10 of the most famous people from Springfield and what they're doing now

In the 201-year history of Springfield, the city has been home to a future U.S. president, the founder of the Post cereal company, the president of Sears, three U.S. senators, three state governors and a renowned poet, among others.

Sadly, all of these people are dead. Thus, they are not included in the list that is to follow. Even though none of the following people has necessarily reached the heights of Abraham Lincoln, C.W. Post, Paul Simon, Julius Rosenwald, Adlai Stevenson or Vachel Lindsay, they have taken their talents from Springfield to where they are now.

Here is our list of 10 of Springfield's most famous living natives and what they're up to today.

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Sen. Dick Durbin

Connection to Springfield: Durbin grew up in East St. Louis before heading to Georgetown University in Washington D.C., graduating from the School of Foreign Service and from the law school. Shortly afterward, he set down roots in Springfield, starting a law practice and working as legal counsel to people such as Simon during his tenure as lieutenant governor and the Judiciary Committee of the state Senate.

In 1982, Durbin was elected to the 20th Congressional District in the U.S. House. Durbin served 15 years in the district, which represented much of Springfield, before winning election to the U.S. Senate in 1996, replacing Simon, his former mentor.

What he is up to now: Durbin is in his 25th year in the Senate and will be in his 40th year of service in Congress next year. He has risen to become one of the most powerful and vital members of the Democratic caucus, serving as the second-in-command to both Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer since 2005.

Durbin also became chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee when Democrats picked up a majority in the 2020 election, presiding over the confirmation hearings for Ketanji Brown Jackson earlier this year.

He is up for re-election in 2026; he would be 81 on Election Day that year.

Fun Fact: Durbin is the second person from Illinois – and first Democrat – to serve as the Judiciary chair. Lyman Trumbull, one of the authors of the 13th Amendment, served as chair for 11 years from 1861-1872, serving during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Andre Iguodala

Connection to Springfield: Born and raised in the capital city, Iguodala exploded onto the scene with strong performances at an AAU tournament in 2000. By his senior year, he became a top-30 recruit nationally, teaming with fellow all-stater Rich McBride on a state runner-up team at Lanphier, becoming a finalist for Mr. Basketball honors in the state.

Originally committed to Arkansas, the circumstances around the firing of head coach Nolan Richardson – which included an accusation that the school had mistreated him because of his race – led him to Arizona, where he played for two seasons before being taken ninth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2004 NBA Draft.

Not an elite scorer, Iguodala has found a professional impact in other ways, becoming a menacing defender, deft passer and tough rebounder to go along with his athleticism. He became a key part of a 76ers rebuilding project that saw the team make three playoff appearances during his tenure.

After his first decade in the league, he spent a year in Denver before signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2013. His defense and athleticism were a strong complement to their fast-paced offense, helping the Warriors win four NBA titles during his time in the Bay Area.

What he is up to now: At 38, Iguodala has not officially retired and is currently a free agent seeking a team for the 2022-23 season.

Fun Fact: Iguodala's disaster relief fund earned attention from The Sporting News in 2006 for his help providing needed funds for tornado victims following the March 12 tornado in Springfield.

Cheri Bustos

Connection to Springfield: Born in Springfield, Bustos' father worked for the SJ-R as a reporter before serving as a press secretary for Gov. Sam Shapiro and Simon before becoming Alan Dixon's chief of staff.

A graduate of Springfield High School, Bustos transferred from Illinois College to the University of Maryland, College Park, getting a degree in political science. She returned to Springfield to get a master's in journalism from the University of Illinois Springfield before heading to the Quad Cities to work as a reporter with the Quad-City Times.

What she is up to now: Bustos set down roots in the Quad Cities, eventually running for a seat on the East Moline City council. In 2012, she decided to run for Congress in the 17th Congressional District.

Helped by Barack Obama's strong performance, Bustos beat Bobby Schilling that year and has served in the House for the past nine years. During the 2020 election cycle, she was named chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Bustos has announced her retirement from Congress this year. It is unknown what her next steps will be.

Fun Fact: As a young girl, Bustos helped babysit Durbin's children.

Ryan Held

Connection to Springfield: A graduate of Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, Held left the state to swim at North Carolina State University following a successful high school run that saw him earn State Swimmer of the Year honors.

