Long before Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce excited the fans at Arrowhead Stadium, the Kansas City Chiefs had another rising star.
Click here to listen to the 2-minute audio of this article
In 1981, running back Joe Delaney would earn AFC Rookie of the Year honors rushing for more than 1100 yards despite only starting 10 games.
Unfortunately, he would go on to play only two seasons in the NFL.
But Joe didn’t have a contract dispute. He didn’t get arrested for domestic assault. He didn’t have a sideline blowup with teammates or coaches. He didn’t get lazy and lose his explosiveness.
You may never have heard of the former second-round draft pick out of Northwestern State University in Louisiana since he only played two seasons … but it wasn’t because he was a bust.
On June 29, 1983, Joe Delaney gave his life trying to rescue three children drowning in a Louisiana pond.
Despite not knowing how to swim, Delaney ran past other bystanders to try and rescue the children.
He was able to pull two of them out of the water (though one of them would later die at the hospital).
While trying to rescue the third boy, Delaney himself, became a victim.
Martin Luther King, Jr. said “It’s always the right time to do the right thing.”
Joe Delaney didn’t stop to wonder what team those boys rooted for, who their parents voted for, or even whether they had a criminal record. They needed help and he was going to try and help.
We celebrate and honor certain people, dates, or achievements during various U.S. holidays. There are so many heroes to remember when thinking about these occasions.
People gave their lives for other people they’d never meet, never know, and may not have agreed with. They did this because it was the right thing to do.
Sometimes changing the world around us doesn’t require a life and death sacrifice but rather just a commitment to optimism and hope instead of pessimism and victimhood.
Bill Clinton, at his first Presidential inauguration, said, “There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America.”
Kindness, respect, unselfishness, and positivity can be contagious.
Be the reason someone smiles today.
Be the reason someone believes in the goodness of people today.