PRAISE FOR Football Faith

“From the locker rooms of the smallest high school to those of the most powerful professional football teams, faith and football go hand in hand. I could have had my faith without football, but not football without my faith. Rob Maaddi has written an inspiring book that serves as a testimony of how faith motivates and substantiates athletes as they strive to overcome the challenges and humbly attain the triumphs.”—TROY VINCENT, NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations and five-time Pro Bowl cornerback

“Football Faith illustrates the true motivation behind many of today’s athletes. No different than in life, we will be faced with many adverse circumstances, and these stories help to shed light on the faith and perseverance necessary to succeed on and off the field.”—BRADY QUINN, NFL quarterback

“While it may be hard to tell how football and faith actually mix, it is easy to see that football players and faith can be a match made in heaven. When football players take the time to examine the spiritual—to see what God has for them through faith in Jesus Christ—then we have something. In this collection of first-person explanations of favorite Bible passages, we get a glimpse at how some of today’s top football people interact with scripture. We see how they let God’s Word guide their lives and inform their decisions. While these are not commentaries by Bible scholars, they are practical insights into how men in America’s favorite game find hope, help, and encouragement through important Bible verses. Football Faith can help everyone who values the game and cherishes the Word to think through how scripture should be informing their lives as well.”—DAVE BRANON, Former editor: Sports Spectrum magazine, Editor, writer: Zondervan’s Sports Devotional Bible, Contributing writer: Our Daily Bread, Inductee: Cedarville University Athletic Hall of Fame

“Christianity isn’t about religion; it’s about having a relationship with Christ. Football Faith tells this story in an inspirational way.”—MARK SANCHEZ, NFL quarterback

DEDICATION

FOREWORD

Winning the Game of Life

WHAT IS TRUE SUCCESS?

“What does it mean to win?” “What is true success?” My adult life has involved competition in two professional sports with over one hundred million fans between them, and almost any time I’m with a group of men, someone will ask one of these questions.

When I was the head coach of the Washington Redskins, we won three Super Bowls and four NFC championships. As the owner of Joe Gibbs Racing, my team has won three NASCAR Cup championships and over two hundred races so far. So, yes, I know a little bit about winning and success—whether it involves coaching fifty-three gifted athletes on an NFL playing field or leading over four hundred dedicated employees at Joe Gibbs Racing in Charlotte.

But you know what? I’ve got a lot of experience with losing, too. Make a questionable call that contributes to your team’s defeat in front of ninety-one thousand screaming fans at FedEx Field in Washington—or on Monday Night Football—and you get up close and personal with the meaning of “the buck stops here.” Watch a $200,000 hand-built Sprint Cup car dominate a five-hundred–mile race only to get “taken out” by an angry competitor just shy of the checkered flag—that’s the textbook definition of losing.

Many of the most important lessons I’ve learned in my life have come not from winning but from failures and losses—not just in sports but in situations as a father, husband, and businessman.

What have I learned? For one thing, if you’re living your life trying to be successful in the eyes of the world—the perfect job, lots of money, even fame—you’re chasing a ghost and you’ll never be content. Many of us get the wrong ideas about success and put our hope in temporary accomplishments. Our victories are short-lived. As an NFL coach, you’re only as valuable as your last win; a championship ring might buy you a little more job security, but not much else. Racing is no different.

LIFE IS LIKE A GAME

So when guys ask me what it means to be a true success and what they have to do to win, I talk to them about life being like a game. You and I are the players. God is our head coach. You think He’s going to put us on the playing field without a game plan? No. He’s given us the perfect playbook—the Bible. Inside of it is the perfect play for every game situation you’ll ever be in, from the kickoff to the final whistle. When I describe life as a game, I’m not implying that it’s trivial; in fact, it is no ordinary game at all. The clock is ticking for you and me. When time’s up and the game’s over, we want to be on the winning team; eternity rests in the balance.

The fifty-two men whose stories you’ll read in this book are committed to living their lives with eternity in mind. Empowered by God, they are looking beyond the competition on the field and toward a larger goal: following God’s game plan for their lives as team players, as husbands, fathers, and sons, and using their influence to point others toward Him. Life is the most important game you will ever play, and if you’re like me, you want to do what it takes to win. In my experience, when I’ve veered away from God’s game plan, I’ve failed. When I’ve followed it, I’ve experienced victory—not always what I’ve imagined victory might look like—but success in God’s eyes nevertheless. May you be inspired by these NFL players as you read their stories about how they’re chasing the success that can only come from being God’s man and following God’s plan.

