Two athletes made headlines this week for the multi-million dollar contracts they signed. Both of them are nearing the end of their careers. Both are among the best at what they do. And both of them will be greatly compensated for their ability to continue to perform at a high level over the next 24 months.

But only one of these athletes will I let my son emulate.

Kurt Warner rose to prominence in 1999 when incumbent St. Louis Rams QB Trent Green became Wally Pipp to Warner’s Lou Gehrig. Warner, a former Arena leaguer and NFL Europe star, stepped in for the injured Green and transformed the St. Louis Rams into Super Bowl champions. His grocery-store-stock-boy-to-NFL-quarterback story was heartwarming, but it is Warner’s character, demonstrated by his myriad off-field civic contributions, that make him a true hero. His First Things First Foundation, inspired by the words of Jesus found in Matthew 6.33, is involved in a variety of projects, including Home for the Holidays (an effort to provide affordable housing to low-income, single parent families), the Special Olympics, and a variety of children’s hospitals throughout the country. For his on- and off-field contributions, Warner was recently recognized by the National Football League as the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Manny Ramirez, on the other hand, has long been the epitome of the self-aggrandizing modern day athlete. Make no mistake; Manny is a world class talent. But he is many other things as well: moody, selfish, pouty, a distraction. For all that he is, perhaps Manny will be most remembered for what he is not: a gamer. After begging out of the lineup against the Yankees in the summer of ’03 because of a sore throat, Manny was spotted that same evening at a local bar with a friend. Too sick to play, but not to sick to carouse with a pal, it seems. Despite being paid an average of $20 million per season by the Boston Red Sox for the past 8 years, Manny’s displeasure over the “disrespect” he had been shown by team management led him to quit on his team. He refused to play; he refused to run out ground balls; he even refused to do what he does best: swing the bat. In the end, Manny got what he wanted: a trade to another city and another fat (albeit shorter than he wanted) contract. “Manny Being Manny” is his catchphrase to describe his antics. Indeed, Manny has always been and always will be about Manny and nothing else.

This week, Warner took less money to stay in Arizona in a situation where he was happy. In a move that is simply unheard of in today’s economy, Warner offered to leave money on the table if the team would commit to allocating that money in an effort to re-sign Anquan Boldin, one of Warner’s top wide receivers. Sure, Warner still received a king’s ransom to play a kid’s game. But now that I have a son who is all too quick to idolize the athletes he sees on SportsCenter, I’m glad I can point him toward Kurt Warner, a man who plays and lives with integrity and respect.

Just call it Kurt being Kurt.