Name Game: Playing Chicken Can be Houston's Answer to Ending Drought

Academic redshirt Danrad "Chicken" Knowles could be the key to possibly sparking Houston to its first NCAA playoff victory since the Cougars finished national runner-up to Georgetown in 1984. The gifted guard with an entertaining nickname joins the following long list of collegians over the years with distinctive monikers:

  • Forest (Frosty) Able, Western Kentucky
  • Greg (Cadillac) Anderson, Houston
  • Paul (Curly) Armstrong, Indiana
  • Raymond (Peanut) Arrington, Radford
  • William (Bird) Averitt, Pepperdine
  • Norwood (Pee Wee) Barber, Florida State
  • Jim (Bad News) Barnes, Texas Western
  • Amadou (Coco) Barry, Maine
  • Segado (Cookie) Belcher, Nebraska
  • Ralph (Stork) Bishop, Washington
  • Roderick (Moo Moo) Blakney, South Carolina State
  • Daron (Mookie) Blaylock, Oklahoma
  • Tyrone (Muggsy) Bogues, Wake Forest
  • Jermaine (Itchy) Bolden, Morgan State
  • Roylin (Boot) Bond, Pepperdine
  • Charles (Tub) Bradley, Wyoming
  • Frank (Flash) Brian, Louisiana State
  • Fred (Downtown) Brown, Iowa
  • Murray (Mule) Brown, Florida State
  • Luther (Ticky) Burden, Utah
  • Michael (Spiderman) Burns, UNLV
  • George (Chink) Busch, Creighton
  • (Pogo) Joe Caldwell, Arizona State
  • Bruce (Soup) Campbell, Providence
  • Bowyer (Ducky) Castelle, Xavier
  • Sam (The Bam) Clancy, Pittsburgh
  • Craig (Speedy) Claxton, Hofstra
  • Nathaniel (Sweetwater) Clifton, Xavier (La.)
  • Vernell (Bimbo) Coles, Virginia Tech
  • Derwin (Tank) Collins, New Orleans
  • John (Chubby) Cox, Villanova/San Francisco
  • Earl (The Twirl) Cureton, Robert Morris/Detroit
  • Adrian (Ace) Custis, Virginia Tech
  • Edwin (Greedy) Daniels, UNLV/Mississippi State
  • E.B. (Ox) Darby, Texas A&M
  • Anthony (Amp) Davis, George Mason
  • Arthur (Yah) Davis, St. Joseph's
  • McKinley (Deacon) Davis, Iowa
  • Louis (Pick) Dehner, Illinois
  • Alfred (Dusty) DeStefano, St. John's
  • John (Hook) Dillon, North Carolina
  • Julius (Daddy) Dolnics, Texas Christian
  • Clyde (The Glide) Drexler, Houston
  • Dwight (Dike) Eddleman, Illinois
  • LeRoy (Cowboy) Edwards, Kentucky
  • Theodore (Blue) Edwards, East Carolina
  • Eyo (Bubbles) Effiong, Winthrop
  • Emil (Box) Englebretson, Creighton
  • Julius (Dr. J) Erving, Massachusetts
  • Kevin (Yogi) Ferrell, Indiana
  • James (Bruiser) Flint, St. Joseph's
  • Jackie (The Shot) Foley, Holy Cross
  • Arnold (Clyde) Gaines, Wisconsin
  • Lauren (Laddie) Gale, Oregon
  • Harry (The Horse) Gallatin, Northeast Missouri
  • Erin (Helicopter) Galloway, Hawaii
  • George (Iceman) Gervin, Eastern Michigan
  • Carlos (Bunny) Gibson, Marshall
  • Ward (Hoot) Gibson, Creighton
  • Jack (Goose) Givens, Kentucky
  • Bonnie (Country) Graham, Mississippi
  • Paul (Snoopy) Graham, Ohio University
  • Mike (Fly) Gray, Nevada-Reno
  • Ken (Tree) Green, Nevada-Reno
  • Kenneth (Apple) Green, Pan American
  • Harold (Happy) Hairston, New York University
  • Wade (Swede) Halbrook, Oregon State
  • Bill (Biff) Hall, Montana
  • Earl (Bus) Hall, Virginia Tech
  • Anfernee (Penny) Hardaway, Memphis State
  • Herbert (Hawkeye) Hargett, Mississippi State
  • Clem (The Gem) Haskins, Western Kentucky
  • John (Hondo) Havlicek, Ohio State
  • Robert (Bubbles) Hawkins, Illinois State
  • Clarence (Kleggie) Hermsen, Minnesota
  • Jermaine (Squirt) Hicks, Weber State/Chicago State
  • John (Babe) Higgins, Stanford
  • Clinton (Bread Truck) Hinton, UNC Charlotte/Oral Roberts
  • James (Lindy) Hood, Alabama
  • Tecumseh (Tee) Hooper, The Citadel
  • Alfredo (Tito) Horford, Miami (Fla.)
