Even in the midst of campaigning for the presidency, I haven't missed one of my 18-year-old son's high-school football games. Albert, a senior at Sidwell Friends school, plays both center and defense. He's also one of the team captains

Summitt is simply a winner. Part of what I admire so much about her is that even when the expectations were highest, she always exceeded them. Six national titles later, she is the most successful coach in women's basketball history and a model of motivation and leadership.

Griffith-Joyner's style off the track was only matched by her style on it -- a remarkable three-gold, one-silver medal performance in the 1988 Olympics. Her sudden death was a shocking loss of a wonderful person and a wonderful athlete.

Who doesn't like the Say-Hey Kid? Willie Mays was simply one of the best to ever play the game -- leading the National League four times in home runs and stolen bases, the first player to steal 300 bases and hit 300 home runs, the first NL player to hit 600 home runs and the first African-American to be named captain of a major-league team.

Inscribed on Robinson's tombstone is this phrase: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." Jackie Robinson is one of my heroes because of the impact he had, not only on the ballfield, but on America. He was certainly a great player -- Rookie of the Year in that barrier-breaking first year, and he helped transform the Dodgers into one of the most competitive teams in baseball virtually every year -- but he was also a courageous pioneer for civil rights