Illustrations by Josue Evilla

1. Serena Williams Gets Paid
Not only is she currently the world’s best tennis player, but Williams’ earnings are staggering. The $3.9 million she took home for winning the U.S. Open (again) on September 8 put her career prize money total past $60 million—more than any other female athlete.

2. Michael Sam’s Big
Announcement The first openly gay player drafted into the NFL made headlines back in January by publicly disclosing his sexual orientation. Although he didn’t make the St. Louis Rams 53-man final roster,  Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones saw his value and signed Sam to his team’s practice squad.

3. Richard  Sherman’s NFC  Championship Post-Game Rant
You can’t beat Sherman in a deep route or trash talk him. The Seattle Sea-hawks cornerback proved that after snagging a ball from San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree to end the Niners season on January 19. During a Fox Sports interview after the game, the spirited Stanford alum shared with reporter Erin Andrews a stern message for Crabtree: “Don’t you open your mouth about the best, or I’mma shut it for you real quick.”

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2014 Was a Good Year for Black Quarterbacks

4. Jame is Winston’s Game-Winning TD Pass in the BCS National Championship Game
On January 6, with his team down by four points and 13 seconds left in the final game of the BCS era, the Florida State quarterback torpedoed Auburn’s national title hopes with a strike to a double-covered receiver in the end zone.

5. Russell Wilson Outplays Peyton  Manning and Wins Super Bowl XLVII
Sports website Bleacher Report called him one of the worst picks of the 2012 NFL draft, but on February 2, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback shined in his 18-for-25, two-TD performance against the favored Denver Broncos.