Last week, after the United States men’s hockey team defeated Russia 3-2 in an eight-round shootout, American T.J. Oshie gained a huge number of fans with his post-game comments.

Oshie, who scored four times in the shootout, including the winning goal, was asked about being an American hero.

“The real American heroes wear camo,” Oshie said. “That’s not me.”

He was partially right. Soldiers, as well as police officers, firefighters, those in the medical field and countless others that spend their days keeping us safe, are clearly heroes.

But athletes can be heroes. Of course, they aren’t the same type of hero as the ones risking their lives to protect us, but they still count.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a hero as “a person, typically a man, who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.” Exclude the laughable notion that a woman cannot be heroic, and the definition fits a wide array of people, including athletes.

Sure, that still doesn’t make every athlete a hero. The NFL player who wrecked his car trying to save his pizza from falling is most certainly not a hero, except maybe to Papa John.

These heroes are the ones who impact the lives of those around them, even those they will never meet in a positive way. Athletes have an opportunity that isn’t always present in other people’s lives. They have a platform for their actions and voices to be heard. This may not always be a good thing, but it can be a powerful force for those that define “heroic.”

For Louisiana and especially the city of New Orleans, the NFL’s Saints were heroes who helped revive the city after Hurricane Katrina destroyed nearly everything in 2005. They physically helped in the rebuilding of the city and raised money to help financially, but it was what they did emotionally that made them heroes to the state. Their return to prominence, along with their victory in Super Bowl XLIV helped give hope to the city.

Although they are typically considered heroes for other reasons, they can also be the ones to save lives. In 2012, Penn State organized an event to find matches for patients who needed bone marrow transplants. Because of that, two weeks ago, PSU hockey player David Glen donated bone marrow to a match. Glen saved a woman’s life and became a hero without stepping on the ice. In fact, he missed three games to recover.

Athletes do heroic things, but it is not from what they accomplish on the field, ice or wherever they may compete. It’s what they do for us. T.J. Oshie was right. He’s not a hero for scoring a few goals. He should hope to become a hero for defining the word, if not for him, but for his child.