Dolphins QB Chad Pennington, A Class Act

In today's world, heroes seem to be an increasingly rare thing.

There are still celebrities, and popularity is not an issue for actors and athletes. But less-than-perfect guys like Terrell Owens, Plaxico Burress, Randy Moss, and Donte Stallworth seem to be the trend right now.

Now, I'd say that if you idolize people who are notoriously undereducated and do not care about others, that it is your fault.

That is, if you're an adult, but let's face it: Most people who worship sports figures are kids that do not know any better.

My own personal feelings about Randy Moss and how he treated my beloved Marshall University aside, he has attempted to turn himself around. I commend him for that, but the damage has still been done.

So, in this world of professional sports filled with gun crimes, drug problems, and all manner of issues, who are the true heroes?

I know one: James Chadwick Pennington, or as the rest of the world knows him, Chad Pennington. Ever since this man put on a jersey at the college level, he has been nothing but exceptional both on and off the field. He has been a model student, an active member of the community, and, oh yeah, an outstanding athlete.

In 1995, Pennington came to Marshall University in Huntington, WV and seemed destined to be relegated to the fourth spot on the depth chart at quarterback. But after putting in tremendous effort, he was able to win the starting job and led the Herd within two points of winning the 1995 Division I-AA National Championship.

The following season, he was redshirted under new head coach Bob Pruett. But when faced with a situation which most players would have complained about, Pennington saw a learning experience and accepted his role on the sidelines.

In 1997, Pennington resumed his spot at the helm of now-Division I-A Marshall and helped the team win the Mid-American Conference Championship.

And through the rest of his college career, he continued to excel on the gridiron and off. In 1999, he led the Herd to a perfect 13-0 season and the team's third consecutive MAC Championship. In his spare time, Pennington continued to write for the school's newspaper The Parthenon and volunteered for the school's radio station WMUL-FM.

Pennington was also a finalist for the Rhodes Scholarship and graduated with a 3.83 GPA. He capped off his college career by finishing fifth in the voting for the 1999 Heisman Trophy and leading Marshall to a 21-3 victory over Brigham Young in the Motor City Bowl. The Thundering Herd finished the season ranked nationally at No. 10.

Pennington would begin his professional career after being drafted by the New York Jets with the 18th verall pick in the 2000 NFL Draft. He was so eager to begin that he took his playbook with him on his honeymoon in an effort to quickly learn the plays.

In his NFL years, Pennington has repeatedly faced criticism and responded with strong performance on the field. While he has not re-written any record books with his arm strength, he continues to annually post high completion percentages.

In 2006, Pennington was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year after struggling with injuries the year before. He'd unfortunately have some woes in the 2007 season, but he faced them with the same resolve he'd had shown in years past despite being replaced mid-season.

Pennington was finally released from the Jets in August of 2008 when the team acquired Brett Favre. He remained fairly silent on the issue but soon proceeded to win another Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2008 with the Miami Dolphins.

But the thing about Chad's pro career is that biggest impact is not on the field. In fact, it is not anywhere near the field.

In 2003, he founded the 1st-and-10 Foundation to improve the communities of West Virginia, Tennessee, and New York (a site which has since been replaced with South Florida, due to his team change).

Each year, the foundation donates thousands of dollars to local hospitals, gives equally large sums to community groups, and sponsors chartiable events as well. For example, the group puts on the annual Celebrity Bowl, which brings in other athletes and local sponsors to host a fund raiser at a local bowling alley.

There is also the annual Bobby Hampton Memorial Race, the "Christmas in Knoxville" event, the Friends of 10, and Super Saturday. The latter two provide tickets to community groups for Miami Dolphins and Marshall Thundering Herd football games, respectively.

It is refreshing for me to see that, even in this era, at least some athletes still remember who they are and where they came from. Some still want to give back to those people in the towns they left.

Pennington will always remain a champion, even if no one else recognizes it, because of his efforts on behalf of the people of Knoxville, Huntington, and Miami.