2001 November/December

contents

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Simonton Says

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BY GAIL wooD

The sudden fame that has come to Oregon State running back Ken Simonton won't change what he says is most important in his life

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General correspondence, Letlerto the Editor, or Writer's Query (no unsolicited manuscripts, please) Mall: Managing Editor, PO Box 3566, Grand Rapids, Ml 49501-3566 E-mail: ssmag@sport.org Fax : 1-616-957-5741 Permissions, Reprints Contact: Debbie Miller Fax : 1-616-957-5741 E-mail: dmlller@rbc.org Volume 15, Number 6 November-December 2001 SPORTS SPECTRUM MAGAZINE A DISCOVERY HOUSE PUBLICATION AFFILIATED WITH RBC MINISTRIES MANAGING EDITOR Dave Branon RADIO AND MAGAZINE DIRECTOR Tom Felten ART DIRECTOR Steve Gier PRODUCTION ASSISTANT Rob Bentz GRAPHIC ARTIST Laurie Nelson ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Julie Richardson CLERICAL ASSISTANT Debbie Miller ADVISORS Michelle Akers. former USsoccer star.

Tim Cash, Unlimited Potential, Inc. Clark Kellogg, TV analyst, CBS college basketball Vince Nauss, executive director, Baseball Chapel Kyle Rote Jr.• Athletic Resource Management Allee Simpson, chaplain, Cleveland Rockers Bruce Smith, Hockey Ministries International Crls Stevens, LPGA Bible studies leader Chuck Swirsky. Piay-bYiJiay, Toronto Raptors Claude Terry, director, Pro Basketball Fellowship

End Results

BY DAvE BRANoN

Former quarterback Jay Riemersma became an unassuming, likeable person and a talented tight end. How?

Laker Leader?

BY KEVIN HuNTER

Continuing a tradition started by A. C. Green, Derek Fisher has taken over the spiritual leadersh ip in LA

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Well-Rounded Corner

BY MIKE sANDRoLINI

Although Aeneas Williams didn't intend to be a football player, he's a key cog in the Rams' plan to rebuild thei r defense

A New Voice

2S

BY ART STRICKLI N

Football icon Pat Summerall has put behind him a serious drinking problem, thanks to his newfound faith

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Bearing Up Nicely

Hoops star Danielle Crockrom nearly gave up her budding career, but for a little help from Dad

departments

COVER PHOTO: Bill Slover I Page-One Pictures (Inset photo: Robert Laberge I All sport) SPORTS SPECTRUM Is produced 6 times a year by Discovery House Publishers, Box3566, Grand Ftapids, Ml4950t -3566,whlch Is affiliated with ABC Ministries, a nondenominational Christian organization whose purpose is to lead people of all nallons to personal faith In Jesus Christ and to growth In His likeness by teaching principles from the Bible. Printed in USA. Copyright <C 2001 by Discovery House Publishers.

Bible quotations, unless otherv~se noted, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright <C 1973, 197B, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

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BY MIKE sANDRoLINI

4

Lee'd Stories Sports news potpourri

BY VICTOR LEE

5

The Swirsk One-on-one with Gary Bender

BY CHUCK SWIRSKY

6

Champions Tony Alvarez, Nei-Kuan Chia, Justin Skaggs

16 The Big Picture Derek Fisher

31

Straight Talk with Steve Wisniewski

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SPORTS SPECTRUM - !IOVEMBER·DECEMB ER 2001

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Lee 'd Stories

~ B~

Victor Lee ladde News aad Views..._ the 'Wodd of ~pods --------------------------------------

A Fame Too Young?

• It felt like the drip, drip, drip of

cultural erosion. Every day for several weeks, across my television carne the image of Danny Almonte, supposed 12-year-old superstar pitcher for a Bronx Little League team.

Before and since the Almonte misadventure, I keep reading of athletes his age (which turned out to be 14} or younger thrust into stardom.

