Top-10 Sports Heroes: the athletes who served in combat!
Our Top-10 Sports War Heroes video, part of our Badass Series! Tell us your list in the comments!
0:00 Introduction
0:51 Bob Feller
2:59 Lloyd Mangrum
4:05 Tom Landry
5:42 Jerry Coleman
7:25 Teddy Ballgame!
8:56 Rocky Bleier
11:05 Jack Lummus
12:09 Pat Tillman
13:56 Bob Kalsu
15:31 Honorable Mentions
17:40 Al Blozis
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The guy who played OC in Miracle became a green beret. Eventually his PTSD overpowered his life and committed suicide. Michael Mantenuto, R.I.P.
I don’t want to appear rude, but highlighting people who served in the military just because they are actors or sports figures is insulting to all those who served who were just ordinary people.
Actually more than 1 pro athlete quit to join service after 9/11
HOW DO YOU GET IN TOUCH WITH NICK?????
YOU HAVE TO PUT RIGHT FIELDER HANK BAUER OF THE NEW YORK YANKEES ON THE TOP 10 LIST!!!!!!!
NAVY COMMENDATION MEDAL 🏅
11 CAMPAIGN RIBBONS
2 BRONZE STARS
2 PURPLE HEARTS 💜
ONE OF 6 MEMBERS OF HIS PLATOON ( 64) TO SURVIVE THE BATTLE OF OKINAWA
I see a resemblance between you and Ted Williams a little bit, I don’t know
FUN FACT: My Irish Mother’s best friend was Mickey Mantle’s youngest sister Barbara here in Oklahoma City. My Irish mother look just like Lucille Ball, raised in an all Italian Town out east ended up here in Oklahoma City. She could speak Italian better than she could Irish.
Really a few Great men! Country first 🥇.
Wow, American hero’s and stellar athletes. This makes me so sad, because even before you said it, sadly we wouldn’t have many men and women doing what these athletes and movie stars did in the time of need. I’m a USAF and Oklahoma Air National Guard veteran and politics or not, I get my care at the VA hospital. I have seen- t ran$ walking the halls now full on little mini skirts, makeup on over the beards, pig tails one getting in their car with bumper stickers showing their colors blatantly. Americans are not aware they are paying for this. I believe some (and I’m sure the word has spread), get in the military and then you can get everything paid for. During the pan* there were pamphlets all over the place specifically for this group on what they had available how to get what they “needed”.
I am grateful for all those who served before me and had to endure so much more. Especially those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. I have realized they really endured so much more. I was stationed in Okinawa many, many years later during the gulf war so no where near any combat. I was medical field.
Some of the very best produced and significant historical biographies on the internet. Thanks
AWESOME… and thank you….
Im a VET, and just found your channel. Thankyou. Liked and Subd! John Glenn was My dad’s Wingman as well when Glenn flew F86’s with Dad.
As a veteran I say thank you, All Gave Some and Some Gave All. Well done.
I believe Nolan Ryan was the last ball player to have "In Military Service" on his baseball card. And Ken Holtzman pitched one year weekends-only while he fulfilled his reserve duty during the week.
Your video of the first ten left me teary eyed and speechless. Honoring them and thanking you so much. Looking forward to the next ten.
Thank you so much.
When they made Alli sucom to their unpatriotic world.. I quit watching Pro football. We used to get together every Sunday and watch our Fantasy teams accomplishment.
(I had four teams in different leagues) But I haven’t seen more than a quarter (forced circumstances) since then.
My Dad WWll Thunder Chicken 101st.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when NFL gave in to these unpatriotic buffoons!
They kicked ppl off the air that tried to stand up and be men!
I am a Vet and no hero, but the men you have so skillfully highlighted were the real deal.
Swimmer Mike Troy won two gold medals in the Rome Olympics. He held mulitple world records. He enlisted in the Navy after college and became what we know today as a Seal. Back then it was UDT. He was captured in Haiphong harbor and managed to escape. He was awarded a silver star for his actions in Vietnam.
How much did we miss them
You disrespected Roger Staubach drafted by the Cowboys did five years in Vietnam and there’s a Hall of Famer yeah you really messed that one up. Maybe maybe because you’re a giant fan. Tom Landry played for the Giants before he was a coach for the Cowboys..
Nice job. So many great athletes that were heroes, I had no idea. Thank You
Happy Father’s Day! 💯🇺🇸
We need to see parts 2 and 3 and…
Any list has to contain the 1940 Heisman Trophy winner, Ol’ 98, Tom Harmon. Harmon’s account of his war service was published by Thomas Y. Crowell Company under the title, "Pilots Also Pray". Check him out.
Thanks for your work on this video. Go usa
What about Roger Staubach?
Great video.
Salute to all of these fine men 🫡 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I bumped into a couple minor leaguers during my first Air Force enlistment in 1969. One was a two-tour Vietnam vet now security supervisor in a bomber alert area where I was a "jeep" security sentry guarding one or two of those planes. I remember him talking about getting out and getting his spot back.
I want to say thank you to all those men who gave everything up to stand up for our United States of America, not like "private bone spurs" who got out of the draft 5 times, once for claiming he had bone spurs. But one that Nick didn’t mention is George William (Bill) McAfee who was a signalman in WW ll and took a piece of shrapnel which ended his career with the Chicago Bears. Bill played for George Halas in the most famous of games with the Washington Redskins. Bill made five interceptions as a DB in a wild game with Chicago winning 73 to 0. Bill went on to become a logger and I worked on his crew in the mid 70’s
College football player and combat Marine in Vietnam; wonderful program. thank you
Gary Maddox All Star centerfielder for the Phillies served in Viet Nam
This was an excellent episode. Thank you
All the men that fight in this war we’re all heroes these men were extremely brave to do what they did I can’t imagine going through that and I’m a vet thankfully it was at the end of Vietnam I didn’t have to see battle like that another war that could have been avoided and yet we still fighting wars to this day why can’t humans learn to live with one another in peace and harmony the insatiable need for humans to kill one another it’s been since the beginning of time an exists to this day when is humanity going to finally learn to live in peace and harmony
you said Yogi Berra was "draFTED" by the Yankees in 1943, there was no baseball draft until 1965.
But not Mohammed Eli. #1 coward zthalete760s. Draft dodger…probably Clinton’s favorite.
You can.
Sum this all up by saying, the greatest generation of which my father was one of.
May they all rest in peace
Dad was decorated in Korea, and he always said that the real heros never came home.
It is those words that humble me, and cause me to give great thanks to ALL who have and do serve for this country, with deepest thought, thank you!!
Good video. All great great guys, very patriotic. Just to add a side note, Pat Tillman had a brother that was looking at a very promising baseball career, he joined the US Army along side Pat and they served together.
I commend you for the respect and honor you’ve shown these American heroes. We need more content such as yours. Thank you.
Moe Berg
What constantly comes-to-mind is your #45 president’s attitude toward combatants as ‘losers-&-suckers’ supported by millions who’re beneficiaries of sacrifices .. !
Amazing Americans. Yes we support them when we stand for the anthem, we honor them and all those who served. If anyone doesn’t want to support this nation and stand for the national anthem, they can leave the country and not come back. In other words, they wouldn’t make a pimple on these men’s behinds. Get the hell out.!
Pat "Rangers Lead The Way" Tillman
Another is Larry Nelson who won the U.S. Open golf tournament and the PGA Championship in the 1980s. When asked about the pressure of playing PGA tournament golf, he mentioned that he had been a point man in Viet Nam. He said after that golf pressure was nothing. A point man is the guy who went out ahead of the other soldiers to draw fire so the rest knew where the enemy was.
7/1/2024
I am so glad that your opening pitch, (no pun intended), was Bob Feller, it was a strike. Through a somewhat round about method, I personally knew Bob when I was about 10 years old, He was my hero.
After his major league career he worked for the Cleveland Indians, for nearly the rest of his life. All of the kids I knew liked him, a few wanted to be like him. I sometimes wonder just how many baseballs he signed for kids, I had one, Oh that’s not quite right. He gave my dad one, for me, a ball signed by the entire 1954 Indians staff and team, his name was the biggest
Your right, genuine bad ass.
Audrey ❤
Outstanding Video. Today’s athletes could learn a lot from these men.
Thank you
Joe Louis. Defended his heavyweight title twice, as an active duty soldier, donating his purse to the Army and Navy Relief Funds. These weren’t exhibitions, but actual title fights.
Integrity, Courage, Loyalty, and Commitment …..All this adds up to Love of Country. These men in your video are just a few of us who pledged allegiance to our country and their bothers in arms… let this new generation never forget nor chastise as I would dare them to serve their country in the spirit these men, and yes woman who answered the call rather than stand in any protest line
Wow Nick… I went to a card show and bought a signed photo of Bob Fellar’s for one dollar. I guess I’m going to have to get it authenticated.
WHERE ARE THE HEROES?
This is an excellent video. Thank you for putting it together. My only other comment is that I believe Warren Spahn deserved more than an honorable mention. His career was interrupted after one season 0:00 and he didn’t win his first game until he was 25 years old. He then went on to win 366 games, the most by a lefty, including 13 seasons of 20 wins or more. If his career hadn’t been interrupted he likely would likely. have become the second winningest pitcher in baseball history. In addition, he won more games than any other pitcher in the last 100 years.
During WW II he was awarded Purple Heart while serving in a combat engineering unit. He was the only ballplayer to receive a battlefield commission. He escaped death by stepping the Ludendorff Bridge a moment before it collapsed. He told me personally that his service helped his career because after his wartime experience there was never anything to be afraid of on a baseball diamond.
Bob Feller was great but he was also bitter because he felt his wartime experience prevented him from winning 300 games.