello joined Newsday in 2004. He graduated from St. John's.