The Hat Trick owes a big thank you to our long time friend and contributor, Jena Ellis of Online Certificate Programs. With the MLB Draft happening last week and the NBA Draft coming up in a few weeks, another crop of young men will have an opportunity to live their dreams.
Of course, for many, playing professional sports represents an opportunity to completely change their lives and the lives of their families and generation of their families that have not been born yet. The following seven athletes embody that dream. Special thanks to Jena and http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/. This article can be found on their blog in its original format.
Of course, for many, playing professional sports represents an opportunity to completely change their lives and the lives of their families and generation of their families that have not been born yet. The following seven athletes embody that dream. Special thanks to Jena and http://www.onlinecertificateprograms.org/. This article can be found on their blog in its original format.
7 Inspiring Athletes Who Went from Rags to Riches
Some of the best athletes in the world became great because they could dedicate their childhoods and adolescence to training in the best gyms with the best coaches. Their parents invested in their careers and they succeeded. But other stories are far more inspiring, showing that talent, determination, and maybe a bit of luck can take you farther than a fat bank account can. These athletes may have started out with nothing, but now they're raking in the cash, being honored by their countries, and providing motivation for kids out there with big dreams.
Michael Oher
You know you've got an inspiring come-from-behind story when Hollywood makes a movie out of it. The film about football and family, The Blind Side earned Sandra Bullock an Oscar and Michael Oher a lot of deserved respect. Oher, who was a star offensive lineman for the University of Mississippi and now for the Baltimore Ravens, grew up as one of 13 children in his family, ending up in foster care and occasionally on the streets. Then he met the Tuohys, a family who ended up adopting him and helping turn his life around. Now with his story on the big screen and his career pushing forward in the NFL, Oher is inspiring people across the country.Usain Bolt
It may be no surprise that one of the fastest men in the world could skyrocket to success by the age of 22, but Usain Bolt's upbringing is far away from the fame he's achieved. He grew up in a village, Trelawny Parish, in Jamaica where they still don't have street lights and running water service is spotty. Villagers say it was only brought to the village because of Bolt's three Olympic gold medals. Bolt used to play cricket in the street with an orange and a banana tree stump because athletic supplies weren't readily available. But obviously none of this stopped Bolt from reaching his potential, as he has won five World gold medals on top of his Olympic honors, and holds the records in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, and the 4×100 meters relay.Jameel McClain
Another Baltimore Raven, Jameel McClain's story is just as inspiring as that of Michael Oher. McClain grew up in Philadelphia with barely enough to get by. He was lucky to get meals and sometimes shelter from his local Salvation Army. His best pair of shoes growing up was a pair he found hanging from a telephone wire. But his skills in football helped pull him out of poverty. He played for Syracuse, and even though he was undrafted, was picked up by the Ravens as a free agent in 2008. He now doesn't have to worry about food, shelter, or shoes and gives back to local Salvation Armys when he has the chance.Tsegaye Kebede
It takes a lot of determination to be able to run a marathon, and even more to become one of the top long-distance runners in the world. But Tsegaye Kebede had faced tougher obstacles in his life than 26.2 miles. The Ethiopian runner's family had 15 children, and there was very little money to be had. Kebede used to eat just one meal a day and collect firewood, earning about a dollar a day, just to help his family survive. Now, he has earned medals in the Beijing Olympics and World Championships, victories in major marathons, and, maybe more importantly, prize money that has helped his family back home build a house, buy cattle, and become self-sufficient.Lebron James
You don't have to like King James to be inspired by his story. Lebron James now makes tens of millions of dollars each year playing for whatever team he feels like blessing with his presence, but his early life was less than ideal. His mom was just 16 years old when he was born and he spent a few of his early school years in a foster home. His father figure was in and out of prison for selling drugs and committing fraud. But James has obviously made a name for himself. After appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a high school basketball player, an 18-year-old James became the No. 1 draft pick right out of high school. His success is undeniable and is surely motivating young people around the country to work hard for what they want and maybe be a little more humble once they get it.Rafer Johnson
Growing up black in 1930s America wasn't easy, and Rafer Johnson's family were not well off. They lived in a poor, segregated Dallas neighborhood until they moved to California, where they spent time living in a train boxcar with a curtain acting as a room divider. But after the family's luck started picking up, Johnson took the opportunity to excel in almost every sport in high school, and go on to compete in decathlons, the toughest track event. He became Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1958, set world records in 1958 and 1960, and won the gold medal in the 1960 Olympics. Besides being a great athlete, he's also a great philanthropist, serving briefly in the Peace Corps and helping to found the Special Olympics in Southern California.Manny Pacquiao
Boxing great Manny Pacquiao has really had to fight his way up from the bottom. His home country, the Philippines, is relatively poor, and Pacquiao's dad once got so desperate that he even ate the family dog. After this obviously disturbing event, Pacquiao ran away from home and lived on the streets, selling doughnuts to make money to survive. Boxing became a way for him to turn his life around, and there's no doubt that it worked. Pacquiao has become something of a national legend, even becoming the first athlete to appear on a Philippines postage stamp. He has the distinction of being the only boxer to ever win world titles in eight different weight divisions and is considered one of the best boxers of his generation.