Two years after graduating, Held swam on the gold medal-winning U.S. 4x100 meter freestyle relay team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. He was the least experienced of a quartet that included Caeleb Dressel (seven-time gold medalist and 14-time world champion), Nathan Adrian (five-time gold medalist and 10-time world champion) and great Michael Phelps.

Held carried that success to gold-medal winning honors at the World University Games the next year in three events and four gold medals at the short course World Championships. To date, he has won 11 gold medals in all competitions.

What he is up to now: Held won one more gold at the 2022 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, helping the 4x100 meter freestyle relay team take top honors.

Last year, he announced his engagement to his girlfriend, Lexie Lupton, a fellow NC State swimming product.

Fun Fact: Held became the first gold medalist from Springfield since Steve Christoff, a member of the 1980 U.S. hockey team.

Jayson Werth

Connection to Springfield: Werth came from Springfield baseball royalty. His grandfather, Ducky Schofield, played 18 seasons in the major leagues, even winning a World Series with the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates. His uncle, Dick Schofield, spent parts of 14 seasons in MLB after being taken third overall in the June 1981 amateur draft. His great-grandfather, John Schofield, had a promising career cut short because of a leg injury.

His parents also came from strong athletic stock; his mother, Kim Schofield Werth, held two national track and field records, while his father played wide receiver for Illinois State and dabbled in minor league baseball for a year.

His stepfather, Dennis Werth, yet another former major-leaguer with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals, helped to cultivate a love of baseball in Jayson, as he became a decorated high school player at Glenwood. In the 1997 MLB First-Year Player Draft, the Baltimore Orioles took him 22nd overall, hoping to develop him as a 6-6 catcher with power.

He was eventually traded in 2000 to the Toronto Blue Jays, who would move him to the outfield. With the 2008 Philadelphia Phillies, Werth became a vital member of a world champion, going 8-18 in the decisive series against the upstart Tampa Bay Rays. After becoming the starting right fielder for a champion, Werth would soon become an All-Star the next season, knocking out 36 home runs and slugging over .500.

Following the 2010 season, Werth cashed in with a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Washington Nationals. Despite doubts over whether the contract would be worth it for the rebuilding club, Werth proved to be an important leader for a young team on the rise, helping the Nationals make four playoff appearances during his tenure in D.C.

What he is up to now: Werth retired in the middle of the 2018 season. He eventually sold his house in Virginia to return to central Illinois, now enjoying time on an organic farm in Macoupin County.

Fun Fact: Werth's long beard and scraggly hair became the inspiration for a 2015 promotion in which the Nationals sold a Chia Pet of his likeness.

Cecily Strong

Connection to Springfield: Born in the capital city, Strong's father Bill was working as an Associated Press statehouse reporter when she was born. The family eventually moved to suburban Chicago, where she honed her love of comedy.

After being expelled from high school over bringing weed to school, Strong would head to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, where she would spend her senior year before heading to the California Institute for the Arts in Santa Clarita, a suburb of Los Angeles.

Returning to Chicago, she would spend time at Second City before getting the call to join Saturday Night Live in 2012.

What she is up to now: Strong has spent the past 10 seasons on SNL, earning praise for characters such as The Girl You Wish You Hadn't Started a Conversation with at a Party, the drug-addicted Kathy Anne and Kyra from the Girlfriends Talk Show.

It is unknown at this time whether Strong will return for an 11th season later this month. If she does, she would be the second-longest tenured cast member behind Kenan Thompson, who is entering his 19th year on the show.

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Kevin Gamble

Connection to Springfield: At Lanphier High School, Gamble helped the school win its only state championship in boys basketball in 1983, teaming with then-sophomore Ed Horton to beat Peoria Central 57-53 in the title game at Assembly Hall.

Despite being a star scorer in high school, he didn't go to a Division 1 school straight away, instead spending two years at Lincoln College. After playing a starring role for the Lynx, he would join Horton at Iowa, where he helped the Hawkeyes reach the Elite Eight in 1987 in a season that saw the team hit #1 in the AP poll.

Taken in the third round of the 1987 NBA Draft, he toiled in obscurity before being signed by the Boston Celtics in 1988 and working his way into the starting lineup. He would spend a decade in the NBA, nearly winning Most Improved Player honors in 1991.

