My Heroes

Have you ever had the opportunity to meet one of your heroes in person? Were you fortunate enough to have the time to get past that initial awestruck moment and share with them just what they mean to you? Well, I just did. I actually met two of my heroes. Believe it or not, I ran into Roger Staubach and Terry Bradshaw having lunch together. They were sitting right there chatting like old friends, and I actually had the nerve to speak to them. They were kind and allowed me to ramble on about memories I had and then to express my appreciation for what they had been to me in my childhood. But, just as the encounter was turning into a conversation, I woke up… As I lay there, a bit saddened, I really started remembering a lot of things. So, I decided to get up and tell you before I forgot it all.

There is not a more dedicated fan than an elementary school boy. His imagination is the real world and his heroes are the giants in that world. In the 70s there was no greater rivalry than Dallas and Pittsburgh. I was a Cowboy fan. Roger was my guy. He was my giant. He was the epitome of the Christian gentleman and an example of character to all of us. Graduating from the Naval Academy, he had gone on to serve his 6 year obligation to our country including a tour in Vietnam before he played in the NFL. That kind of commitment is rare today (Pat Tillman embodied it). I loved watching the Cowboys whenever they were on one of our two and a half channels. (One channel was more like radio than TV.) Roger really showed you how to handle yourself no matter what happened in the game. He was poised and reserved. He did his job, and he waited until the game was over to celebrate. (Sounds a little like someone else, but that’s another story.)

The Steelers…they were the enemy. They were rough and mean and were always stalking my Cowboys, waiting for any chance to take away what rightfully belonged to them. Several times they did, right before my eyes. I hated Terry Bradshaw. In my young eyes, he was everything that Roger was not. And, worst of all, he was the leader of the pretenders to the throne. I have to admit I had a soft spot for Joe Greene after his Coke commercial came out, but all I could think was “How can a nice guy like that play for the Steelers?” I was sure he got a good talking to by the rest of his team. Did I mention I hated Terry Bradshaw?

At the Super Bowl they were at it again. My Cowboys were there to receive their deserved championship trophy and the Steelers were there to lie and cheat and yank it away. But Roger and the boys would have none of that. They really turned up the heat that day. While the offense did their thing, the defense painted a target on Mr. Bradshaw and everybody took their shot. They really clobbered him. They did everything by the book of course, but that was before a lot of the quarterback protection rules we have today. Time after time, he would come to the line and they would just lay him out. It was late in the game, and they were still pounding him when he really took a shot. Two of my guys were coming full speed as he was scrambling, and they sandwiched him. I think he still feels that one. He was already limping around, but this one really hurt him.

That’s when I saw it. All through the game, I had been watching my guys lay the wood to Terry Bradshaw. What I didn’t see until that moment was that Terry Bradshaw kept coming back. That’s a lot for a 12 year old boy to process. There, staring me right in the face was commitment…determination…perseverance. In that moment, I realized I no longer hated him. I respected him. No, I didn’t switch my allegiance. But I took note of this man. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that this man also had qualities I could admire. I learned about his struggles on and off the field. I learned about how he faced his own short comings and the way he kept coming back. Roger Staubach was my hero from day one. Terry Bradshaw became my hero, and Roger doesn’t mind. I know because he told me so.