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Even if the Dodgers had won multiple World Series titles during this era, the franchise would've been more remembered for its role in integrating baseball by signing and promoting Jackie Robinson. More than just an inspiring figure in the Civil Rights Movement, Robinson was an ideal second baseman with tremendous speed, excellent contact ability, and exemplary defense. He played alongside Hall of Famers Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Pee Wee Reese, Don Drysdale, and Sandy Koufax, one of the most talent-rich rosters in baseball history. From 1947 to 1956, the team won six NL pennants and the 1955 World Series, a resume worthy of NL dynasty status, but not MLB dynasty status.
Before the Buffalo Bills, there were the Lakers. Sure, they had already won four of the first 10 NBA championships, but, with seven Finals losses in nine seasons during the 1960s and '70s, they were the original poster child for second best. The primary culprit for their failures was the Celtics, who reeled off a remarkable 11 championships in 13 seasons. The Lakers also faced a 76ers team with perhaps the most dominant player off all time, Wilt Chamberlain, and a hungry Knicks team led by Willis Reid and Walt Frazier. When management figured out the mere presence of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor wasn't enough, it added an older but still effective Chamberlain. The team finally got over the hump in 1973, after Baylor retired and Gail Goodrich had been added to the roster.
Without question, John Madden is historically one of the NFL's elite head coaches. In just 10 seasons, he tallied seven first-place finishes in the AFL Western/AFC West Division and a .763 winning percentage, the best among coaches with 100 or more wins. Because of those accomplishments, along with his accomplishments as a commentator and video game icon, many people have forgotten his squads were on the cusp of achieving so much more. A defensive specialist, Madden coached some stingy units, but his team's prolific offense, led by Daryle Lamonica and eventually Ken Stabler, received the most acclaim. The Dolphins and Steelers, the era's two more memorable teams, however, were its kryptonite, shutting it down in three AFC Championship Games. The one year in which they defeated the Steelers to capture the AFC title, they went on to win Super Bowl XI.
Rarely do teams feature two once-in-a-generation talents at the same time. The Mets had one in the heart of their lineup and one anchoring their rotation. Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden captivated the baseball world in the mid-1980s when they were called up, immediately emerging as two of the best players at their positions. Additional roster moves during the time period from general manager Frank Cashen, such as trades for Keith Hernandez and Gary Carter, enabled the Mets to ascend to the top of the NL standings in 1986, as they won 108 games. Their victories over the Astros in the NLCS and Red Sox in the World Series will forever be remembered by baseball fans. Unfortunately, baseball fans will also forever remember the internal strife that transpired during the ensuing years, ending with the team's ruination.
Sports fans were buying Mets and Rockets stock en masse during the mid-1980s. The Rockets, having recently selected 7-foot-4 Ralph Sampson and 7-footer Akeem Olajuwon, The Twin Towers, with the No. 1 overall pick in successive years, grabbed national attention during the 1986 Western Conference Finals, when they stunned the defending champion Lakers in five games. They lost to the Celtics in a hard-fought six games during the Finals, but were expected to build on their success the following year. As it turned out, Sampson would play just 43 games because of a knee injury, and guards Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins were suspended for the remainder of the season — and two more seasons — after testing positive for cocaine. Sampson was traded to Golden State 1987-88, and Olajuwon was left to lead a mediocre team until the championship years of the mid-1990s.
