I was slow, I was short, I was white, and I could catch.
I was made to be a Tom Waddle fan.
People seek heroes who confirm their own identity. This is especially true for sports fans who view themselves as outliers within a given sport. Black hockey players become fans of black hockey players, short basketball players become fans of short basketball players, and as a burgeoning Bears fan developing my own fandom, I became a fan of Tom Waddle.
I think a sports fan really comes into his or her own at age 10.