Lyle Thompson

Lyle Thompson playing in UAlbany v Harvard (http://www.ualbanysports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_O (UAlbany Sports))

What is a hero? A hero is a person who is admired for brave acts of qualities. My hero and role model is Lyle Thompson. Athletically, and especially morally, Lyle Thompson embodies the athlete and person I strive to be. Thompson continuously breaks social and athletic boundaries despite criticism and doubters.

Thompson brothers on the cover of Inside Lacrosse (insidelacrosse.com (Inside Lacrosse))

Athletically, Lyle Thompson never stops improving. Thompson grew up in the Onondaga Nation, NY, and attended lacrosse powerhouse Lafayette High School. As a senior he was named Inside Lacrosse's number 1 senior in the country and an All-American. Freshman year at UAlbany, Thompson started at midfield, putting up 38 points and even taking face-offs for the Great Danes. Thompson worked harder than ever, and his freshman season would be his last with under 100 points. Moving to attack sophomore year, Thompson put up an unbelievable 113 points. He didn't settle, and as a Junior Thompson, playing alongside his brother Miles and his cousin Ty ("The Thompson Brothers"), he broke the NCAA Division 1 Single Season Points Record with 128. He averaged 7.11 points per game. The same year Lyle and his brother Miles co-won the 2014 Tewaaraton Award, which is the Heisman of lacrosse. The two became the first Native American's to win the award. Tewaaraton is a Mohawk term that means "the precursor of modern lacrosse". Returning to Albany as a senior in 2015 without Miles and Ty, who both graduated and went on to play professional lacrosse, Lyle was forced to step up more than ever and carry this Albany team to an America East Championship and an NCAA tournament bid. Thompson once again out-performed expectations, posting 121 points and claiming the all-time NCAA D1 Career Points record, as well as the NCAA D1 Career Assist record. Lyle won the Tewaaraton Award again in 2015, becoming the first player ever to win it twice. Lyle Thompson could very well be the best lacrosse player ever to play the game.

Of course I would want to achieve all that Lyle has and follow in his footsteps, but it's not his achievements (though extremely impressive) that I idolize, but his attitude and way of playing the game. Lyle came from nothing. He was not handed a D1 scholarship, a Nike endorsement, and certainly not two Tewaaraton Awards. Growing up on a Native American Reservation, Lyle slept in a single bed with his brother Miles. He couldn't afford a lacrosse goal, so he had to cut a hole in a wooden board to practice. Lyle earned his way to the top, and stayed humble all the while. What I admire about Thompson's game is his creativeness. Lyle changed the game of lacrosse forever, in a great way. At the 2015 Tewaaraton ceremony, Thompson said "Every stick that is in a kid's hands, it puts a smile on my face to know that I'm helping to grow this game and take it to the next level." At any lacrosse tournament you will find kids trying to equip Lyle's famed "backhand" shot into their own game. Every time Lyle and the Thompson brothers step on the field, they bring viewers to the edges of their seats. This has led to a new playing style that's flashy, yet effective. The Thompsons have changed the game of lacrosse for the better and have truly helped grow the game.

Lyle and Miles signing autographs for kids (http://www.ualbanyphotos.com/Athletics/Mens-Lacros (UAlbany Sports))

Morally, the lacrosse community has gotten to know the real Lyle Thompson over the past few years. Lyle is honest, generous, kind, humble, and funny. Hearing Thompson speak at the Tewaaraton Award ceremony two years in a row, we have seen these qualities embodied in Lyle first hand. When asked what the NCAA D1 scoring title meant to Lyle, he replied "It's not the most important thing in the world to me. (More importantly) was the way I was taught the game. It is not a game where points matter, where winning matters; it is a medicine game. I care so much about my heritage, about this game; playing for the creator, playing with the right mind and playing with the right attitude." Being Native American, lacrosse is an extremely important part of Lyle's heritage. He grew up playing the game, as all Native Americans do, but he was one of the few to make it big. He has shown not only other Native Americans, but all kids around the world that anything is possible. Lyle Thompson embodies the person I want to be, selfless and making a positive difference in the world.

Lyle competing for the Iroquois National Team (http://laxmagazine.com/international/2014-15/image (Lacrosse Magazine))

Lyle Thompson is a true hero. Kids all over the country look up to him, including myself. Athletically, he has been called the "the most dominant college athlete in a generation". On the lacrosse field he is like a wizard, making ridiculous plays out of thin air. Paul Carcaterra, formed Syracuse All-American and current ESPN analyst says, "He's electric in his overall flair for the game without being a 'me' guy. It sounds crazy, but he does these trick shots almost out of necessity. When you think he's completely bottled up, that's where he comes out with the unthinkable: the shovel passes, the one-handed passes, behind-the-backs. He doesn't go in there and throw those trick shots and passes just to show up an opponent. He does that when there's no other outlet." I cannot wait to watch Lyle compete professionally and break even more barriers. Morally, Lyle Thompson is an even better person than he is a lacrosse player. He is selfless, ambitious, and is making a positive impact on the world. He has instilled a passion for the game in me and lacrosse players around the country. He has opened doors to other Native Americans and those who come from nothing. Lyle Thompson is my hero, and I hope to become the man he is today.