To sustain a dynasty in baseball, a team must be built from the ground up. The A's did just that during the 1980s, and saw the fruits of the labor in 1986, 1987, and 1988, when Jose Conseco, Mark McGwire, and Walt Weiss each won AL Rookie of the Year. In 1988, those three, along with Carney Lansford, Dave Stewart, and Dennis Eckersley, led the A's to their first World Series appearance since the 1974, but they lost to the Kirk Gibson-inspired Dodgers. In 1989, with the return of Rickey Henderson, they swept the Giants, their Bay Area neighbors, in a series overshadowed by the Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1990, they were stunned by the Reds in four games. Their run, which included four division championships and three AL championships, ended with their elimination by the Blue Jays in the 1992 ALCS.
A recent expansion franchise, the Magic were bestowed an embarrassment of riches during the early 1990s when they twice won the No. 1 overall draft pick. The first time around, in 1993, they selected Shaquille O'Neal, a strong, athletic center who assuredly would be an all-time great. In 1994, they selected power forward Chris Webber, but traded him to Golden State for guard and No. 3 overall pick Penny Hardaway, who had drawn comparisons to Magic Johnson. It took just two years for Shaq and Penny to reach the Finals. During that time, Shaq began feuding with Penny and coach Brian Hill, eventually ending in his 1996 offseason departure for Los Angeles, where he'd form a dynasty with Kobe Bryant, with whom he also feuded. Penny battled injuries during the rest of his career, preventing him from fulfilling his vast potential.
The 1994 strike ruined baseball in Montreal forever. With local support dwindling, the team needed a memorable season to renew interest and secure funding for a new, more appealing stadium. The Expos were arguably the most talented team in baseball, sending five All Stars to the Midsummer Classic — Moises Alou, Marquis Grissom, Darrin Fletcher, Wil Cordero, and Ken Hill — and featuring future All Stars Larry Walker, John Wetteland, and Pedro Martinez. When the strike commenced on August 12, they had the best record in baseball, 74-40, and a six-game lead over the Braves. The team was on pace to draw 2 million fans, a benchmark they hadn’t reached in more than a decade. In the following seasons, players from the team dispersed, as ownership couldn't afford their salaries. A new stadium deal was never struck, and the Expos morphed into the Washington Nationals in 2005.
At one point during the 1990s, the Mariners had arguably the three best players in baseball — Ken Griffey Jr., Alex Rodriguez, and Randy Johnson. Their record-setting offense featured guys such as Tino Martinez, Jay Buhner, and Edgar Martinez, each of whom enjoyed career years in the Kingdome. Their proficiency in that area, though, was often neutralized by their pitching deficiencies. After Johnson, their rotation was substandard, and the bullpen was inconsistent. As a result, they won just two AL West titles and had no pennants or World Series titles to show for it. The trade of Randy Johnson to the Astros during the trade deadline in 1998 began the exodus of the big three. Surprisingly, the Mariners won 116 games, an AL record, without them in 2001, though postseason disappointment again followed.
The Braves' incredible rise from worst to first from 1990 to 1991 came with the development of their young talent, launching a period of success matched by few teams in baseball history. From 1991 to 2005, they reeled off 14 consecutive division titles, winning three NL pennants in the process. Yet, few baseball fans can get over the fact the team took home just one World Series title. During most of those years, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz formed the most intimidating trio of starting pitchers in baseball, dominating during the steroid era. Steve Avery and Denny Neagle, also excellent pitchers, rounded out an almost flawless rotation. The lineup wasn't bad either, with MVP winner Chipper Jones and MVP caliber players David Justice, Fred McGriff, and Andres Galarraga driving in a bulk of the team's runs. Of course, the Twins, Blue Jays, and Yankees weren't exactly devoid of talent either.
