A true hero

I've never really had a sports hero, even when I was a child.

While I might have looked up to an athlete for what they'd done athletically, there was never someone who stuck out to me for what they have done off the field.

???That is, until now.

???Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner is a hero in the NFL. Warner, a once-stock boy at a local grocery store, thought his football dreams were smashed when he was cut from the Green Bay Packers in 1994. Instead, he signed with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League in 1995, showing off his talent.

???Then he was given another shot in the NFL in 1998 when the St. Louis Rams signed him. He was sent to NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals franchise and showed what he was made of, leading the league in touchdowns and passing yards.

???Returning to St. Louis, he took his team to the Super Bowl in 1999 and was named the MVP, defeating the Tennessee Titans. Now, in Arizona, he is bringing the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in the franchise's history.

???But that's not why he's special.

???Every December, Warner and his family "adopt" a charitable organization. This past Christmas, he and his family sat in their den as they filled stockings for more than 100 foster children. Every member of his family-including every child-put in gift cards, candy, books and more into stockings for complete strangers.

???Or there's the story of Isiah Acosta. Acosta is a 9-year-old boy who is one of a few children in the country that was born without a mandible. He lacks a jawbone, and because of this, he must breathe and eat through tubes. He also cannot speak.

???An article from ESPN tells it best-a few years ago, Acosta joined Warner and his family on a trip to Disney World. The boy, usually attached to his mother's hip, held Warner's hand as they rode the rides, watched the shows, and enjoyed his time in Florida with "Kurt."

The boy, using a computerized voice box, sums it up best.

"I like Kurt Warner," Acosta said. "He is my hero."

???I could list more reasons about what Warner has done-helped build playgrounds, bought dinner for a random family every night they eat out, his First Things First Foundation-but it doesn't matter. Warner has proved himself.

???He is the prime example of what a hero is. Heroics should not be measured by the amount of passing yards a guy has or the amount of Super Bowl rings he has on his finger, but instead it should be measured by the amount of lives a person touches.

???Warner has touched the lives of thousands. Children with special needs and their families look to him as a member of their family. In some cases, he loves these children more than some of their families do.

???And what does he get out of it? Smiles.

???Not because he has led his team to Super Bowl XLIII and not because he is representing the NFC in the Pro Bowl. Instead, Warner wants to make an impact on people. His goal, every single day, is not to be the best athlete he can be. Instead, he aims to change the lives of those who wouldn't have that opportunity without his assistance.

???That is the definition of a true hero.

???"If and when I'm done and you ask someone about Kurt Warner and the first thing they mention is the kind of person I was, that's when I'll be happy," Warner told ESPN.

???It might have taken 21 years, but I think I found my guy.