The Best Sports Movies Never Made
In the world of sports, freakish athletes awe us by showing off physical ability fans could only dream of performing.
Those athletes are often misunderstood by the common fan. Most would seem to believe that professional athletes are gifted from birth and don't deserve a typical level of sympathy because of their "good luck."
Sure, there are a handful of athletes that were virtually given a free ride because of their physical abilities, but those instances are few and far between. Far more often in sports, stories of desperation, determination, and perseverance are carried into the leagues.
These types of stories aren't just about professional sports either. Once in a lifetime type stories of athletes coming out victorious against all odds will go down in history as legends.
Hollywood has attempted to recreate many of those stories.
Here are the heart-wrenching, movie-worthy stories Hollywood forgot:
17. Mardy Gilyard
1 of 17In 2006, Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Mardy Gilyard lost his academic eligibility and scholarship after his grades plummeted.
He was forced to sleep in a car for four months to save money. Despite being homeless himself, he managed to find the time to help other homeless children.
Gilyard paid off his debts to the college and got his grades up. Back on the field, Gilyard made his name known as one of the most explosive players in college football.
After finishing the 2009 season strong and standing out at the Senior Bowl, the St. Louis Rams selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.
16. Michael Vick
2 of 17
In April of 2007, Michael Vick's Virginia property was investigated while looking for his cousin's drugs. What was found weren't drugs, but evidence of dog fighting.
It turned out that Vick financed "Bad Newz Kennels," an inter-state dog-fighting business.
He was eventually sentenced to 23 months in prison.
While locked up, Tony Dungy met with him often. He was released from prison in late July, 2009. Less than a month later, he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.
After a year of running just the "wildcat", Vick was given another chance as a starter after a Donovan McNabb trade and Kevin Kolb injury.
He put together an MVP-worthy season leading the Eagles to the playoffs. Vick has not only comeback better than ever as a football player, but he's come out of the nightmare a changed man for the better.
15. Kurt Warner
3 of 17Kurt Warner went undrafted out of Northern Iowa. Despite the lack of attention, he never gave up his dream to play in the NFL.
After being cut by the Green Bay Packers before the 1994 season began, Warner resorted to taking a job at a grocery store until he was given another shot. He stocked shelves at Hy-Vee for $5.50 an hour.
Warner signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League in 1995. He dominated the AFL for the next three years.
Finally, the St. Louis Rams offered him a tryout, and he was signed and sent to NFL Europe for a season where he continued his dominance.
Warner was promoted to second string in the 1999 season. In a pre-season game, Rams starter Trent Green went down with a season ending knee injury. No one thought Warner would be able to replace Green.
A few months later, the St. Louis Rams were Super Bowl Champions led by Kurt Warner who won the NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP that year. Warner played outstanding for a couple more seasons with the Rams and then lost his job to an up and coming Marc Bulger.
Warner struggled for the next few years as he battled injuries. Again, he would come out of nowhere.
He signed with the Cardinals in 2005 and proceeded to battle with Matt Leinart for the starting job for the next few years. In 2008, Warner led the Cardinals to the Super Bowl, just losing in the closing seconds.
One year later, he retired leaving a legacy unlike any other.
14. Connie Hawkins
4 of 17Connie Hawkins was offered a scholarship to play basketball for Iowa after being a scoring machine in high school.
In his freshman year in college, he was wrongfully accused of point-shaving. Despite the fact that he wasn't even eligible to play his freshman season, he was expelled by the school. Other colleges refused to allow him to play basketball for them and the NBA wouldn't let him sign a contract.
Hawkins played one year in the American Basketball League and won the MVP. He then played three years on the Harlem Globetrotters, but left after being cheated out of money by the team.
He joined the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association in their inaugural year. Hawkins led the Pipers to an ABA Championship that season while winning the regular season and playoff MVP awards.
After the 1968-1969 season and a few more years in the ABA, the NBA finally let Hawkins in. He was an All-Star four straight years despite being plagued by injuries.
He was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992.