After his retirement, Gamble went into the coaching ranks, becoming the first men's basketball coach at UIS. He spent eight seasons at UIS, leading the Prairie Stars to two NAIA tournaments.

What he is up to now: Gamble left UIS in 2010 to become an assistant at Providence College, members of the Big East Conference. His boss was younger than he was – Keno Davis was 38 years old when Gamble joined the staff, seven years his junior.

After a stint at Central Michigan University, Gamble returned to the NBA in 2018 as a scout for the Toronto Raptors. In his first season, the organization won a historic NBA championship – the first for a team outside the United States.

Fun Fact: Keno Davis is the son of Gamble's coach at Iowa, Dr. Tom Davis.

Matt Mitrione

Connection to Springfield: Born in Bloomington, Mitrione would move to Springfield and become a star on SHG's football team, helping the Cyclones earn 1995 Class 4A runner-up honors.

Mitrione played football and was competitive in track and field, swimming and in Strongman contests. He also trained in karate.

Mitrione's lack of overall size made him an underappreciated recruit for Purdue University in 1997, but he would go on to help lead a program renaissance. In 2000, the Boilermakers reached the Rose Bowl as Big Ten co-champions, with Mitrione leading a defense that had future pros such as Shaun Phillips, Akin Ayodele and Stuart Schweigert to go along with the Drew Brees-led offense.

His NFL career was short-lived, with just nine NFL games to his record. With a need to find something else to do, personal friend Werth helped expose him to the world of mixed martial arts. He soon developed enough skill to earn a spot on season 10 of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's The Ultimate Fighter. That led to a seven-year career in the UFC before a stint in Bellator that ended in 2021.

Overall, Mitrione is 13-9 in 22 bouts over his 13-year career.

What he is up to now: Mitrione is still active in MMA, competing at a Triller-sponsored MMA event last November.

Fun Fact: In addition to his athletic prowess, Mitrione has also competed in eating competitions on a casual basis.

Bobby McFerrin

Connection to Springfield: McFerrin grew up in New York, the son of an operatic baritone who was the first Black man hired to sing on the Metropolitan Opera stage.

His father's movements meant he never stayed in one place long, attending high school in Los Angeles while his dad sang for movie productions. After spending time at Cerritos College in California, he came to UIS during the mid-1970s, serving as a peer group counselor.

He would soon leave to attend Sacramento State University and begin his recording career. By 1988, McFerrin already had solid footing in the music industry and even performed the theme song for season 4 of The Cosby Show, but his life was about to change.

He released a song in conjunction with the Tom Cruise-led "Cocktail" called "Don't Worry, Be Happy." The song became a massive worldwide hit, becoming a No. 1 single for McFerrin and winner of three Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.

What he is up to now: At 72 years old, McFerrin hasn't released an album in nine years, but he is still performing and still earning recognition for his career beyond his one hit. In 2020, the National Endowment for the Arts presented him with its Jazz Masters award.

Fun Fact: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" became a big enough song that George H.W. Bush used it as his campaign song in 1988. McFerrin was not pleased and even dropped the song from performances.

Dana Perino

Connection to Springfield: A native of the Denver area, Perino didn't arrive in Springfield until the mid-1990s, when she joined the Public Affairs Reporting program. While in Springfield, she served as statehouse intern with WCIA in Champaign before graduating in 1995.

She returned to Denver and served as an assistant and press secretary for two congressmen before going to Great Britain with her husband for a period of time.

In 2001, she took a job as a spokesperson for the Justice Department and soon became an assistant director of communications for the White House Council on Environmental Quality. Her work soon brought her up to the role of deputy press secretary in 2005 before being promoted into the primary role in 2007, serving until the end of George W. Bush's administration.

After leaving the White House, she became a Fox News commentator and began teaching classes in political communications at George Washington University.

What she is up to now: Perino has been at Fox for the last 13 years, becoming host of her own afternoon show in 2017 and the host of a morning news program in 2021.

Fun Fact: Perino was in Baghdad during the infamous shoe-throwing incident in Bush's lame-duck period in 2008. While the president was unharmed, she suffered eye injuries as a result of a falling microphone stand.

This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Jayson Werth, Cecily Strong, Kevin Gamble, Springfield IL connections