In the past couple years in sports, many of the millennial generation's sports heroes have retired.
Derek Jeter, Peyton Manning, and Kobe Bryant are the headliners of the newly retired class.
All three taught aspiring athletes what hard work and perseverance can do for a person’s career. They also showed how to play the game right and be a good person.
Derek Jeter was an all-star on the field and off. He was a genuine down to earth person and he never let his fame change him.
Peyton Manning felt like everyone’s older brother. In every press conference or hilarious commercial, it felt like he was talking directly to a person not a whole crowd.
Kobe Bryant taught kids how to play the game of basketball with passion and heart. Whether it was a preseason game or game seven of the finals, Kobe Bryant put his heart and soul into every minute he spent on the court.
No longer will we be able to watch the jump throw from short, the sheriff lead his team to a touchdown winning drive, or the Black Mamba hit a buzz beater.
But these plays will be engraved in our minds forever.
We also had to say goodbye to Marshawn Lynch. Lynch was famous for beast mode, but also just as famous for the way he handled the media. He may not have been the perfect role model in that sense, but it was sure fun to watch.
He struck fear into the opposing defensive lineman because he had the power to run over them like a steamroller. He played the game no holds barred and that took a toll on his body, which ended his career sooner than most people thought.
Another career that ended too soon was Calvin Johnson. He was one of the NFL’s most dynamic receivers. No matter where the quarterback threw the ball, Johnson could jump high in the air and grasp it from the defense's hands.
Its too bad he never got to win a Super Bowl, much less play in one. All football fans will surely miss him, and he will be missed on my fantasy team.
Soccer star, Abby Wambach, left the game after winning a world cup for the U.S.A. She showed young girls around America that sports stardom is not just for men. She played the game with just as much heart as big names like Kobe and Jeter.
Wambach and the U.S. Women’s soccer team made Americans excited to sit down and watch a game of soccer. She was a true ambassador of the game.
All these athletes have inspired younger generations to get out on the field or court and put all their heart, body, and mind into getting bigger and better. All these athletes came from humble beginnings. They were not handed anything, they worked for every trophy, record, and dollar they got.
Many of the young pro-athletes these days state that they were inspired to work hard and achieve their dreams because of these former athletes. Now the torch has been handed to young superstars like Mike Trout, Russell Wilson, Carli Lloyd and Anthony Davis.
Hopefully, these athletes will lead great athletic careers on and off the field and provide role models to another generation.
