John David Booty is A Humanitarian

Booty searches for another lost soul to help

While competing for the Trojan football team at USC, John David Booty was the big man on campus.  He received Heisman-hype and was recognized as a star throughout LA.  But when his time with the NCAA was up, he became a bit-player in the star-studded NFL.  In his rookie season last year with the Vikings, he never appeared in a regular season game and didn’t throw a touchdown even in the pre-season.  While at USC, he led one of the best offenses in the nation and beat out future first round draft pick Mark Sanchez for the job.  Now, he can’t beat out less heralded QB’s Tarvaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels.  This is not a story of Booty’s failures as a pro athlete, however.  This is a story of his successes as a person.

Today, Booty is expected to give his number, a big part of his very identity with the Vikings, and perhaps even his roster spot to a bewildered old man who has fallen on hard times.  A soon to be 40 former football star wandered into Minnesota’s training facility today in search of hand-outs and asylum.  Booty plans to give him much more.  He plans to give him a job.

Booty has only completed one season as a pro since being drafted in the 5th round in 2008.  He’s hardly had time to establish his independence financially.  Yet he was more than willing to sacrifice his future for the sake of another human.  The NBA has laid claim to the ad slogan, “where caring happens”, but never have I heard of any athlete embodying that phrase more than John David Booty.

Skeptics might point out that if Booty is released from the Vikings because of his charitable allowance of a stubble-faced geriatric to take his spot, he’ll likely find a better opportunity with another franchise.  That might be true, but one should see that scenario playing out as a result of karma, rather than a reason Booty can afford to be so giving.

It has been reported that Booty will wear number 9 for the rest of his time in Minnesota, but in my book, the kid is a perfect 10.  As for the unkempt transient who owes so much to the second year man from USC, he will continue to live a charmed life, depending on the kindness of strangers.  Before the end of the pre-season, Jackson and Rosenfels are expected to grant him the starting position for which they’ve been battling.  If this old-timer is able to find some life left in his arm and take the Vikings to the playoffs, well, that would be the greatest miracle of all.

Tags: Brett Favre, football, John David Booty, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, Sage Rosenfels, Tarvaris Jackson

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