13. John Starks
5 of 17John Starks grew up in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He didn't have the ideal upbringing. He had seven siblings and his mother was physically beaten by multiple men.
He went to four community colleges in four years getting kicked out of the first two: one for theft and the other for smoking marijuana.
Starks didn't give up though and earned a basketball scholarship to Oklahoma State. He only played one year and didn't get drafted, but he played well enough to draw attention from NBA teams.
He was signed by the Golden State Warriors in 1988 and left for New York in 1990. From there, Starks went on to become an All-Star and a major part of the last great New York Knicks squads.
12. Michael Irvin
6 of 17Michael Irvin grew up in a family with seventeen children. He lived in a poor neighborhood and knew football was his only way out.
He was offered a scholarship to play for the Miami Hurricanes and was drafted in the first round three years later by the Dallas Cowboys.
Sounds like a basic storyline, but it's anything but.
In 1996, Irvin was arrested on charges of cocaine possession. The same year he was accused of sexual assault. In 1998, he had a mysterious alleged assault on a teammate where he cut a two inch gash in the teammate's neck.
That all happened during a Hall of Fame career so his ability on the football field helped fans forget his off the field issues.
After his retirement though, he still couldn't stay out of trouble. He was arrested for drug possession twice and was accused of another sexual assault.
Since then, Irvin has done a complete 180 and turned his life around.
11. Patrick Willis
7 of 17Patrick Willis grew up with three brothers and sisters and one abusive father. It got to the point of the kids going to their guidance counselor for help.
The authorities were going to move Patrick and his siblings away from where they grew up. In a Michael Oher-like story, a local family adopted them to keep them in the town.
Willis went on to Ole Miss to play football and was on another level as he won the Butkus Award for the best linebacker in the country twice.
During his time in college, his youngest brother drowned. Who was there to keep his sibling's heads up but Patrick Willis. He proved to be an unparalleled leader on and off the football field.
In 2007, he was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the NFL Draft. Since then, he's been to the Pro Bowl every year he's been in the league.
10. Warrick Dunn
8 of 17While just in high school, Warrick Dunn's mother was murdered.
Even though he was the anchor in helping support his family, he himself was almost to the point of depression. He accomplished so much on the football field, but his mother's death continued to haunt him.
After years went by, he went face to face with the attackers which brought him peace.
9. Manny Pacquiao
9 of 17Manny Pacquiao is a real life Rocky Balboa.
Pacquiao left school in the third grade to sell donuts to support his family. When he found boxing, he found his future.
He was too young, and too small, but he had to fight. Despite being outmatched physically, he kept winning. Pacquiao won a world championship at the age of 19.
Today, his name is among the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of all-time.
8. Natalie Du Toit
10 of 17Natalie Du Toit began competing internationally at a very young age. She just missed competing in the Sydney Olympics at the age of 16.
The very next year, Du Toit was riding her bike home when she was hit by a car. Her leg was so damaged the surgeons were forced to remove it.
She trained hard and was able to swim again in a few months. In 2002 at the Commonwealth Games, she became the first athlete with a disability to qualify for an able-bodied final in the 800 meter.
In 2008, she qualified for the Beijing Olympics and carried South Africa's flag during the Opening Ceremony.
7. Mark Herzlich
11 of 17Mark Herzlich was one of the top outside linebackers in college football since his arrival at Boston College. In his junior season, he was a finalist for the Butkus Award and a quarter-finalist for the Lott Trophy.
In the off-season going into his senior season, he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone-cancer. At one time he was a high rated NFL prospect, but instead of fighting off pulling guards, he was forced into a much bigger fight.
September 29, 2009, doctors told Herzlich that he was cancer free. Herzlich won his battle with cancer and is now training for the 2011 NFL Draft.
6. Stafon Johnson
12 of 17
Any running back at USC almost always has a chance to play at the next level. That chance almost flew out the window one day Stafon Johnson will never forget.
While weight training during the season, Johnson had an accident that would make any athlete sick to the stomach. While bench pressing 275 pounds, the bar slipped from his hands and landed directly on his throat.
