Fans and citizens in the world today may get a sense that athletes are greedy, selfish and at some points couldn’t care less what their reputation is.
Most of the time that is the case. But sports fans today capture a glimpse of an athlete being a real person, not just an athlete a human being.
Social media can be great and awful at the same time. Now it seems like if you wanted to, you could find out what your favorite athlete had for breakfast.

As fans get more and more involved in athletes and even celebrities personal lives we find out more about every individual. The good, the bad and especially the ugly. So when tragedy strikes we can all come together as one and root for that particular player.

Losing a loved one is awful and effects everyone so when it comes upon a professional athlete we can easily give them a pass and say “you don’t have to play, you can grieve.”

Recently athletes have been known to play through adversity, play not after their beloved ones who have passed on, but for them.
This shows courage and will power, most of all it shows us that athletes are people too and can warm our hearts and even make us shed a tear.

Torrey Smith is a wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens, his dreadlocks and energetic style of play help him shine in fans eyes.
Late in September Torrey’s brother was killed in a motorcycle accident hours before Torrey had a football game. He was emotionally drained, stunned and could barely sleep. He could easily taken the week off, spent time with his family and mourned the death of his younger brother. Instead he played, and had an incredible game that made everyone a Torrey Smith fan that night.

He played for his family that night and turned this vulnerable time in his life and made it into something great.

You could say the same thing for Notre Dame University’s middle linebacker Manti Te’o.

In the same week he lost two people close to him. His grandmother and a close female friend both passed away. Words can’t explain the emotions that were running through this young man’s mind. Losing two loved ones in one week?

Behind his teammates and family Te’o prevailed to play his next football game and help lead his team to victory.
This goes to show that sports are powered by emotions.

You can be a freak athlete with many skills and tools to succeed in sports but if you don’t play with heart, grit and emotion none of those things matter.

Many other athletes have done what Smith and Te’o have done. These two men just happened to be playing on a national stage and proceeded to play a great game.

Fans and people in the world should consider that athletes are humans too and consider their emotions..
Sometimes they can bring us all together and make us remember how precious life is.