Unbelievable Underdogs & Rebellious Role Models: Sporting Heroes Who Defied the Odds and Shocked the World

By James Stafford and Tuan Nguyen

In Unbelievable Underdogs and Rebellious Role Models, James Stafford takes readers on an emotional roller coaster through some of the greatest upsets and shocks in the history of world sport.

It features incredible true tales of athletes who have overcome poverty, racism, injury, disability and even shark attacks to reach the top against all odds. Sports featured include football, basketball, baseball, surfing, athletics, rugby, ice hockey, American football, wheelchair racing, cricket, tennis, speed skating and boxing.

Packed with stunning illustrations by Tuan Nguyen that bring these epic stories and moments to life, this book will inspire, educate and entertain young readers and reveal the remarkable ability of humankind to prevail over seemingly insurmountable obstacles and challenges.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Polaris
• Release date: Dec 31, 2024
• ISBN: 9781915359278

James Stafford

James Stafford is the founder of cult rugby website The East Terrace. He has written on rugby for national newspapers, websites, match programmes and magazines in the UK and Ireland. He is author of the An Illustrated History of Rugby series from Polaris Publishing and also wrote the bestselling children’s book How Wales Beat the Mighty All Blacks. In 2017, Stafford’s collection of short comics, 'The Sorrowful Putto of Prague' (Truchlivý amoret pražský), was published to critical acclaim in the Czech Republic – even drawing praise from Hollywood legend Samuel L. Jackson. He lives in Prague.

Book preview

INTRODUCTION

In fairy tales and movies and in comic books and novels, everyone loves cheering for the underdog. Whether it’s the ponderous tortoise beating the rapid hare in a footrace, the little shepherd boy beating the mighty warrior in a fight or the brave outlaw in the woods outwitting the town’s evil sheriff, nothing beats the joy of seeing the little guy or girl overcome their bigger, faster, stronger and (supposedly) smarter opponents.

People’s affection for the underdog naturally spills over into sport. If sport was just about perfect athletes and flawless teams winning all the time it would soon become pretty dull. The thrill of an unexpected triumph by those given no chance of winning makes our hearts beat faster and sends our voices soaring with roars of joy and yelps of disbelief. Seeing pluck and determination overcome superior talent and ability is rare at the top level of sport, but that only makes it all the more thrilling when it does happen.

The power of these victories goes beyond the playing fields and stadiums where they take place. We project a little bit of ourselves into the underdogs we cheer on. They offer a glimmer of hope that we too can overcome challenges and obstacles in our daily lives. Their triumph in the face of overwhelming odds enables us to imagine that we too can battle on, look deep inside ourselves to become the best person we can be and, perhaps, see our own dreams come true.

This book celebrates the athletes and teams who defied expert opinion, turned history on its head and shocked the sporting world. From the teenage girl who won one of the biggest tournaments in tennis just months after suffering a sporting disaster in front of millions to the record-breaking NFL kicker who was born without toes, there are stories here that will set your pulse racing and your mind running. Who knows, perhaps one day you too will live your own underdog story that inspires the world.

Why do we use the term underdog in sport?

Before we dive into our first heroic tale, let’s take a moment to find out why the term ‘underdog’ is used for a team or athlete who are seen as having little chance of winning their match or event. There are two competing theories of where this term comes from and one of them is far uglier than the other.

Firstly: the nicer one. This theory holds that ‘underdog’ is a reference that comes from lumber work. Sawyers are people who cut wood for a living. One traditional method of cutting large logs of timber is to work in teams in and above a sawpit. One sawyer (the ‘top sawyer’) stands at the top of a pit upon which a huge piece of timber is positioned on planks of woods called ‘dogs’. The other sawyer (the ‘bottom sawyer’) stands underneath the timber and inside the pit. Together they pull on a large tool called a whipsaw and cut the wood as needed. As a result, sometimes these two working positions are referred to as ‘top dog’ and ‘underdog’.

The second theory is less appealing but, unfortunately, more likely to be correct. This one claims that the term comes from the barbaric practice of dogfighting in nineteenth century America. Dogfighting was a popular blood sport on which people bet lots of money. The losing dog in a fight was called an ‘underdog’. Over time, the term was adapted to be a label attached to a team or athlete expected to lose to a superior opponent.

