Putting in all on the line

As much as I love sports, it's a rare thing to find an athlete who's worth looking up to as a role model. One indication that an athlete is a positive role model is that he puts others before him. A true indication of that is making the ultimate sacrifice of defending the country.

When we hear about our men and women in uniform, we're not talking about jerseys. Despite all the analogies of sports being like a battlefield, we must come to grips with reality and know

they're not.

Football in particular is full of war analogies.It all takes place on the gridiron while the offense uses the ground attack or the long bombs. Athletes generally know there's a bug difference, and the analogies are just that.

Former Cowboy defensively tackle Chad Hennings made sure people realized it, saying there there's an obvious line. Former Cardinal safety Pat Tillman gave up a career as a professional football and his life while fighting for his country in Afghanistan.

Tedd Williams (top) served as a pilot in WWI and the Korean War. He could have turned down the Korean war but like a few others, he put his bat down and fought for freedom.

These are just a few examples of athletes who have proven their worthy of being role models. They've put themselves in the public eye and have defended the millions of fans watching as their professional athletic careers unfold.

We've all heard the it said that freedom is not free. This couldn't be more true and an expensive price has been paid and is continuing to be paid. To that, we should all be thankful, and on this Memorial Day, while remembering those role models who have selflessly decided to put itall on the line.