Joe Delaney

Joe Delaney lived for twenty-five long years, yet he became a hero to me, and many others in a matter of seconds. Delaney was a hero because he looked past his fame to help strangers, was brave, and made the ultimate sacrifice for another human being. On June 29, 1983, the young star running back was spending his leisure time at Chennault Park in Louisiana. As he relaxed by a deep pond labeled "No Swimming" he heard cries for help. It was in his split second choice to jump in after three young kids struggling to stay alive, that he became a hero: he could not swim.

Joe Delaney football card (Online)

Joe Delaney was drafted 41st in the 1981 NFL Draft to the Kansas City Chiefs. The flames of his fame grew fast and hot as he became the AFC Rookie of the year rushing for 1,121 yards in a single season. For many, this type of fame can be too hard to handle, causing a loss of character and poor decision making, that certainly wasn't the case for Delaney.

The fame that came with being this iconic figure did not get to Delaney's head. This famous man, known by nearly all football fans at the time, looked beyond the blinding attention. It did not matter to Delaney what his personal situation was, those kids on that day needed help. He famously said before losing his life for the three drowning children, Lemarkits Holland, Harry Holland, and Lancer Perkins, "I can't swim good, but I've got to save those kids" showing how easily he pushed away his superstardom in that moment to simply be a great person.

Joe Delaney for the Chiefs (The Kansas City Star)

The choice made by Joe Delaney to jump in after the young kids struggling to survive, knowing he likely would not either, is the epitome of bravery. Phil Kloster, the founder of the 37 Forever Foundation, works hard today to keep the image of Delaney in people's minds. His foundation worked to put inner city kids through swimming lessons after he heard of Delaney's tragic story. He describes Delaney's choice to jump into the deep pool of water, knowing he couldn't swim, to that of someone going into a burning building not understanding how fire works. "If you don't know how fire works, if you don't understand the dynamics and how it burns, it's kind of like running into a burning building trying to save somebody you don't know" (Vahe Gregorian). As I picture the situation now I don't know if I would have been able to make such a strong decisive decision as Delaney did in his moment. The amount of courage and bravery needed to make such a difficult choice so fast is something that today we can only honor as a truly heroic deed.

It is a choice many cannot fathom making, only a hero could make the ultimate sacrifice of his own life for another being. It does not matter whether you save one person or twenty, to be able to value another man's life over your own is as heroic as it gets. Joe Delaney not only did this, he did it in a split second, and for complete strangers. Lemarkits Holland, a ten year-old at the time, was the beneficiary of Joe's sacrifice. When Lemarkits and his friends realized they had walked out too far in the water, and had no hope of returning to shore, they needed a man to make the most difficult decision possible. Luckily, for the ten year-old, Joe Delaney was a hero, and saved the young boy's life, only to lose his own in the process.

Unfortunately for Delaney, his heroic qualities were only revealed at the time of his death. It is interesting to think that for his entire life he had this hero inside of him, yet it could only be recognized if he was put in a situation like this. What if Joe Delaney had not died young? If he were never put in that situation at Critter Creek would he have found a way to be a hero to anyone today? Nobody can give an accurate answer to that question, yet personally I think he would have found a way. A person of that character, with the capability of making such an important and heroic decision would certainly have found a way to become a hero in his life no matter what. "Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for another", today Joe Delaney rests under these words inscribed on his grave, showing the hero he was able to become in a matter of seconds.