Wayne Simmonds was drawn to hockey at a young age.
He just wasn't allowed to participate until one specific homework assignment was complete, on one specific figure.
"I remember being 6 or 7 years old, and I told my parents, 'I want to play hockey.' And they said before I could, I had to look up Willie O'Ree," Simmonds, a Toronto Maple Leafs winger, told ESPN recently. "They wanted me to know why I was getting this opportunity to even be able to play the game. I did a lot of studying about Willie growing up, and ever since that, Willie has been my idol.