Breath of Fresh Air

     Too often nowadays, athletes in news stories not involving their particular sport features some law violation of some sort.  That's why it was quite a breath of fresh air for me to read about Kaleb Eulls, a high school football star who is committed to playing for the Mississippi State Bulldogs next year.  

     The 6'4" 255 pound defensive end ended up saving 22 lives by doing an act he later termed as, "Crazy."  Heroic is a more appropriate term though.  Riding a school bus with his 2 sisters going to Yazoo County High School, Eulls was awakened by his sister, only to find a woman threatening everyone with a handgun (.380 semi-automatic).  In an amazing display of level-headedness, Eulls opened the bus' emergency rear door, allowing as many students to escape as he could while reasoning with the woman with the gun.  Then, when the woman was slightly distracted while looking out the window, Eulls seized the opportunity and the gun and he quickly ran outside to disarm it.  

     Asked about his heroic deed, Eulls was candid about it, stating his disbelief at his own actions, obviously realizing what a tremendous risk he had taken with his life and career.  He said he acted in order to save his sisters and the others on board, doing "the right thing."  

     In these times where selfishness reigns not only in the sports world, this high school hometown hero has truly humbled me.  I've seen too many athletes demand too much while giving too little.  I've seen athletes think too much of themselves that they fail to act like true role models.  That's why Eulls and his selfless act should be what dominates sports headlines. Class acts like him are what kids who want to get into sports should read about.  If Nike and Adidas want their role model, they should look no further than Yazoo County.

     Perhaps Sheriff Tommy Vaughn of Yazoo County said it best. 

     "He (Eulls) made the statement to one of my deputies that if she was going to shoot anyone he would rather she shoot him. Watching him do that and him doing such a heroic act and not even caring about his own safety, that's something you don't see every day." 

story and photo courtesy of rivals.com and bulldogblitz.com