Pro athletes you can feel good rooting for

A few months ago, I wrote a blog about Stephen McGee, the former quarterback at Texas A&M who will be taken in the NFL draft in a couple of weeks. I said he was someone worth rooting for. That's a rare thing these days, especially when it comes to professional sports. There are more than enough self-absorbed immature jerks--one of those jerks, Jay Cutler, has been the source of several posts on this blog. While Cutler whined and screamed his way out of Denver after he found out that the Broncos had had the nerve to consider trading for Matt Cassel, a guy who was bandied around in trade talks himself, Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell, took the news his team might be getting rid of him as motivation to get better. He could have griped and moaned like Cutler did, but to this point, he hasn't. That's classy.

Campbell's response to the Redskins' idiotically leaking that they were, indeed trying to move him (can that front office do anything right?) got me to thinking about classy pro athletes. Sadly, the likes of Cutler, Terrell Owens, Alex Roidriguez and Chad Ocho Cinco a far more prevalent--but there are still a few guys out there worth rooting for. Here are a handful of them that the missus and I were able to come up with, and we apologize if we left someone off:

• Shane Battier, forward, Houston Rockets: Even though he's a Duke guy, there's a lot to like about Battier. For one thing, he'll take a charge--nobody in the NBA takes a charge anymore. Also, Battier isn't the most talented guy on the floor, but is a great team player who busts his butt on defense and isn't afraid to take a big three-point shot. Off the court, he's well-spoken, does a lot in the community and is devoted to his wife (his high school girlfriend) and young son. Our neighbor works for the Rockets and says Battier is just a wonderful guy. There's no evidence out there to indicate she's fibbing.

Carlos Lee, OF, Houston Astros: Known as “El Cabello,” Lee is a very well-paid player. He’s also an extraordinarily nice guy (at least to little kids, and that’s what matters). Last year, he waved to my goddaughter and made her a fan for life. At Fanfest last weekend, she got a chance to meet him. He autographed her jersey and watched her do her “Carlos Lee dance” for him. He then did it with her, before giving her a high-five. It’s easy to be nice to people when you’re making $18 million a year, but not many athletes make the effort. Lee did and made a few fans for life.
• Albert Pujols, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals: It's easy enough to like Pujols simply for his offensive numbers--the guy's the best hitter of his generation and is putting up completely sick numbers (and, he's supposedly clean). But it's not just his work on the field that makes him a good guy. He's the father of a special needs kid and has taken that cause as his own. He even let a special needs kid come down and stay with his family during spring training. Make no mistake--Pujols is hated (actually, feared) in Houston, but of all the visiting players to come to Minute Maid Park, only one has come out to sign autographs for kids before a game. Guess who it was?
• Roy Oswalt, pitcher, Houston Astros: Oswalt's just a real simple guy from Weir, Mississippi. He's also the most successful pitcher of the the decade. He's a real quiet guy, but is very nice and good to talk to once you get to know him. I've known him since he was in the minors and I like him; my wife met him just this past weekend and she agrees. And who knows? He's already the most successful pitcher in Astros history and, if he sticks around, he might go to the Hall of Fame.
• Dustan Pedroia, 2B, Boston Red Sox: Pedroia is a little guy. He's tough, scrappy, and doesn't mind getting his uniform dirty. He's ultra-competitive, to the point where he hates losing Scrabble games in the locker room. He's got a non-stop motor. He's also got a rookie of the year and MVP trophy to go with a World Series ring.
• Josh Hamilton, CF, Texas Rangers: A few years ago, Hamilton was on top of the world--a true five-tool player, he was the first overall pick in the major league baseball draft. A few years after that, he was at the bottom--stealing from his family to buy drugs, out of the game and on his way to an early death. Then something happened: he found religion, got clean and got back on the field. He's back on top of the world, having put together a great 2008 season and stealing the show at the All-Star Home Run Derby. He's one of the best players in the game now, but he hasn't forgotten where he's been and what saved his life. To defeat the demons Hamilton did and return after being given up on by a lot of people (including his first organization, the Tampa Bay Rays) makes him someone worth rooting for. The ultimate example of overcoming adversity.
• Drew Brees, QB, New Orleans Saints: Brees is another guy who has made a habit of overcoming adversity. He was considered too small to play quarterback at Texas A&M or the University of Texas (he's from Austin), he went to Purdue and tore up the record books. A second-round draft pick, he performed well for the San$ Diego Chargers--well enough, in fact, the Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers and dumped him a year later, in spite of his throwing for more than 4000 yards. Once again, too short. Brees figured to sign with the Miami Dolphins, but they passed on him after he had arm surgery, figuring he was washed up (they signed Duante Culpepper instead, who proved it was he who was washed up). So Brees signed with New Orleans and has been nothing short of awesome since. He took a team that had been pathetic for decades to the NFC Championship Game in his first year.
  
• Kurt Warner, QB, Arizona Cardinals: How can you not like this guy? He's beaten the odds not once, but twice! A quarterback out of Northern Iowa, he bummed around in the Arena League and NFL Europe before getting a second chance (he had been cut in training camp by Green Bay) with the St. Louis Rams. After Trent Green tore up his knee during a preseason game, Warner took over and made the Rams into the Greatest Show on Turf and led them to a Super Bowl win. He won two MVP awards and had several great years before the Rams dumped him and he went to New York. He lost the starting job to Eli Manning after eight games and was deemed washed up in 2004. He went to Arizona, expected to back up Matt Leinart. Instead, he's regained his early career form and took a horrible fanchise to within a minute of a Super Bowl victory earlier this year. Through it all, he remains humble, committed to his family, charity and his faith. An awesome guy.