—Coach Joe Gibbs

CONTENTS

1. David Akers

2. Cortez Allen

3. Jared Allen

4. Nnamdi Asomugha

5. Jason Avant

6. Matt Barkley

7. Brandon Boykin

8. Sam Bradford

9. Drew Brees

10. Cris Carter

11. Jamar Chaney

12. Kurt Coleman

13. Randall Cunningham

14. Brian Dawkins

15. Quintin Demps

16. Tony Dungy

17. Nick Foles

18. Khaseem Greene

19. Mark Herzlich

20. James Ihedigbo

21. Michael Irvin

22. Chris Johnson

23. Arthur Jones

24. Colin Kaepernick

25. Bennie Logan

26. Chris Maragos

27. Colt McCoy

28. David Nelson

29. Chuck Pagano

30. Troy Polamalu

31. Glover Quin

32. Brady Quinn

33. Philip Rivers

34. Aaron Rodgers

35. DeMeco Ryans

36. Mark Sanchez

37. Deion Sanders

38. Rocky Seto

39. Mike Singletary

40. Brad Smith

41. Emmitt Smith

42. Matt Stover

43. Ryan Succop

44. Tim Tebow

45. Cedric Thornton

46. David Tyree

47. Julian Vandervelde

48. Michael Vick

49. Troy Vincent

50. Kurt Warner

51. Cary Williams

52. Russell Wilson

DAVID AKERS

I love this verse because it sums up two things: my part and God’s part. We are to love God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. He, in turn, guides us and works out the details of our lives for good. Loving God is not about doing “things.” It’s about having a relationship with Him and embracing the truth that God is looking out for our best interests—no matter what our present circumstances may look like.

God can do all things at all times for our good. I have witnessed this truth time and time again in my own life. No, life isn’t a bed of roses. But I’ve learned that God can clean the weeds and cultivate this ground into His rose garden.

My goal as a Christian, then, is to live out the love of Christ to advance His kingdom. I want to be able to give God the glory in all the things that I do. How? By serving His children; by the way I live as a husband, father, and friend; by the way I give financially to His church and those in need; and by acknowledging His blessings no matter what my circumstances may look like.

That’s why I like to focus on this verse each day: because it reminds me of God’s presence and His promise that “in all things, God works for the good of those who love him.”

CAREER STATS

David Akers wasn’t drafted by an NFL team after setting a school record with thirty-six field goals at Louisville. He was cut by three teams and was working as a waiter and substitute teacher before landing in Philadelphia and becoming one of the league’s all-time greatest kickers. Akers played more games in an Eagles uniform than anyone ever (188) and became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer (1,323 points). He was named to the Eagles Seventy-Fifth Anniversary All-Time Team, was voted as the kicker on the NFL 2000’s All-Decade Team, and set the NFL mark for points in a decade (1,169 from 2000–2009). He holds several NFL records, including most consecutive postseason field goal conversions (19) and most field goals in a season (44) in 2011.

CORTEZ ALLEN

I have this verse inscribed in my Citadel class ring. That’s what you strive for at The Citadel—to get that ring. You put whatever engraving you want in it. I graduated in 2010, so it has a number ten on the front with this verse inscribed on the inside.

It speaks to me by saying that life is a journey, it’s a process, and as long as you stay grounded and hold true to God’s teaching and His truth, His Word, then you know it’s possible. I try to live a life where I let Him direct my path. When I pray, when I ask Him things, when I talk to God, I just ask that His will be done so that I’m not selfish and I don’t try to get selfish gain.

He keeps me peaceful, even in a game when things are going crazy. I say, “I give You all honor; these plays are for You.” And that’s what keeps me focused—that’s what keeps me calm in games and keeps me on the right path.

CAREER STATS

A small-school standout at The Citadel, Cortez Allen developed into a playmaker by his second season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Allen had two interceptions, forced three fumbles, and recovered one in limited action as a nickel cornerback. He became a starter the next year and scored his first touchdown on an interception return against Green Bay. Allen signed a multi-year contract in September 2014 and recorded interceptions in consecutive games that month before a thumb injury ended his season after eight games.

JARED ALLEN

My first goal in life and every day is to be a better man of God. Everything I have is because of Him. Everything. Jesus pursues people, but He also wants people to pursue Him. I took that to heart, and what I found was that the more I have pursued Christ, the more He has blessed me. I once learned at a team chapel that you can learn to handle anything if you walk the walk and live with integrity. I took that seriously and committed to watch my language and stop cussing.

That’s what this verse talks about: your tongue can be the most evil part of your body. What you say can directly influence other people. So I started making little changes in my life, and not cussing was the start of that process. It’s a small thing, I know; but I feel more peace in my life now when I close my eyes at night. And God’s still working on me.

One other way I work on being the man God wants me to be is in reading my Bible. If I don’t read my playbook, I’m not successful on the field. My Bible is my playbook for life. So if I don’t read my Bible, how can I wear the full armor of Christ and stand firm against the world?

One thing I’ve learned is that when you think you’re outnumbered, God has your back. He’s always there with you. Football is what we do, but it’s not who we are. It’s our relationship with God that defines us. When I’m dead and gone, I want people to say that I was a great husband and father. When I die, I want God to say, “Welcome home, good and faithful servant.” That’s how I gear my life.