I was not surprised to read the article “As always, Bryan Rust is filling several roles for the Penguins” (Sept. 25, TribLIVE), as Rust has been one of the Pens’ top players the last few seasons. It should be noted that Rust fills another important role: inspiring young people who stutter.

The Pens forward has been very public about his stuttering, a condition he shares with his older brother Matt, who was also drafted by the Penguins. The fact that Rust has not let stuttering hold him back conveys to young people who stutter that they should not let stuttering keep them on the sidelines from their dreams and aspirations.

The Stuttering Foundation website (www.stutteringhelp.org) has a biographical article on Rust titled “The Stanley Cup and Stuttering,” which gives a history of his struggles with stuttering. Ironically, the founder of the Stuttering Foundation was Malcolm Fraser, who co-founded NAPA Genuine Parts with his brother, and was a proud graduate of the University of Pittsburgh.

To say that Rust is filling several roles is always an understatement!

Michael Crisci

Astoria, N.Y.

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