  • Greg (Stretch) Howard, New Mexico
  • (Hot) Rod Hundley, West Virginia
  • Jimmy (Snap) Hunter, Memphis
  • Hernell (Jeep) Jackson, Texas-El Paso
  • Frank (Spoon) James, UNLV
  • Arthur (Brownie) Jaquay, Creighton
  • Antonio (Scoop) Jardine, Syracuse
  • Keith (Mister) Jennings, East Tennessee State
  • Carldell (Squeaky) Johnson, UAB
  • Dana (Binky) Johnson, Canisius
  • Earvin (Magic) Johnson, Michigan State
  • Gary (Cat) Johnson, Oral Roberts
  • Gus (Honeycomb) Johnson, Idaho
  • Kevin (Butter) Johnson, Charlotte
  • Lynbert (Cheese) Johnson, Wichita State
  • Albert (Slab) Jones, New Mexico State
  • Byron (Snake) Jones, San Francisco
  • Gerald (Wimpy) Jones, Arizona State
  • Lamont (Momo) Jones, Arizona/Iona
  • Wallace (Wah Wah) Jones, Kentucky
  • Wilbert (Wibs) Kautz, Loyola of Chicago
  • Robert (Jeep) Kelley, UNLV/Hawaii
  • Bill (Pickles) Kennedy, Temple
  • Eugene (Goo) Kennedy, Texas Christian
  • Bob (Trigger) Kenney, Kansas
  • Bruce (Sky) King, Pan American
  • Raymond (Circus) King, San Diego State/California
  • William (Dolly) King, Long Island
  • Donald (Pinky) Knowles, Creighton
  • Cletus (Goob) Kuehler, West Texas State
  • David (Big Daddy) Lattin, Texas-El Paso
  • Albert (Cappy) Lavin, San Francisco
  • Hal (King) Lear, Temple
  • Arnold (Butz) Lehrman, Minnesota
  • Bob (Slick) Leonard, Indiana
  • Andrew (Fuzzy) Levane, St. John's
  • Lafayette (Fat) Lever, Arizona State
  • Eugene (Junie) Lewis, Pittsburgh/South Alabama
  • Brant (Pinky) Lipscomb, Vanderbilt
  • Lewis (Magic) Lloyd, Drake
  • (Jungle) Jim Loscutoff, Oregon
  • John (Dub) Malaise, Texas Tech
  • Karl (The Mailman) Malone, Louisiana Tech
  • (Pistol) Pete Maravich, Louisiana State
  • Floyd (Biggy) Marshall, Tennessee
  • Slater (Dugie) Martin, Texas
  • Cedric (Cornbread) Maxwell, UNC Charlotte
  • Ayome (Paco) May, Kansas State
  • Marvin (Moon) McCrary, Missouri
  • Ken (Mouse) McFadden, Cleveland State
  • Billy (The Hill) McGill, Utah
  • Eric (Cricket) McLaughlin, Akron
  • Don (Monk) Meineke, Dayton
  • Francis (Ick) Miller, Creighton
  • Ryan (Archie) Miller, North Carolina State
  • Roland (The Cat) Minson, Brigham Young
  • Earl (The Pearl) Monroe, Winston-Salem State
  • Ed (Britches) Montgomery, Tennessee
  • Bryan (Dinty) Moore, Stanford
  • Harry (Moo) Moore, West Virginia
  • Jonathan (Stitch) Moore, Furman
  • Javone (Bam) Moore, Canisius
  • Tony (Zippy) Morocco, Georgia
  • Charles (Stretch) Murphy, Purdue
  • Charlie (Feed) Murphy, Loyola of Chicago
  • Charles (Cotton) Nash, Kentucky
  • Sherman (Nemo) Nearman, North Carolina
  • Bill (Fig) Newton, Louisiana State
  • Bob (Bevo) Nordmann, St. Louis
  • Ken (Snake) Norman, Illinois
  • Martyn (Moochie) Norris, Auburn
  • Ralph (Buckshot) O'Brien, Butler
  • Garland (Mule) O'Shields, Tennessee
  • Bill (Fumbo) Ouseley, William & Mary
  • Carlton (Silk) Owens, Rhode Island
  • Horace (Pappy) Owens, Rhode Island
  • Togo Palazzi, Holy Cross
  • J.P. (Bubber) Farish, Auburn
  • William (Smush) Parker, Fordham
  • Choppy Patterson, Clemson
  • Herschel (Bones) Pedersen, Brigham Young
  • James (Scoonie) Penn, Boston College
  • Ray (Cookie) Pericola, South Carolina
  • Edward (Pancakes) Perry, Middle Tennessee State
  • Ron (Spider) Perry, Virginia Tech
  • Philip (Pap) Peyton, Texas
  • John (Squint) Phares, West Virginia
  • Clarke (Pinky) Pittenger, Toledo
