Someone Kids Can Look Up To

Printed on: Thu, Aug 23, 2007

Fairfield man could teach Vick a few lessons

By Kelvin Wade

It's easy to hate Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick as he takes a plea deal in his much-publicized despicable dogfighting case. One of his co-defendants alleges that not only did Vick bankroll the illegal operation, but that he personally took part in the killing of dogs by drowning and hanging them.

Vick seems to be just the latest reminder that kids shouldn't look to athletes as heroes or role models. Or is that painting with too broad a brush?

When I attended Tolenas Elementary, we were visited each year by New York Giants defensive end George Martin. Martin had lived in Fairfield, played football at Armijo High and had been student body president. Martin (and later younger brother Doug who played for the Minnesota Vikings) made a point of coming back to his roots and encouraging kids to stay in school and do their best.

The gentle giant was drafted by the New York Giants in 1975 and played until 1988, missing only six games. Martin racked up 80 sacks and set an NFL record for most touchdowns scored by a defensive lineman, a record that was tied last year. His crowning football achievement came in Super Bowl XXI on January 25, 1987, when he sacked Denver Bronco quarterback John Elway in the end zone for a safety on the way to a 39-20 victory.

So whatever happened to George Martin? He's vice president of a financial services firm that helps pro athletes handle their finances and he still helps run football camps for children in New Jersey. But there's more to this former Fairfield resident that doesn't capture the headlines like steroids, gambling, and dogfighting does.

The New York Times ran a story on Martin last month. On Sept. 10, 2001, Martin was flying into Newark Airport. A woman sitting next to him remarked that it was her first time in the New York area. Martin pointed to the Twin Towers and told her to make sure she gets to lower Manhattan to see the towers up close.

The next day, Martin shared in the national horror that was 9/11. But the tragedy was made personal when he found that his 23-year-old neighbors, Christian DeSimone and Tyler Ugolyn, were killed in the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

So this Sept. 15 George Martin is embarking on something he calls his "Journey for 9/11." On behalf of the firefighters, police and other first responders to Ground Zero, he's going to walk 3,000 miles. He will walk from the New York side of the George Washington Bridge, across the country before finishing up on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

With corporate sponsors like Hunter Douglas, Fairleigh Dickinson University, UPS, Bear Stearns, Nike, Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Giants, the NFL, NFL Players Association and others, he hopes to raise $10 million to care for the heroes of 9/11.

It's often said today that sports stars shouldn't be role models. I disagree with that. It's not merely their sports accomplishments that makes them effective role models. It's how they conduct themselves on and off the field. It's the ones who walk the walk and give back to the community that deserve our respect.

I still proudly own my 30-year-old autographed picture of George Martin. And though you can't tell by the media hype, there's a lot more George Martins out there than Michael Vicks. Peace.


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It was serendipity that allowed this wonderful topic to fall into my lap. I was going to write about the Michael Vick situation and contrast it with George Martin who visited my classes in elementary school. But I started wondering what old George was up to these days and googled him and found out about his walk. That was beautiful and made the story, the contrast, all the more compelling.

Of course if I had googled him and a story popped up that he was on crack and arrested for domestic violence, uh...I would probably have been searching for a new topic this week. But there are so many former professional athletes who are doing good things. Many are involved in youth programs. A surprising number of pro football players leave the sport and go into the ministry. Several ex-Raiders, Napoleon Kaufman, Jerone Davidson. and Steve Wisniewski are ministers. Kaufman left the Raiders while still in his prime to become a minister. And no matter what one may think of religion, it's much better than them ending up as defendants or in some other way becoming a sports trainwreck.

It's disheartening that so much press is given to the screw ups. There are so many players out there heavily involved with the Make a Wish Foundation and the United Way and working with kids in football and basketball camps, but we're all focused on whether Barry Bonds' homerun record is tainted by steroids.

There's a lot of good work being done by the silent majority of players who don't go off the deep end, who don't end up on the crime blotters, who aren't out embarrassing their sport and themselves.

Why did I have to go searching for George Martin's walk? Why didn't I see that all over the news like Michael Vick coverage?

Sure, kids should look to their parents, teachers, police officers, military personnel as heroes and role models. But it's way too easy to write off the professional athlete as a good role model. Because they're out there. They're not getting the coverage they should, but they're out there.