The Greatest, Bravest Football Hero You’ve Never Heard Of

<![CDATA[The number 42 is hallowed in American sports. It was the number, after all, of legends like Jackie Robinson, James Worthy, and Ronnie Lott. (And if you’re a fan of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” you know that 42 is the answer to the “ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything.” Heady stuff.) But 42 can also denote time — and 42 years ago today, a man who was only 24 (the inverse of 42) raced off the football field for the final time, baptized himself in the thick Louisiana swamp waters, and reached the arms of God.]]>