Ronald Acuna Jr. is 21 years old.

Earlier this season, he signed an 8-year contract worth $100 million with the Atlanta Braves.

Brad Zaffram is also just about 21 years old. He is a senior linebacker for Slippery Rock University.

Other than whatever scholarship money he is receiving to pay for his education, he's not earning a dime.

Acuna is playing in the National League playoffs right now. He hit a deep drive to right field he thought was leaving the park Thursday. Instead of running hard out of the box, he broke into a home run trot.

The ball did not leave the park. Acuna had to settle for a single and was eventually doubled off second base, costing his team a chance to score a critical run in an eventual 7-6 playoff loss to St. Louis.

Zaffram was on the field in a recent 49-0 blowout non-conference football win over Millersville. He and his SRU teammates played hard through the final whistle.

“If you take a play off, you won't be on the field here,” Zaffram said after the game.

The same can be said for Butler High School football players, who play hard every play regardless of the score ... or Knoch, Moniteau, Seneca Valley or any other school you want to name.

These guys aren't playing in 50,000-seat stadiums, earning millons of dollars in front of millions watching on TV.

They are just playing hard, period.

This isn't the first time Acuna has shown a lack of hustle in a major league game.

It probably won't be the last.

Go check out a Special Olympics event if you want to see athletes using every ounce of physical and mental skill in their bodies.

Take Acuna with you.

Maybe he — and others like him — will learn something.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle