Their Words. Their Terms.
Thoughts from Faith Driven Athletes.
Brothers in Christ
But once again I put my trust in God, and His plan. If there really was a time to tear down and a time to build, as the Bible verse says, I think I witnessed it that season.
Extended Family
If my teammates and this community have taught me anything, it's that you don't have to share a bloodline to be family. After what the people here have done for me and my parents, that word has taken on a new meaning.
Never Give Up
Looking back now, it's amazing how close I was to never playing in that game. How close I was to giving up on the sport. To giving up on myself. To giving up on my dreams. But God has never given up on any of us, so why should I start the idea of quitting with my own career?
Leading by Following
Believe in what you want to do. If you want to do something, then go out for it. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it.
Following the Path
Before I say the Lord's Prayer with my teammates, I get dressed in my helmet and shoulder pads and just sit in my locker and say the prayer individually. Near the end of the prayer it says “lead us not into temptation” and as athlete, one of those temptations is to doubt yourself.
Coming Home
As I've gotten older I've realized that God sometimes uses your adversities to catapult you higher, but the way a catapult works, it has to bring you down before it can launch you forward.
Suffering Produces Perseverance
It doesn’t matter how many mistakes you’ve made over the course of your lifetime. In my 81 years on this planet I’ve made plenty. But what counts is that you continue to battle, and to make the newest day your best.
Staying Humble
When you’re no longer on the field, you remember that your identity is really in being a child of God. This might sound hard to believe, but I’m actually thankful I tore my ACL, because without the injury I don’t know if I am able to keep those priorities straight.
Keep Swinging
They had won 7 of the last 8 national championships and were sitting on a 36-game winning streak. But nothing could've prepared NDSU Football Head Coach Matt Entz for what was about to happen.
It’s Not About Me
I don't like to focus too much on my past, because then it stops becoming your past and starts to become your present. However, my story is a special exception, because it shows people that it's never too late to rediscover God, and that we can overcome anything in our past. I like to tell people these days, if God can forgive you for whatever you have done, then why can’t you!
Walking in Dad’s Footsteps
You strive to be successful, you strive to do well and I think that the Lord wants us to do all that, but I also think at the same time there’s a reason for why I’m coaching. It’s not by my choice, it’s by His choice, and there’s other reasons bigger than football.
Consider it Joy
My name is Gardner Minshew and I played quarterback at Washington State University. Only a few people in Pullman knew that name a few years ago, but it's amazing what can happen when you surrender to God's plan.
The Road Less Traveled
I knew that I would still get to play in exactly one month. What I didn’t know, however, was that we were about to embark on one of the craziest conference title runs I have ever seen. My name is Micah Potter, and this is my story.
Beyond Blessed
On the outside, it might have seemed like my UNC career started that day, but in reality the journey started long before then. A journey that included a lot of highs but a few setbacks as well.
F.A.M.I.L.Y
What does pressure bring out of you? For Tanner Morgan, the answer is simple: my best.
Finishing What You Started
“Ultimately, I know my coaching career will be judged by wins and losses. It's the nature of the industry. Fortunately, God's priorities are completely different…”
Leaving a Mark
When Artavis Pierce got injured, he had to watch his replacement exceed everyone’s expectations and threaten to keep the starting spot even on Pierce’s return. Jealousy is real. But it doesn’t have to control us.
Trusting God's Plan
Coming out of college, Phillip Lindsay didn’t know if the NFL would even give him a shot. Now, after making the Pro Bowl as a Rookie, he still trusts God’s plan—no matter what it is…
A Second Chance
My name is Jordan Murphy. I was a starting fullback on the University of Colorado football team. I was also a survivor of the Dark Knight movie shooting. This is my story.
Beyond My Understanding
God put big dreams on my heart...not easy ones. It’s my job not to abandon them when they get hard, but to keep pursuing them.