There’s also a belief that the term underdog first came from dogfighting and was then subsequently used in lumbering – which means the first theory is definitely wrong!

With that (kind of) sorted out, let’s jump into our first inspiring tale.

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JACKIE ROBINSON

The star who changed American sport forever

‘I’m not concerned with your liking or disliking me . . . all I ask is that you respect me as a human being.’

JACKIE ROBINSON

Jackie Robinson was born in 1919 in Georgia, USA. He was one of five children and, while Robinson was still a baby, his father left the family to fend for themselves. His mother took the children to Pasadena in California and, although they lived in a respectable neighbourhood, the family lived in poverty. The stark difference between the Robinsons’ economic fortunes and those of the families around them left them isolated socially and prevented the children from taking part in activities other youngsters in the neighbourhood enjoyed without a second thought.

Like many children who are forced to live in cruel and difficult circumstances and rejected by their peers, the young Jackie Robinson almost fell under the influence of a local gang. Thankfully, a good friend talked him out of the lifestyle and kept him on the straight and narrow.

Jackie had a natural talent for sport. Indeed, it ran in the family. His brother Mack won a 200 metres silver medal in the 1936 Olympics in Germany, losing only to the great US champion Jesse Owens. Robinson competed in a range of sports at high school and college including tennis, American football, athletics, basketball and baseball.

When his closest brother, Frank, was killed in a road accident, Robinson decided to attend the University of California (Los Angeles). His decision was motivated by the fact the university was close to the family of his deceased brother. It was here where Robinson chose to focus on sport. His efforts paid off and he won varsity letters (this is a system in the US that recognises a student excelling in a certain area) in four sports: baseball, athletics, American football and basketball. No other student at the college had ever managed this. Ironically, his performances in baseball were arguably the least impressive.

It looked at first as if Robinson would settle on American football, but when the Second World War broke out he served in the army and his sporting dreams were put on hold. During his time in the forces he showed his willingness to stand up against injustice. One fateful day, Robinson refused to move to the back of a bus when ordered to do so by the driver on the basis of his colour. At the time it was law that white passengers had priority during travel over non-whites. One of Robinson’s commanders, looking to teach him a lesson, tried to charge him with being drunk, even though he didn’t actually touch alcohol. Eventually, Robinson was rightly cleared of all charges. Sadly, however, it was a sign of the world he had to live in: one in which his skin colour would be used against him time and time again.

Early days of professionalism

After the war, Robinson joined the Kansas City Monarchs baseball team who played in the Negro leagues. These were leagues made up of teams of African Americans and, sometimes, Latin Americans. Such competitions came into existence because of the ‘baseball colour line’. This was an ‘agreement’ from late in the nineteenth century, never formally written down, that no black players would be allowed to play Major League Baseball or in its related Minor Leagues.

THE FIRST BLACK PLAYER IN THE MAJOR LEAGUES

Before baseball’s colour line was solidified, Moses Fleetwood Walker became the first black baseball player in Major League Baseball when he played for the Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884.

Because of the Second World War, it became increasingly hard for owners in baseball to justify the colour line. After all, over a million African Americans had fought alongside their fellow white countrymen in the terrible conflict. Eventually Branch Rickey, general manager and club president of the Brooklyn Dodgers (now the Los Angeles Dodgers) began to look for a black player to join his Major League roster. He knew that the first man to cross the colour line would have to deal with horrific abuse and threats from the wider public. For this reason, he was keen to find not just a talented black player, but a man who would be able to deal with the pressure and harassment that would inevitably come his way, without getting in arguments or scuffles with his tormentors.

When Robinson, who was seen as an extraordinary batting prospect, was approached and this was explained to him, he asked Rickey if he was looking for an African American man ‘who is afraid to fight back?’ The manager replied that it was the opposite, he wanted someone ‘with guts enough not to fight back’.

