The 8 Most Heartwarming Stories in NFL History

The most heartwarming stories in NFL history is a very intriguing topic.  Just what, exactly, is heartwarming to you?

That question alone makes this topic a very subjective matter.

Being 26-years-old, I have only been exposed to a limited amount of NFL culture and may not be entirely knowledgeable on certain intricacies of the past.

However, I do know what inspires me. And that is when someone overcomes great obstacles and does the unthinkable.

The NFL may not have the most memorable and riveting story lines in all of sports history, but there are definitely a few that will chill you to bone.

Here is my list of the NFL's eight most heartwarming stories.

8. Vince Papale Makes Philadelphia Eagles Roster

Vince Papale truly lived out every football fan's biggest dream.  For three seasons, Papale played for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Papale was a track athlete at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. After college, he caught on with semi-professional football.  

In 1975, he had a tryout with the Eagles and won a spot on the team. Papale played on the special teams unit for three seasons before washing out of the league.

They made his story into a movie: Invincible.

7. Kurt Warner Goes from Grocery Store Stock Boy to Super Bowl MVP

Kurt Warner's story is likely not anything new to any of you.  Warner went undrafted out of college in 1994.

After seemingly failing to make an NFL roster, Warner turned to stocking shelves at a local grocery store for $5.50 per hour.

After consecutive head-turning seasons (1996-1997) with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League, Warner finally caught on with the St. Louis Rams in 1998.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Warner took the hapless St. Louis Rams to two Super Bowls, winning one of them and earning himself Super Bowl MVP honors in Super Bowl XXXIV.

His accomplishments didn't end in St. Louis.  Long after he departed the Rams, Warner took the Arizona Cardinals to their first franchise Super Bowl appearance.

To wrap things up, Warner also holds the three highest single-game passing totals in the history of the Super Bowl.

6. 2009 New Orleans Saints Win the Super Bowl in Wake of Hurricane Katrina

The city of New Orleans needed a win after it laid in the devastating wake of Hurricane Katrina in 2005.  Katrina may have been one of the biggest natural disasters in U.S. history.

Katrina resulted in approximately 1,500 deaths in Louisiana alone, displaced thousands and cost over $80 billion.

The Saints, a long-time struggling sports franchise, may not have revived a city in turmoil themselves, but they sure did lend a helping hand.

Not only did winning the Super Bowl revive the city's spirits, but also many of the players on the Saints donated tremendous amounts of time and money to the city to help in the rebuild.

5. The Michael Oher Story

Michael Oher's story may not be the only one of its kind, but it certainly appeals to the best in all of us.

Oher was uneducated and was raised in a broken home.  His mother was a substance abuser and his father was in and out of prison his entire childhood.

Despite these challenges, and with a little help, Oher overcame these obstacles and worked hard enough to raise his GPA enough so that he could play college football.

After a successful career as an Ole Miss Rebel, Oher was drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens.  He is now a fixture on the Ravens offensive line.

4. Tedy Bruschi Survives Stroke, Returns to NFL

Tedy Bruschi was a three-time Super Bowl Champion in 2005.  However, the biggest challenge he would face in life still awaited him.

Days after the 2005 Pro Bowl, Bruschi suffered stroke-like symptoms and was brought to the hospital.  He suffered a mild stroke.

Bruschi declared he would sit out the entire 2005 season in order to rehabilitate and recover from the stroke.

However, just eight months after suffering the stroke, the New England Patriots cleared Bruschi to return to football.  Two weeks later, he played against the Buffalo Bills.

Around the same time, my father had a stroke that was a little more severe than Bruschi's.  His recovery never reached the complete stages that Bruschi attained.  

I was aware of Bruschi's tremendous recovery at the time.  Then, I heard about Bruschi's book: Never Give Up: My Stroke, My Recovery and My Return to the NFL.

Immediately I thought about my dad, Mike Hoag Sr., and bought this book for him.  Reading it, if he ever did (reading was tough as a result of the stroke), I hoped would be an inspiration to help him with his recovery.

I haven't had a stroke or had to overcome any significant adversity in my life.

And I was truly inspired.

3. Rocky Bleier Wounded in Vietnam, Makes Pittsburgh Steelers' Roster

Rocky Bleier was already an accomplished athlete coming out of the University of Notre Dame.  He was a part of the 1966 Irish championship team and graduated with a degree in business management.

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1968.  But after his rookie season, he was drafted into the U.S. Army in December 1968.  

They say nothing is as strong as the heart of a volunteer.  Bleier proved that by volunteering for duty in the Vietnam War.

He was wounded by a rifle bullet and shrapnel from a grenade blast, both in the leg.

Bleier spent two years rehabbing after being told he would never be able to play football again.  During those two years he tried out and missed the cut for the Steelers.

After finally returning to the team in 1971, Bleier blocked for the famous Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris.  

He was no slouch carrying the ball, either.  In 1976, both Harris and Bleier rushed for over 1,000 yards.

Bleier also played in and won four Super Bowls with the Steelers during the 1970s.

2. Mark Herzlich Beats Cancer, Drafted by New York Giants, Wins Super Bowl

Mark Herzlich was a tremendous linebacker for the Boston College Eagles.

In 2008, he had his best season and was projected, if he skipped his senior season, to be a top 15 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

Herzlich, however, opted to stay at Boston College for his senior year.

That is when he was diagnosed with Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer.

After taking a year to combat the disease and recover, Herzlich remarkably returned to the field for the Eagles in 2010.

Herzlich had a less than spectacular, although impressive senior season for the Eagles, but his stock had tremendously fallen after his cancer treatment. He went undrafted, but signed with the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent on July 26, 2011.

Herzlich remarkably made the Giants 53-man roster for opening day.

To make things even better, he made his first NFL start on November 20, 2011.

To make things even, even better, he played and won in the Super Bowl to cap off one of the best and remarkable comebacks in NFL history.

1. Pat Tillman Leaves NFL, Enlists in U.S. Army Rangers

Pat Tillman is and will forever be a hero in my eyes.  He had everything in life, according to most: fame, money and accomplishment.

Although there was a large controversy around the circumstances of his death in Afghanistan, I'd like to focus more on the character and patriotism Tillman displayed.

Tillman enlisted in the Army in May 2002 as a result of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

At the time of those attacks, I was only 16 years old.  When I heard about Tillman's sacrifice, I felt a sense of patriotism and revere for him that I haven't felt since.

I, myself, followed Tillman's example and enlisted in the military once out of high school.  Tillman wasn't the reason I did it, but it was certainly a factor in my motivation to do so.

Pat Tillman is an American hero and should never be forgotten.


Follow Mike on Twitter @BigHoagowski