Two decades ago, many of the sociological debates in sports surrounded student-athletes. Now they involve child-athletes. The hoopla over child athletes will either heighten or harden your sensitivity to the issues it raises, issues of self-worth, identity, greed, and parental misguidance.

World-class gymnasts start intense training by age 5, or they don't make it. Same with skaters.

The 12-year-olds driving midget cars are often racing with NASCAR in view.

The sports craze brings big money, the big money brings big greed, and it has filtered-virtually unabated-through parents to kids.

When do you stop playing for the memories and the maturity that competition brings and start playing for the money? To an everincreasing percentage of American culture, the answer is always "now."

This is tragic because it misguides generations of children into thinking happiness and joy and athletic success are necessarily related.

After his retirement from baseball in the middle of the 2001 season, Rico Brogna was asked to telecast regional Little League games for ESPN. "That I was there as part of ESPN television is an indication of how many are watching and how much pressure is put on them," Rico says. "A nationally televised game for 12-year-olds- I was nervous enough when I played Little League in front of 100."

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SPORTS SPECTRUM

Brogna was careful to note that he saw a fair percentage of good parents working to keep the experience in balance for their kids.

But there were plenty of the "show me the fame and money" types, too. Media, while not wrong in and of itself, exacerbates the problem by giving child-athletes mass exposure. The more people watching you, the more intensely important winning becomes, because you can't let them see you fail.

Can you?

"The win-at-all cost mentality at that age and level of play is absolutely not necessary," Brogna says. "I say that even though I feel I'm as great a competitor as there is; I've competed to win all my life.

But there is definitely more value in athletics for kids than winning the game.

"If there is ever a time to enjoy yourself, it's when you're in Little League or amateur sports in general."

Enjoy has become synonymous with conquer, which necessarily means that failure to conquer means failure to enjoy, a sad state that takes playing for the pleasure of playing out of the equation.

James Brown of FOX Sports, a Harvard-educated Christian and astute observer of the sociology of sport, is troubled by the trend toward child stars.

"The trappings of the world can be very seductive and can throw you off guard," he says. "To the degree one is highly visible, there

FI06ERT SECK / ICON SMI

.A James Brown. Making a plea for well-grounded individuals.

is the pull to be politically correct and not offend anyone. If you aren't well-grounded-and I would think one would at least want to go through the college years before claiming to be well-grounded-! would be very apprehensive about that kind of attention being heaped on these young people.

They are still developing who they are and their concepts of right and wrong. Those challenges are signif-

icant enough for mature adults."

Translation: Too much, too soon leads to understanding too little, too late. You need no further proof than some boorish superstars of today who behave as if they are "owed" respect and privilege.

I'm not preaching against money, stardom, or the media. I'm simply contending what sports life in America has consistently proven-that too much money or stardom leads to excesses that skew values and draw people further and further from Christ. That only draws them into despair and disillusionment as they realize that a victory, a paycheck, or a headline doesn't satisfy the yearning in their heart. Our children need to understand this by having it taught and modeled. ~ Rico Brogna. Looking for more value than wins and losses in amateur sports.

Baseball Needs a New Contract-ion • As baseball owners and players

try to hash out a new deal, let me go on record in favor of contraction by two teams. The choice to contract would reflect restraint and wisdom on the part of baseball leadership. Consider this illustration: A morn and dad have three children, a 4,000-square-foot, $400,000 house, two expensive vehicles, and a wide assortment of "toys" (Jet Ski, big screen TV).

The kids need more attention, there is rarely a home-cooked meal, and everybody in the home is strained and stressed. Morn would quit work if she could, but her income is necessary to keep up the lifestyle. When the emotional and relational strain exceeds the joy of having all the nice stuff, Morn and Dad finally make a tough choice: They decide to go from an extravagant horne to merely a nice one. They sell some toys. They trade in their SUV for a used car. Mom works only if she wants to. Everybody is happier.

Baseball leadership's decision to contract-or reduce its number of teams- would somewhat parallel this illustration. Baseball has outgrown itself, stretched its boundaries beyond reason. It can't afford its "lifestyle."

