Photo courtesy of PuYing Huang of www.DailyTexanOnline.com

On Saturdays in the fall, young kids all over the country sit in front of the television watching their favorite players, many whom they consider to be “heroes,” play the game of football.

So many times we elevate these players, these humans, into heroes when in reality they are not. However, Nate Boyer, the 31-year-old sophomore field goal snapper for the Texas Longhorns, is indeed a true American hero.

Boyer’s story is an amazing one-one that demonstrates the true spirit of a hero.

Shortly after the tragedy that our country suffered eleven years ago on that fateful morning of September 11, 2001 Boyer made the promise to himself that he would one day serve his country, and 3 years later, he fulfilled that vow.

In 2004, Boyer enlisted in the United States Army where he served as a member of the Special Forces unity, the Green Berets. During his time serving our country in Iraq, Boyer was awarded the Bronze heart, one of the highest honors given by the US Military for performance in combat.

He was also one of the youngest soldiers ever chosen to join the Delta Force, an elite counterterrorism and special missions unit.

Years later, after his tours of duty were over, Boyer ended up in Austin, Texas, home of the Longhorns.

Though he did not play football in high school, his school in California didn’t even field a team, he decided that he would try out as a walk-on for the Texas Longhorns. When Boyer was a freshman, the Longhorns short-snapper was a senior, so he made up his mind to focus on that in order to find his niche.

Now, as a sophomore, the former Army sergeant has been awarded a scholarship by Texas head-coach Mack Brown and made his first start as part of the field goal until in the Horns’ victory over the New Mexico Lobos.

Perhaps the responsibility most important to him, however, is that of leading his team onto the field, proudly carrying the United States flag which he so boldly and heroically risked his life to defend.