I think the key word here is hero. Although I think the others were heros as well, even though they lived to tell the tale.

Jackie Robinson didn't suffer the same fate as Pat T....but he is probably one of the biggest heros in all of professional sports. The opposition and bigotry he faced was unbelievable - but he never backed down.

Henry Aaron is one as well - the man faced a ton of death threats (and I'm sure Jackie Robinson did as well)