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Real Sports • The Attack on America has had a sobering effect on the entire nation and much of the world. It is no less so in sports. For at least a week after the attacks, we hardly bothered to tum to the sports pages because we didn't care. And if we did tum to them, there was little there.

That was as it should be. The sports world stopped and grieved.

Sportsmen and women took stock of life's vital issues, and countless high-profile athletes offered moral, emotional, and financial support.

For example, Vinny Testaverde went to ground zero to encourage rescue workers, and he took home a piece of concrete from the World Trade . Center-which his father helped build-as a reminder of what is really valuable.

As the games resumed, they offered and continue to offer a sense of normalcy-a thread of Americana that can't be stolen away. Athletics and athletes were and are a form of solace and hope, a refreshing encouragement. In a culture where so many see sport as an end in itself, it was put in perspective and it was at its strongest - a natural alliance.

The Bottom Line

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• Each of the three items above carry the theme '1ess is more."

What a great spiritual truth! How necessary restraint is in so many aspects of life, yet how elusive it is as each of us struggles with human nature and a world and culture seemingly spiraling out of control.

Less of the world is more of Christ. fm far from suggesting we become monastic, but I see the need for re-evaluation, refocusing, and reform. To put Christ first will put everything else in line. As John the Baptist said, as recorded in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."

Veteran sportswriter Victor Lee covered sports for many years for the Palm Beach Post. He has been writing for Sports Spectrum magazine since 1994.

The Swirsk Goes One-on-One with Gary Bender Swirsk: Let me ask you a question of the basket. It would open up about the mindset of today's NBA the game considerably. player. Players often seem not to be committed to one team, but Swirsk: A couple of players said have one foot out the door while what we really need to open up the still playing for a team. What's floor is to go four-on-four. going on right now with today's Bender: I think that's going to be NBA player? hard to get through the Player's Bender: It would be an over-simAssociation. plification to say it's just too much money. But that is part of Swirsk: Let's leave the NBA for a it. These guys are getting paid moment, Gary. Talk about sometoo much money. I think with that thing that's on your heart. What you lose a sense of commitment. I challenges has God brought into think you lose a sense of responyour life over the past few months? sibility. I think a lot of players Bender: We talked a little about don't deal in reality. I don't think the character issue in the NBA, but they understand the big picture. there are character issues in every They don't see what a great prowalk of life. I think as a Christian, fession they've got, what great I'm always dealing with the condiGod-given ability they have. And tion of my heart. I find so many with it comes a great responsibilitimes that God is showing me ty. Instead, what happens is an painfully sometimes that I just almost flippant attitude, which don't have a heart that is loyal to CHUCK SWIRSKY says, "Hey! I can do what I want Him-a heart where He can trust talked with Gary to do! I have all the money in the me and where He can expand my Bender, Phoenix Suns world I need. I'll do what I want territory. He can allow me to do play-by-play announcer, some things that God wants me to to do. I'll throw the switch when on Sports Spectrum it gets down to an important time do that I'm not yet aware of.

Radio, which can be in the season."

I heard one day, and this kind of heard on Saturdays Our coach, Scott Skiles, said it stuck in my heart, that reputation well when he said that at any across the United is what man expects us to be and given time when you watch a ball- States at noon Eastern character is what God knows us to game, there's 2, or 3, or 4 guys time. Call be. Reputation is what is chiseled who aren't even playing hard. It's 1-800-598-7221 to locate on the tombstone, and on the other a major concern. hand, character is what angels of an SS station in your I don't know how you get the area. Chuck is the play- heaven will say before the throne commitment back. I don't think of God. by-play voice of the all of a sudden the owners sit I'm just dealing with my characdown and say, "We're paying too ter. Who I am before the Lord. Do I have a heart He can use? Can He trust me? much money." The horses are out of the barn right now; it's pretty hard to get them Can he use me in a special way? back in.

