Everybody Loves Witten
There are several people in everyone’s life that are just perfect. They are great at what they do, pleasant to be around, never complain, and they help others. Sometimes we actually dislike those people because they make us ashamed that we are not like them. Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten is the golden boy among those people. Witten is one of the best tight ends in the game, he is a comical individual, and he is one of the most active NFL players off the field in his respective community.
This summer, Witten hosted his 8th annual youth football camp in his hometown of Elizabethton, Tennessee. The camp is called SCORE, the name of Witten’s foundation, which works against domestic violence and promotes education in Texas and Tennessee. SCORE is an acronym for Support, Community, Overcome, Rebuild, and Educate. In 2008, Witten started the SCOREkeepers program, which places positive male mentors on staff at six family abuse shelters across Texas. Witten’s positive influence has not gone unnoticed. In 2007, Witten was a finalist for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and won the Home Depot Neighborhood MVP in 2009.
My favorite part about Witten is not his exhausting generosity and kindness toward those less fortunate than him, but his sheer toughness. One play during the 2007 season illustrates the sturdiness of not only Witten’s body, but his mindset as well. On second-and-nine from the Cowboys’ 41-yard line, quarterback Tony Romo dropped back and drilled a pass to Witten on a skinny post pattern. Almost instantly after catching the ball, Eagles defensive back Quintin Mikell hit Witten helmet-to-helmet and sent the Cowboys’ stud’s hat flying. Witten was not phased in the slightest, and kept right on running with his arm extended like a fullback bound for the pylon. Eagles defensive back Will Peterson was trailing Witten, and wanted no part of tackling him after such a feat. Philadelphia linebacker Chris Gocong finally chased Witten down to the sideline after a 35-yard gain. Witten’s inspiring effort left viewers and anyone who saw the replay in awe. The most incredible part of his performance was the fact there was less than thirteen minutes left in the game and Dallas was leading by 25 points.
Witten’s astonishing dash downfield earned him an award coveted by guys like Pittsburgh Steelers legendary linebacker Jack Lambert, who had fewer teeth than an anteater. Following that 2007 season, Witten was named the Howie Long Toughest Man in the NFL. Witten was also named the Dallas Cowboys Man of the Year in 2007 and 2008.
Many sportscasters like to discuss who the best player is at each position in the league or best overall on each NFL team. The league should form a new award named after Witten that goes to the most inspirational player each season. The award should not be presented to the toughest or nicest player, but to an individual like Witten. The nominees should demonstrate all the qualities previously mentioned and maybe even more. Of course, such a prize would not be created until after Witten retires, but the blueprints and requisites for the trophy would reflect the future Hall of Famer’s character. Such character is one that we should all fashion ourselves after.
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