  • DeWayne (Pooh) Powell, Tennessee-Martin
  • George (Tic) Price, Virginia Tech/Virginia Commonwealth
  • Carl (Dusty) Pullian, UT-Chattanooga
  • Cal (The Hawk) Ramsey, New York University
  • Earl (Shadow) Ray, Wyoming
  • Bryant (Big Country) Reeves, Oklahoma State
  • Richie (The Cat) Regan, Seton Hall
  • Jesse (Cab) Renick, Oklahoma A&M
  • Angelo (Rock) Reynolds, Penn
  • Billy (The Kid) Reynolds, Northwestern (La.) State
  • Jerry (Ice) Reynolds, Louisiana State
  • Rudolph (Zip) Rhodes, Montana
  • Jerome (Pooh) Richardson, UCLA
  • Oscar (Big O) Robertson, Cincinnati
  • Glenn (Big Dog) Robinson Jr., Purdue
  • Alvin (Fats) Roth, City College of New York
  • Michael (Campy) Russell, Michigan
  • Forest (Aggie) Sale, Kentucky
  • Sebastian (Subby) Salerno, Creighton
  • Albert (Apple) Sanders, Louisiana State
  • Tom (Satch) Sanders, New York University
  • Frank (Pep) Saul, Seton Hall
  • Philip (Flip) Saunders, Minnesota
  • Nevil (The Shadow) Shed, Texas-El Paso
  • Emilio (Zeke) Sinicola, Niagara
  • Adrian (Odie) Smith, Kentucky
  • Dayshon (Scoochie) Smith, Dayton
  • Robert (Bingo) Smith, Tulsa
  • Jermaine (Sunshine) Smith, UNLV
  • Vernon (Catfish) Smith, Georgia
  • William (Beaver) Smith, St. John's
  • John (Squeaky) Spanbauer, Niagara
  • Dave (Ditto) Sparks, George Washington
  • Marion (Odie) Spears, Western Kentucky
  • Dave (The Rave) Stallworth, Wichita State
  • Bob (Sweeper) Stephens, Drexel
  • George (Swede) Sundstrom, Rutgers
  • Harley (Skeeter) Swift, East Tennessee State
  • Anthony (Ace) Tanner, Davidson
  • Clarence (Babe) Taylor, Vanderbilt
  • Claude (Sleepy) Taylor, Middle Tennessee State
  • Roland (Fatty) Taylor, La Salle
  • Irv (Swede) Terjesen, New York University
  • Albert (Bobo) Thomas, Centenary
  • Blackstone (Blackie) Thompson, Alabama
  • Marvis (Bootsy) Thornton, St. John's
  • Nate (The Great) Thurmond, Bowling Green
  • Gene (Bumper) Tormohlen, Tennessee
  • Carlyle (Blackie) Towery, Western Kentucky
  • Victor (Slick) Townsend, Oregon
  • Robert (Tractor) Traylor, Michigan
  • Ernest (Kiki) Vandeweghe, UCLA
  • Charles (Chico) Vaughn, Southern Illinois
  • Mathias (Mutt) Volz, Nebraska
  • Malcolm (Sparky) Wade, Louisiana State
  • Chet (The Jet) Walker, Bradley
  • Vincent (Spotlight) Walker, Western Carolina
  • Adrian (Spike) Walters, St. Francis (Pa.)
  • Ray (Shag) Warren, Texas Christian
  • Duane (Pearl) Washington, Syracuse
  • Anthony (Spud) Webb, North Carolina State
  • Marvin (Human Eraser) Webster, Morgan State
  • Gawen (Bonzi) Wells, Ball State
  • Joseph (Jo Jo) White, Kansas
  • Milton (Bus) Whitehead, Nebraska
  • Charles (Hawkeye) Whitney, North Carolina State
  • Pookey Wigington, Seton Hall
  • Anthony (Scoop) Williams, Toledo
  • Donald (Duck) Williams, Notre Dame
  • James (Bug) Williams, Syracuse
  • James (Fly) Williams, Austin Peay State
  • John (Hot Rod) Williams, Tulane
  • Ron (Fritz) Williams, West Virginia
  • Sylvester (Sly) Williams, Rhode Island
  • Jim (Jiggy) Williamson, Rhode Island
  • (Super) John Williamson, New Mexico State
  • David (Poncho) Wright, Louisville
  • Gerry (Sir Jamalot) Wright, Southern California/Iowa
  • Joseph (Joby) Wright, Indiana
  • Desmond (Boggie) Yates, Middle Tennessee State
  • Paul (Hooks) Yesawich, Niagara
  • Max (Slats) Zaslofsky, University of Chicago/St. John's
  • Bob (Zeke) Zawoluk, St. John's