Swirsk: Another thing that has happened is that, as the coach of the Toronto Raptors, Lenny Wilkens, has said, defense has totally enveloped the game. I'm not sure what you can do to get offense back into it.

Bender: I think Lenny is right. We've got a game that is back down, one-on-one, and with the shot clock expiring someone puts up a shot, and everybody crashes the boards. We've lost some of the things that through the years made the game great.

Some coaches have suggested we increase the length of the court and increase the space underneath the basket. That way, like in hockey, you can come from the backside

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SPORTS SPECTRUM - IIOVEMBER·DECEMBER 200 1

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\\·~-~· 1J -..·,~~~~ ~~

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CHAMPIONS: H New Generation of Winners

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TONY ALVAREZ

Extreme Outreach • Tony Alvarez has the kind of job most teens only dream of. He makes

his living as a professional bicycle stunt rider.

Ranked in the Top 5 in florida for 5 consecutive years in flatlands riding, Tony also holds two florida state titles in cross-country mountain bike racing. Alvarez has competed in ESPN's X-Games and performed for

years in daily stunt shows at Disney World and Sea World.

Although he's always loved performing, Tony's true passion is reaching out to hurting teens. It's a dream born of his own painful past. "I wish that when I was 14, somebody had told me that drugs would ruin my life, that if I had a dream, I could accomplish it, and that coming from a divorced family wasn't my fault-that I could still move on and have an awesome life."

Tony didn't learn this himself until he was 20. He spent years drinking and doing drugs, trying to numb the pain inside. Then a friend invited him to church, and Tony experienced the healing power of God's grace. "I gave my life to Christ, and He radically changed it!" Tony says.

For 10 years now, Tony has been touring the world, sharing the gospel with teens. He performs stunt shows at public schools, youth conferences, Christian music festivals, and retreats. Tony is especially excited about his latest project in Boone, North Carolina: "For a long time I've been looking for a way to build good mentaring relationships with the teens in our area. We're building a Christian-themed indoor skate park called Drop of Art, as an outreach center for teens. It's not only ~ Quite a ride. Tony has worked in ministry with DC Talk, Jennifer Knapp, Ken Davis, and Dawson McCalister.

)pr CHALLENGES: Sports Stuff You Can Use LITERATURE • Chal'actel' Counts fol' Athletes

-Some of the basic characteristics of good athletes-and good people-are covered in this short study guide produced by Cross Training Publications. Writers Rod Handley, 6

SPORTS SPECTR U M - II OV EMBER·D ECEMB ER 200 1

Elliott Johnson, and Gordon Thiessen have taken sports stories and tied them into biblical truths about such topics as confidence, discernment, endurance, friendship, and generosity. Each topic is accom panied by

a great hangout, but a refuge-a safe place-where kids can come and discover what they want to do with their lives and the gifts and talents God's given them!"

-CHRISTIN DITCHFIELD

Tony Alvarez can be reached at P.O. Box 1524 Banner Elk, NC 28604-1524 Phone: 1-828-387-3918 E-mail: tony@tonyalvarez.org Web site: www.tonyalvarez.org Drop of Art is scheduled to open on January 1, 2002. Donations to help with construction costs are needed.

NEI·KUAN CHIA

Aiming For Athens • In his senior year at florida State University, Nei-Kuan Chia suffered a severe back injury that left him temporarily paralyzed.

Doctors told the AU-American swimmer that his athletic career was over. Nei-Kuan was devastated. He spent 3 weeks confined to bed, alone and confused.

"My roommate had a Bible lying around, so I picked it up and started reading it just to entertain myself. As I read it, I had a lot of questions."

Out of the blue, a coach he barely knew called to check on him.

Turns out, Coach Sterling Brown was a Christian. He invited Nei-

study questions that can be used in both individual and group study. .,.. To find out more about this book, go to this Web site; www.crosstrainingpublishing.com or call 308-384-5762.

