With the recent accusation of seven Green Bay Packers and the continuing investigation of one player related to a sexual assault claim in Wisconsin Dells, it is clear that there are some bad apples in the sports world. This raises the question: should kids be looking up to athletes as role models?

Many are familiar with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who got into a near-fatal motorcycle crash in 2006 when he was not wearing a helmet. He also was accused of sexually assaulting a 31-year-old woman in Lake Tahoe in 2008 and a 20-year-old woman in Milledgeville, Georgia in 2010, for which he is suspended for six games during the 2010-2011 season under the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

Lawrence Taylor is another football player who has recently found himself in trouble with the law. The New York Giants linebacker was arrested on May 6, 2010 and is charged with third degree statutory rape, which is a felony, for allegedly having sex with a 16-year-old prostitute, and third degree patronization for allegedly paying the underage girl $300 to have sex with him. Taylor faces up to five years in prison and lifetime sex offender registration if he is convicted of both crimes. Also, this is not Taylor’s first brush with the law; in 1987, he admitted to and tested positive for cocaine; in 1988, he was suspended from playing football for 30 days for failing a second drug test; and in 1995, he was in drug rehab twice and over the next three years was arrested twice for trying to buy cocaine from undercover officers.

We all know about these badly behaving athletes who are covered extensively in the media, but there are just as many athletes who are giving back to their communities and helping people in need.

Take former Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner, who has excelled both on and off the field. Warner appeared in several public service announcements for Civitan International, promoting their volunteer efforts and their work with the developmentally disabled. This is an issue very close to him because his adopted son from his wife’s first marriage, Zachary, suffered major brain damage as an infant when his biological father accidentally dropped him. Warner has also devoted time and money to his First Things First Foundation, which is involved with several projects for causes like children’s hospitals, people with developmental disabilities and assisting single parents.

Other notable philanthropists in the sports world include cornerback for the Green Bay Packers, Charles Woodson, who contributed $2 million to the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital for pediatric research and also strong safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Troy Polamalu, who set up a fund with his wife, Theodora, to help injured service men and women in Iraq.

While there are “bad boys” in sports, there are also players who are doing their best to contribute to their teams and their communities. These are the true role models for kids. Players who are great teammates, family men and community members are the sports figures that deserve more media coverage.