Sacramento Men Who Stopped Train Attack Have Shared Past

FAIR OAKS (CBS13) — Three young men who are hailed around the world as heroes after stopping an apparent massacre on a train are remembered for who they were years before last Friday's incident.

Their bravery earned them France's greatest honor, and now Spencer Stone, Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler are bonded by an act of courage hailed around the world.

Dave Nobis was Stone's basketball coach at Del Campo High School and remembers him as a kid who wanted no special attention.

"Quiet and humble," he said. "Just making sure he didn't go outside the box, or break any rules or anything like that."

Nobis says Stone was forced to leave the team his senior year because of family obligations. He needed to help watch his younger sister.

"He's a good dude," Nobis said. "I mean he was a good solid person that tried to do the right thing, probably had his priorities figured out—family first."

Skarlatos also attended Del Campo High and played junior varsity football before moving to Oregon.

"He was a young man that had a big heart, he was a team type guy, and we were gonna love to coach him," said coach Mike Dimino.

Anthony Sadler went to Rosemont High School where he played basketball.

The three first met as children at Fair Oaks Freedom Christian School, a faith-based K-12, where the school marquee now reads "make a friend who makes a difference."

That they did.