• Path To Victol'y New Testaanent

-The 2002 Winter Olympics are coming, and the International Bible Society has put togethTO SUBSCRIBE: CALL 1·800·283·8333

.A. Getting the Power. Nei-Kuan has been named a part of the PowerBar 2001 Team Elite, which supports his training.

(

Kuan to church and introduced him to the campus Bible studies organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

"The more I went, the more I learned, and the more I felt God .calling me," Nei-Kuan recalls. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.

"Before, my life was aU about myself. Everything I did was for my own glorification, my own benefit. I didn't know how to be a mature person, how to handle relationships. God has taught me how to be a person who can show love to others."

Inspired by his newfound faith, Nei-Kuan took on a special challenge: "The doctors said I would never compete again, that it would take 6 months just to relearn how to walk. But I really felt that God wanted me to push forward because He had something for me later on that He wanted to use my swimming for. Every day I would go to the pool on my own and just fight through the pain."

Nei-Kuan has been competing ever since! He's not only winning races, but setting records as he

trains for the 2004 Games in Athens. In 1996 and 2000, Nei-Kuan was a member of the Taiwanese team, but for 2004, he is attempting to swim for the United States.

As an Olympic athlete, Nei-Kuan knows he has an audience who will listen to him. "I tell kids that when you put your faith in God and just listen to what He tells you-if you follow Him, He can bring you through anything!"

-C HRISTIN DITCHFIELD

JUSTIN SKAGGS

Heir Apparent?

• Good-bye Darrell Green. Hello, Justin Skaggs.

Green, the future Hall of Fame cornerback, has announced that he will retire at the end of the season, leaving a spiritual void on the Washington Redskins after 19 seasons of taking a bold stand for Jesus Christ.

But the Redskins have a new player who can hoist the torch of godliness among the burgundy and gold.

That player is wide receiver Justin Skaggs, a virtual unknown when he arrived in Washington April 23 as one of 27 undrafted college free agents.

Throughout the NFL preseason, Skaggs, who played at Springfield, Missouri's Evangel University, won over the hearts of teammates, coaches, fans, and the media with

era great tool for introducing Wi nter Games fans to God's Word. This special printing of the New Testament contains testimonies of a number of athletes who have competed in past Games or will compete this winter in Salt Lake City.

.,.. To order Path To Victory, ca/11-800-524-1588.

• Building a Better Basketball Player- Brent Fuqua may not have a

an impeccable work ethic and a steady confidence.

On Labor Day, the Redskins named Skaggs to their practice squad. This means he participates in aU the functions of the team, and he is eligible for promotion to any NFL team's game roster at any point in the season.

Skaggs was hardly surprised that he has made it this far. "I knew God had given me the ability. He gives you the ability and asks, 'Now what are you going to do with it?'" says Skaggs, who also played on special teams in preseason. ''I've had to work hardextremely hard-but this is a ministry for me. I just want to be a witness as an NFL football player."

Hailing from an NAIA Division II school, the 6'4" 205-pound Skaggs faced an uphill climb, but he was not discouraged. He used his own money to send highlight tapes of his senior year at Evangel to 16 NFL teams. Three teams: Seattle, the New York Giants, and the Redskins called back.

The Redskins monitored Skaggs' production while he played in the Arena Football 2 League with the Tulsa Talons last spring. On April 22, Skaggs' birthday, Washington called and told him they were interested. He went as an undrafted free agent to mini-camp, where he impressed new Redskins coach Marty Schottenheimer, and he continued to dazzle eyes in training camp.

"Here I am. God has totally opened and shut doors for me. I've

name that is recog nizable to basketball fans around the world, but that's not stopping him from doing a world of good. As the founder of Hoops of Hope Basketball Ministry, he travels extensively using his round ball skills to ea rn the right to tell people about faith in Christ. Now he has compiled his knowledge of the game into a book that he hopes will expand his outreach opportunity. This book, though not a

SPORTS SPECTRUM"S "HOT CORIIE R" GIVES YO U WEEKD AY IIE IV S AIID COI\M EIITA RY. WEB SITE: htt p: // www.spor t.o r g

had to rely on him," Skaggs says.

