Real-Life Sports Heroes of 2014
Heroics on the field of play are commonplace enough in sports, but it’s these off-the-field sports heroes who truly deserve recognition.
A hero can be someone who does good deeds, acts as a Good Samaritan or even saves lives.
Many athletes have fallen into this category over the years—C.J. Leslie stopping a man in a wheelchair from being trampled or Chris Seitz donating bone marrow to a total stranger—but we’ll focus on more recent examples.
We’ll see athletes from all levels—high school to professional. We’ll see generosity toward animals, a fan saving a baby from certain disaster and even learn about a former college lacrosse player who became a hero on 9/11.
Each act on this list involves sports, and it involves heroism. The more dangerous the consequences of these people not taking action, the higher the level of heroism.
Dishonorable Mention: Josh Shaw
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This one is dishonorable because, well, it didn’t actually happen.
After sustaining an ankle injury under mysterious circumstances, USC cornerback Josh Shaw explained that he injured himself leaping from a balcony to rescue his nephew from drowning in a pool.
Turns out, that was a complete fabrication, and Shaw was suspended indefinitely from the team.
It’s not cool to disrespect the real heroes out there by pretending to be one.
Honorable Mention: Chipper Jones
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Remember that pesky polar vortex? Chipper Jones certainly does.
Back in January 2014 when Atlanta was flipping out over a little snow, massive traffic delays resulted from weather-related issues.
During that time, Atlanta Braves infielder Freddie Freeman was trapped on the highway and tweeting about it.
Jones must’ve seen the tweets or received a distress signal directly, because he showed up on a four-wheeler to save his friend.
This was only a rescue from inconvenience, but still, a rescue all the same.
Milwaukee Brewers Rescue Stray Dog
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The Milwaukee Brewers saved a dog from a life of homelessness—they adopted a stray, an act that represents heroism of the understated variety.
According to USA Today, during 2014 spring training in Arizona, the Brewers found a stray dog. They couldn’t find an owner to claim him, so the team decided to take him in.
They named him Hank after Hank Aaron, and he’s adorable.
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Chad Greenway Helps with Boat Trouble
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In June 2014, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway came to the rescue of two struggling boaters on Lake Minnetonka.
According to a news crew from KARE-TV that witnessed the incident (via ESPN.com), Greenway noticed that a couple was stranded during some high winds and dove into the water to help steer them to safety.
Afterward Greenway told KARE-TV, “I just ran down, of course with my two little girls following behind me, trying to stay out of the way, and I figured I'd help them out. It looked like it was dangerous.”
David Backes Rescues Dogs from Sochi
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U.S. Olympic hockey player David Backes (presumably) went to the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi sans animals, but he came home with two pooches.
According to CBS News, Backes and his wife were appalled to learn that Russian officials were killing stray dogs prior to the start of the Games.
So when they encountered two such strays in Olympic Village, they decided to take them home.
The Backes are true animal-lovers—they even formed their own nonprofit organization, Athletes for Animals.
Mike Tyson Stops Traffic
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Mike Tyson: hero?
It’s probably not a word you would normally use to describe the former champ, but Tyson was just that in Las Vegas in September 2014.
Ryan Chesley was riding his motorcycle when a car cut him off and he went flying. Chesley told TMZ that Tyson saw the accident happen from his vehicle and immediately stopped to help.
Chesley said Tyson halted traffic and waited for help to arrive.
Fan Saves Baby from Flying Bat
7 of 12At a Memorial Day baseball game in Chicago, a woman saved a baby from the danger of a flying baseball bat.
Eileen Depesa reached out and made a nice one-handed grab to nab the bat and protect the child.
She eventually got the bat signed by its owner, Tyler Flowers, but Depesa said after the game, per Cut4, “I was more concerned with protecting the baby seated behind me.”
Baseball Player Performs CPR
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In March 2014, an umpire collapsed during a high school baseball game in Georgia.
WSB-TV reported that Alex Norwood, a 16-year-old player for Rockdale High School, immediately ran over to the umpire and began to administer CPR until paramedics arrived. He had been certified just two weeks prior to the incident.
Norwood said, “I feel like I didn't do that much, I just got it started before the EMT got there...it was the coaches, EMT that really did it.”
Chris Davis Lifts Truck
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Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis is currently serving a 25-game drug-related suspension—this is true.
It’s also true that during his suspension, he was on hand to help after a car accident left a man trapped underneath a vehicle.
According to The Washington Post, Davis was one of the first to offer assistance after a truck was overturned on the highway. He gathered help from other bystanders to get the truck upright and free the man trapped underneath.
Soccer Player Saves Opponent
10 of 12In March 2014, a scary moment occurred during a Ukrainian Premier League match.
Oleh Husyev of FC Dynamo Kyiv went down after being unintentionally kneed by the opposing goalkeeper.
Most of the players didn’t notice the extreme danger right away, but one did.
Jaba Kankava, an FC Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk midfielder, immediately ran to Husyev’s side and saw that he couldn’t breathe. Kankava put his fingers into Husyev’s mouth and found that his tongue was blocking his airway.
Despite possibly being bitten in the process, Kankava succeeded in restoring air, and his opponent was conscious as he was carried off the field.
Basketball Team Puts out Fire
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In January 2014, members of a high school basketball team in Oklahoma were on their way to a pregame meal when they stopped to assist an elderly couple whose car had run off the road.
Dylan Goforth of Tulsa World reported that the players (eight players, four each in two cars) spotted smoke.
They stopped and saw fire coming from a banged-up car that had crashed after the driver fell asleep.
The boys poured water and dirt on the fire while another bystander retrieved a fire extinguisher. They also placed blankets under one passenger's head and waited for help to arrive.
Goforth reported that the couple only sustained minor injuries.
Welles Crowther, 9/11 Hero Honored
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Boston College honored one of its own during a September 2014 football game against USC. The players wore shoes, gloves and helmets all designed to look like red bandannas in honor of Welles Crowther.
Crowther played lacrosse at Boston College, and he was in the South Tower of the World Trade Center during the September 11 terrorist attacks.
He was killed in the attacks, but he was able to save at least 12 people before the tower collapsed.
According to Yahoo Sports, Crowther successfully led two groups of people down 17 flights of stairs to safety before returning for a third trip that he would not complete.
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