Doctors didn't know if he would live. They performed three surgeries on Johnson to repair his vocal cord, Adam's apple, and torn muscles.
Johnson slowly regained his voice and his ability to breathe on his own. He entered the 2010 NFL Draft, wasn't drafted, but was signed by the Tennessee Titans right away.
In a pre-season game, Johnson dislocated his ankle and was placed on the Injured Reserve.
His comeback story is still being written.
5. Jon Lester
13 of 17Jon Lester was called up to the Boston Red Sox to start at the age of 22. He was one of the highest-ceiling prospects in the game.
Before a start, Lester experienced back pain that kept him out of action. After being forced on the 15-day DL list, he went to the doctors to get checked out.
They found a form of cancer. All of a sudden, a young, strong pitcher with a bright things ahead's future was threatened.
About five months of treatment later, another test showed no signs of the cancer.
The very next season, Lester slowly worked his way back into the starting lineup. Just a year and two months after his cancer was found, he started and won game four of the World Series against the Colorado Rockies which clinched the series.
4. Josh Hamilton
14 of 17Josh Hamilton was drafted with the first overall pick of the 1999 MLB Draft straight out of high school.
His drug and alcohol problems began in 2001. For the next three years, Hamilton was in and out of rehab. Within those years he failed multiple drug tests.
A career that started out with all the promise in the world turned into a nightmare faster than a 100 mile-per-hour fast ball. From 2004-2006, Hamilton didn't play baseball and continued to be in and out of rehab.
Things began to get better in 2007. After being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, traded to the Cincinnati Reds, and traded again to the Texas Rangers, his miraculous comeback was complete.
Hamilton has been an All-Star in each of his three years in Texas. In 2010, he was named the AL MVP and led the Rangers to their first ALCS victory in franchise history in which he was named the MVP of the series.
3. Sean Taylor
15 of 17Sean Taylor grew up in a very poor town in south Florida and football was his ticket out. He was highly recruited and decided to go to Miami.
Taylor was known as a high-character guy, but people close to him have said that he had trouble choosing his friends.
In 2005, he was charged with aggravated assault with a firearm and misdemeanor for battery. He reportedly was seen pointing a gun at someone in a dispute.
On the night of November 26, 2007, Sean Taylor was shot in the leg by thieves breaking into his home. He died after significant blood loss.
Much mystery surrounds his death.
Some police have said that they believe the robbers were professionals. Taylor's former teammate Antrelle Rolle made it clear that Taylor had old friends that were now enemies because he didn't talk to them anymore.
The entire NFL was crushed by his death. His Redskin and Hurricane teammates such as Clinton Portis, Santana Moss, and Ray Lewis were among the most vocal about remembering Taylor.
2. Jason McElwain
16 of 17Jason McElwain was at a disadvantage from the start. He was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.
He tried out for his basketball team in high school, but didn't make it. The team offered him a job as team manager instead.
On senior night, the head coach of the basketball team told Jason he would try to get him in the game. The final 4:19 of that game would be four minutes and 19 seconds witnesses will never forget.
The crowd went wild with his entrance, and went insane after he drained a three. Six buckets and five three pointers later, Jason finished the game with 20 points, 20 points in just over four minutes of action.
McElwain instantly became famous. He appeared on countless talk shows and won the ESPY for Best Moment in Sports of 2006 over Kobe Bryant's 81 point game and George Mason's Final Four appearance
.
1. Team Hoyt
17 of 17Rick Hoyt was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. It was discovered that he had cerebral palsy and would never be able to walk or talk.
Rick's parents refused to treat Rick any differently than their other two kids. They played with him outside and took him to the beach like any other child.
Through a special machine, Rick was later able to communicate with his parents. One day, he told his father Dick, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like my disability disappears."
From that point on, Dick carried his son Rick through hundreds of races including marathons and triathlons.
Rick's body may by disabled, but his mind definitely isn't. He earned a degree from Boston University and now lives in his own apartment.
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Giants Bears Football")
