A fact you probably know: in 1967, twenty-five-year-old Muhammad Ali was the heavyweight champion of the world. And he was also the heavyweight champion of trash-talking.

At the peak of his fame and athletic prowess, he received a draft notice telling him to report to his local draft board. Ali opposed the Vietnam War and refused to fight in it, releasing a statement that said:

It is in the light of my consciousness as a Muslim minister and my own personal convictions that I take my stand in rejecting the call to be inducted. I do so with the full realization of its implications. I have searched my conscience. (Source)

And Ali—like Debs—was put on trial for draft evasion and convicted.

Though Ali was allowed his freedom during his long fight against this conviction, the World Boxing Association suspended him and for five years he wasn't allowed to fight. So, like Debs, Ali protested against a war he thought was unjust at a great personal cost. For an athlete, losing five years of competition during the peak athletic years stands as a sincere personal sacrifice.