8 Famous People From Brevard County, Florida

By  //  August 25, 2021

According to research, Brevard County is one of the most populated Counties in Florida. More so, Brevard County has produced some of the most famous people in the world. You might be surprised to know that some of the popular names in sports, movies, etc., are from Brevard County.

Unfortunately, some stars immediately relocate to other states or other counties as soon as they become popular. Based on this, it becomes quite difficult to identify famous people who were born and bred in Brevard County.

To earn some bragging right among your friends, we have outlined some of the famous people who were born and bred in Brevard County.

C. J. Hobgood

C.J’s real birth name is Clifton James Hobgood. Like you guess right, C.J. was born in Brevard County and interestingly still lives around. Notably, C.J. is a decorated surfer. C.J. was barely ten years old when he contested in a surfing competition in 1989. More so, C.J. Hobgood was born on July 6th, 1979.

Amazingly, C.J. made it to the finals of the Open Boys Surfing competition in 1989. Also, he went on to win other competitions in1998 and was named the Association Surfer Professional Rookie in 1999. C.J. Hobgood is married and has a daughter. 

Did you know that C.J. Hobgood has a twin brother? Yes, his brother Damien is also a surfer. 

Al Neuharth

Did you know that Al Neuharth is the founding father of USA Today? He died in 2013 at the age of 89 years. Other companies he founded are The Freedom Forum and the Newseum. Not to mention, Al is also a veteran because he served in World War II. 

Although Al was not born in Brevard County, he lived there for a long time until his death after his marriage to his third wife Rachel Fornes.  However, Rachel was a chiropractor at Cocoa Beach, FL.

Neuharth started his practice as a journalist at the University of Dakota. Neuharth was the editor of the university’s magazine. When Al left the University, he pushed to make a name in his News career. Although Al’s first newspaper SoDak Sports was successful initially, it became bankrupt after one year. However, that didn’t deter Al as he went on to build a newspaper house that is one of the biggest in the US.

Kate Upton

Katherine Elizabeth is a renowned model with a trace of Brevard County in her origin. She was born on 10th June 1992. The 29-year-old model appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue 2011. In fact, she was the cover model for the magazine in the 2012, 2013 and 2017 series. 

Kate was born in St. Joseph, Michigan. Sometime in 1999 Kate and her family moved to Melbourne, FL. At an early age, Kate was involved in a lot of horse racing activities. When she was 13, Kate won the three APHA Reserve World Championship. 

However, Kate’s modeling career started in Miami where she attended a casting call. Fortunately, Kate was hired the same day. Eventually, Kate moved to New York where her modeling career blossomed.

Jim Morrison

Jim Morrison whose birth name is James Douglas Morrison was a popular Brevard poet, singer, and songwriter. Also, Jim was the lead vocalist of a music group called Door. 

Jim was born in 1943 and died in 1971. Also, Jim was married to Pamela Courson from 1965 to 1971. During his days in the band, Jim was popular and toured the world. Consequently, Jim relocated to Paris, France where he died on July 7th, 1971. 

Carrot Top

Scott Thompson popularly known as Carrot Top was born on 25th February 1965. Although he was born in Rockledge, Florida, he grew up in Cocoa and attended Cocoa High School. Also, Carrot Top played drums for the High school marching band.

But that’s not all; Thompson was nicknamed Carrot Top by the high school swimming coach. The nickname was given to him because of the color of his hair. Incredibly, the name Carrot Top stock became his trademark. Carrot Top has appeared in comedy series like Scrubs, George Lopez, etc.

Marcus Maye

Did you know Marcus Maye’s origin can be traced back to Brevard County? This outstanding NFL player is a native of Melbourne Florida. He was born on 9th March 1993. Also, because of his performance, Marcus Maye was listed among the first-team All-American by USA Today.

Marcus made his professional debut at the New York Jets and is still part of the team to date. Before then, he played football at the University of Florida. 

Toni Deion Pressley

Toni Deion Pressley is another outstanding Brevard famous figure. Furthermore, Toni is an American professional soccer defender and a native of Melbourne. She was born on 19th February 1990. In her early career, Toni played for the Western New York Flash. Also, Toni has played in the Russian Women’s Football League as a Ryazan VDV team member.

Presently, Toni plays for the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. Before Toni joined soccer professionally, she played in various youth teams in the US. Her soccer career has taken her away from Brevard County. Hopefully, she will be back soon. 

Kelly Slater

Kelly Slater is another famous surfer from Brevard County. Not to mention, Kelly has won more than 11 world surfing competitions. Kelly grew up in Cocoa Beach and currently still lives there.

As little as five years, Kelly started surfing. This was possible because he lived close to the beach. In 1984, Kelly won his first competition. Subsequently, he also finished third at the surfing amateur championship held in England. 

Wrapping Up

Next time you banter with some friends about some famous people in your county, now you have it. These eight famous people have made their mark in their various careers.