(09-28-2017, 05:35 PM)JackCity Wrote:

(09-28-2017, 05:28 PM)TJBender Wrote: This whole "athletes as role models" thing is kind of ridiculous. Jimmy Smith is my favorite football player of all time, period. I got to meet and talk with him a couple times when he visited the restaurant I worked at in high school, and he was a really, unbelievably nice guy. Took the time to talk and sign an autograph for me, which hangs framed on my wall to this day. I have nothing but nice things to say about him from the very, very limited interactions I had with him, and he was a true gentleman and a great brand ambassador for the NFL and the Jaguars.

No way in hell would I have emulated his private behavior. Not to knock the guy. Like I said, he was an incredibly nice guy the couple of times I got to talk to him, but not even close to being a role model.

Not really, most of these guys are heroes in their hometowns and local communities. People look up to them. 

Each to their own on Jimmy. I think Jimmy Smith can teach people alot more life lessons than someone like JJ Watt ever could. A great example of getting your life back on track after going off the rails a few times. In my eyes Jimmy would be a role model.