Robinson eventually agreed and joined the Montreal Royals, a feeder team to the Dodgers. When he arrived at training camp in Florida he was not allowed to stay in the team hotel with his white teammates due to local segregation laws. In another part of Florida the police said they would prevent the Royals playing if Robinson was involved or even trained in the area. In Jacksonville, the stadium was kept locked on match day to prevent a game with Robinson taking place.

In the end, Robinson made his debut in an exhibition match against the Dodgers and eventually became a regular for the Royals. He had some notable successes with the bat in his early games and played mainly at second base. At the end of the season, thanks to his .349 batting average and .985 fielding percentage, he was named the league’s Most Valuable Player. Thrilled crowds flocked to see him play (some to support him, some to abuse him) and by the 1947 season – during which he also played a few games of professional basketball for a racially integrated basketball team known as the Los Angeles Red Devils – he became a Brooklyn Dodger.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

Baseball is a sport packed full of statistics and these numbers can be confusing for those not familiar with the game. It’s hard to write about a baseball player without listing a few key numbers. Here are some details to help you understand how good Jackie Robinson was if you don’t know much about what used to be called ‘America’s favourite pastime’.

•Batting average: This is used to help measure how successful a batter is. The figure is made by dividing a player’s ‘hits’ by his total ‘at-bats’. In modern times, .250 is a typical average in Major League Baseball.

•At bat: ‘At bat’ mean two things. Firstly, it is used to describe a batter facing a pitcher. Secondly, it is a statistical measurement. To keep things simple, this second usage is for when a batter reaches a base thanks to a hit, an error or a fielder’s choice (sometimes there is a tactical advantage to letting a batter progress).

•Fielding percentage: This is a number that tries to measure how often a defensive player (or fielder) successfully fields a ball that is hit to them.

•Base: There are four bases on the baseball field, set out in a diamond shape. Players must advance around all of them to score a run.

•Run: A run is awarded when a player on the team at bat makes it all the way around first, second, third and fourth base to get safely back to home plate.

•Walk: When a batter is able to advance to first base after four unsuccessful balls from the pitcher (meaning the pitcher has been unable to get him out in his allotted pitches).

•Stolen base: This is when a player on the team at bat advances to the next base while the pitcher is about to deliver a pitch to the batter. This is like a fascinating game of cat and mouse as a runner tries to outwit the pitcher.

•Sacrifice hits: When a batter sacrifices himself by getting ‘out’ to help his teammates advance on the bases to get a run (or closer to a run).

In the big leagues

After first appearing for the Dodgers in a preseason game, Robinson made his major league debut on 15 April 1947. He was 28 at the time, which, in baseball, is no spring chicken. Robinson had, of course, lost several years of his career due to the Second World War. His selection for the Dodgers fascinated the public and inspired African Americans throughout the nation. It is estimated 14,000 of the 26,000 fans for his first game were black. The sporting curiosity didn’t disappoint: Robinson walked and scored a run as his team won 5-3.

As Robinson became a fixture in his side, he would help draw big crowds wherever he played. Sadly, for all the praise he got, he also got a lot of hatred, abuse and even death threats. He had to deal not just with the nerves and pressure of being an athlete in the public eye, but with the attention of an entire nation. Many fans, players and officials were hoping he would fail and often their behaviour was designed to provoke him into losing his temper so they could say that he wasn’t the kind of person that should be in baseball. At one point there was discussion among many teams and players about going on strike to try and get officials to have Robinson kicked out of the league. Robinson was often physically fouled by opponents. Once he had his leg sliced open by a player intentionally sliding into him. He was also frequently, and openly, racially abused on the field of play. It is a testament to Robinson’s character that he was able to rise above the constant harassment, even if he found it incredibly tough to do so.

It wasn’t just fans and opposing players that didn’t approve of his selection either. Some of his own team resented his presence. In the early days of his time as a Dodger, several players threatened to refuse to play with him. In the end, the Dodgers management backed Robinson and told the rebels they would be traded if they would not play with him. Eventually, the team bonded as even the most sceptical of his fellow players marvelled at his ability to perform to such a high standard under extreme pressure. The more he was attacked, the more his teammates came to his defence or supported him.

Robinson’s first year in the majors was a massive success and he was named the Rookie of the Year. His impressive numbers included 125