By JUSTIN KANE
In today’s sports world people can often get confused as to who a “role model” is. Some thought O.J. Simpson was a role model until the infamous chase down interstate 405 in that Ford Bronco. There is no doubt he was a great football player, but being a great player and being a great person on and off the field are totally different. The difference between being a role model and an icon often gets lost in today’s fame-driven world.
There are plenty of idolized players in the National Football League. Their jerseys are worn everyday, but are they role models or just great players? One role model is Baltimore Raven’s offensive tackle Michael Oher, whose story became popular in the movie The Blind Side. Throughout high school Oher had to get his grade point average to a 2.5 to receive a college scholarship which could be a major obstacle for someone who has been through foster home after foster home. After high school, Oher attended the University of Mississippi where he earned 13 awards in four years, eight of which he earned in his senior year. With the 23rd pick of the 2009 NFL Draft, the Ravens selected Oher. He was the fourth offensive lineman selected in the first round. In his first year in the NFL, Oher started 16 of 16 games, and so far this year he has started 8 of 8. He finished second in offensive rookie-of-the-year voting. His attitude proves to everyone that living in the slumps doesn’t mean you cannot achieve great things.
Here in Orlando the dominant sports team is the Magic. In their new center for their 21st season superstar Dwight Howard is more than just a great center, he is a great person off of the court.
The National Basketball Association is big on community involvement, and Howard is a true leader in the NBA. In 2004, Howard set up the Dwight D. Howard foundation to provide scholarships for students in his hometown of Atlanta who want to attend his alma mater, Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy. The Foundation also gives grants to Lovell Elementary School and Memorial Middle School. The Foundation organizes summer basketball camps for boys and girls, and with help from high school and college coaches and players.
In 2005, Howard earned the Rich and Helen De Vos Community Enrichment Award for his constant community involvement. In November 2009, he was one of the 10 finalists for the Jefferson Awards for Public Service, which awards athletes for their charitable work. Howard is the prime example of a role model with his off-court involvement and his amazing athleticism on the court. His numerous awards and countless hours of community service has proven him a role model to kids and teens from all ages and from all backgrounds.
On the contrary, there are the few great players who are not great off-field people. These are the icons. Icons are the players who are idolized on the field but not off of it. A prime example in the NFL is Pittsburgh quarterback Ben “Big Ben” Rothlisberger. He has been accused of two different sexual assault charges in two years. Another bad off-field example is Adam “Pacman” Jones who has been in legal trouble since the day he was drafted in 2005. He has been involved in an altercation at a Las Vegas strip club, involved with using drugs and being associated with people selling drugs and suspended from
the NFL in the 2007 season.
For the first 10 games of the 2010-2011 NBA season Delonte West won’t be on the court for the Boston Celtics. The league suspended West 10 games for pleading guilty to a weapons charge in Maryland. Although West averages 10 points per game, and shoots 44 percent from the field his actions off the court aren’t those that someone should admire.
When athletes from all sports make poor decisions on the court they get taken out of the game, off the court they ruin their reputation. Kids look up to these players like they are the gods on Mount Olympus and when their image is tarnished, the kids’ dreams shatter as well.
So athletes, next time you are put in a bad situation remember that you can leave and keep your image in tact, not ruin it like some.