Tiger Woods' appetite for extramarital sex and all the craziness surrounding Mike Tyson's boxing career are just a couple falls from grace after success got to their head.
How someone responds to their success can say a lot.
Not too many are better at handling their success than the most likable guy in golf today, 2013 PGA Champion and former Auburn golf All-American Jason Dufner.
The constant mindfulness in everyday life that comes with being a professional athlete can be dealt with properly by being grounded and humble like "The Duf."
Being a humble human being keeps famous athletes from spiraling out of control when they have everything going their way.
There isn't anything to dislike about Dufner.
A pinch of chewing tobacco packed tight in his lower lip is all he really needs to keep his laid back style.
Cool, calm and comfortable is how Dufner lives his life.
"I don't like stress because stress stresses me out," Dufner told the national press at the 2012 Master's Tournament.
He is also a man who stays true to the people and things that matter most to him.
He made Auburn one of his first stops to show off his Wanamaker trophy after his big win at the 2013 PGA Championship.
He recently honored the passing of his friend, and former Auburn football star, Philip Lutzenkirchen, who died in a single-vehicle accident, with the utmost fashion by stitching Lutzenkirchen's football number on the golf bag he will use in the British Open on July 17-20.
Everything he does, even on the golf course, looks effortless.
The media sensation called "Dufnering" says it all.
There is a viral photo of him in a slumped-over sitting position with his emotionless face was taken in a classroom where he was supposedly giving a lesson about focusing and relaxation.
The fun-loving golfer handles the spotlight by acting like himself and not letting the extra attention of being famous faze him.
Dufner is the first former Auburn golfer to ever win a major title and a big-time Auburn fan.
A small fist pump like the one he gave after his PGA Championship victory is about as excited as you're going to see this humble Auburn man get.
While not always the most charismatic golfer on the course, he is respected and loved by many because he knows how to handle his success.
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