It’s often been said, “You’re never too important to be kind to people.”
Recently, Philadelphia Eagles player Anthony Harris exemplified the saying when he showed himself to be a “salt of the earth” kind of man. Harris did more than just be a good American, he went out of his way to be “a light that helps others see,” for an eleven-year old girl who had recently endured tragedy. Harris just wanted to be a good human, and he epitomized an Unhyphenated American.
The news is often full of “bad news,” in general. When it comes to “news” about professional athletes, if it’s not news about their positive exploits on the field, the “news” loves to talk about their negative exploits off the field. Maybe it’s because of the sport’s violent nature, but the NFL, and it’s 1,696 athletes carried on active rosters, often act as fodder for the media feeding on whatever negative exploits they can drum up. But what about all of the good works many of them do? Where do those stories end up? We’ll get there, but first let’s answer another question.
What does it mean to be “Unhyphenated”?
It means to really focus on being simply human, first and foremost. What does it mean to be an “American”? Well America is more than just a geographic location, and it’s far more than just its laws. America is an idea. America is set of overarching norms, mores, values, and traditions, held by a group of people. In short, America is a culture based on beliefs in “E Pluribus Unum” (out of many, one), “Liberty”, and “In God We Trust.”
So, an Unhyphenated America is a place where people choose to focus on being simply human, first and foremost; and living in harmony with those who share those uniquely American values, regardless of their race and/or ethnicity. I promise you, it does happen. Despite what leftists say.
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Take, for example, Anthony Harris.
He experienced both a lot of highs, and endured a lot of lows in his career. The Richmond, Virginia native, was a highly touted high school athlete, ranked as highly as #34 in the nation by some sports news outlets. But when he fractured his tibia at the end of his junior season in high school, many other schools stopped pursuing him. The head coach of the Virginia Cavaliers football program, Coach Mike London, continued to recruit him, and for Harris, that loyalty meant everything.
Harris was also highly touted college athlete, and prior to the 2015 NFL draft, he was forecasted to go as early as the 2nd round, or as late as the 7th round, and he would likely be the 4th Safety picked. Unfortunately, prior to the draft, it was discovered that he had sustained a torn labrum (shoulder). During the pre-draft process, he met with multiple NFL teams, but when the 2015 NFL Draft happened, 15 Safeties were selected, and he wasn’t one of them. Fears of his shoulder injury hampering him prevented any teams from taking a chance on him. However, the Minnesota Vikings took a chance on him, and he spent six seasons (2015-2020) with that team, becoming a stand-out player who was tagged as a “Franchise Player”.
Wherever You Go
There’s a saying from a Christian devotional book, ‘Imitation of Christ’, authored by Thomas A. Kempis, published in 1440 that goes, “So, the cross is always ready and waits for you everywhere. You cannot escape it no matter where you run, for wherever you go you are burdened with yourself. Wherever you go, there you are.”
After six seasons in Minnesota, Harris was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021. Luckily, some of his fans followed Harris from the Vikings to the Eagles, including the Soape family. Holly, mother of Audrey Soape, formed a relationship with Harris. She found Harris to always be kind to her. Because of that, Holly realized he was more than just an athlete. Harris was a genuine person. And it only served to deepen Soape’s admiration for the Philadelphia Eagle.
It’s been a hard year for the Soape family. Especially for Audrey, who struggled after losing both her father and her grandfather. So Holly decided to call on Anthony for a boost. What’s the worse that could happen?
It’s easy to see why this moment went viral.
After what Harris just did, I’m willing to bet he earned a lot of fans for life.