"Whenever you have to totally lean on God," he adds, "you know you're in his will. I'm learning to trust Him by staying in the Word every day and praying every day."

Just like Darrell Green .

- DALLAS COGLE

COUAlESV: WASHiNGTO'I AEDSKfoS PHOTOORAPHEA

.A. Quick on his feet. While at Evangel University, Justin Skaggs was all-conference in the 200- and 400-meter track events.

masterpiece of graphic excellence, does give a young basketball player plenty of help in improving his game. At the same time, Fuq ua includes lots of spiritual assistance in the book's 56 pages.

.,.. To find out more about the book, call Brent at 1-719-573-5647 or E-mail him ot brent@hoops.org. The Hoops of Hope Web site is www.hoops.org.

SPORTS SPECTRUM - NOYEMBER· DEC£1\BER 2001

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DON'T LISTEN TO WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT KEN SIMONTON- LISTEN TO WHAT THE OREGON STATE RUNNING BACK SAYS ABOUT HIMSELF

BY GAIL WOOD

All his life he's defied definition, defied attempts to stuff him into preconceived notions of who he is. ~ To those who tell him he 's too small to play football, he shrugs and says, "Give me a chance to prove myself" To those who see hiln only as a football p/aye1; he quotes Hamlet, talks psychology, and does ballet. To the painted-face fan who seeks his autograph and calls him the best eve1; he says, "There's always someone bette1: "

Q en Simonton, Oregon State's 5-foot-8 running back, who was recmit' -~~~ ed by only one Pac- 10 ...__.. ....._.. school and became a Heisman hopeful, refuses to be a cliche.

Determined not to be stereotyped, he's just as comfortable in a huddle as in a classroom, just as comfortable discussing Shakespeare as football.

"I couldn 't let you try to put me in a box," Simonton says. "I'm more than a football player.''

Student, thinker, touchdown maker.

All neatly rolled into one.

Simonton is many things, but a mediocre running back isn't one of them, which comes as a surprise to near-

•

..,. Eluding Bears, chasing records.

In a game against the California Golden Bears, the Beaver running back sprang for a career-best 64-yard run, scored the team 's first two TDs, and rushed for more than 100 yardsall in the first quarter.

PHOTO BY OTTO GR£UlE,

JA_/

ly every college coach in the country who refused to recruit him because of his size. The 191-pound senior, who now draws com parisons to Barry Sanders because of his peek-a-boo running style as he hides behind his linemen while weaving his way upfield, is trying to become the first player to rush fo r more than 1,000 yards 4 straight years in the Pac-1 0. Onl y four players - Tony Dorsett, Amos Lawrence, Denvis Manns, Ron Dayne-have accomplished that in NCAA history.

Two years ago, Simonton rushed for I ,329 yards for the Beavers, the most ever by a Pac- 10 sophomore. He became only the second freshman in the conference to rush for more than 1,000 yards when he picked up I ,028 yards. Last year as a junior, he ran for 1,559 yards, averaging 5.5 per carry to become Oregon State's all-ti me leading rusher with one season remaining.

The football player once considered too small to play major college football is

AUSPOAT

SPORTS SPECTRUM COVERS ALL Til£ SPORTS. WEBSITE: h tt p:J/www.s port.o r g

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trying to become the game's all-time leading rusher.

"My size isn't an excuse," Simonton says. "I've never let it be my excuse.

That's only believing what the world tells you. I like people. I do value their opi nions, but if I think I can do something I' m goi ng to do it."

Only one coach gave Simonton that opportunity in the Pac- 10. That was Mike Ri ley, then an assistant at USC. After Riley accepted the head coaching job at Oregon State. USC stopped calling. But Oregon State didn't. Not with Ri ley there. He saw something special in this squatty running back who averaged 16.7 yards per carry his junior year at Pittsburg High in Pittsburg, Californ ia, a community of about 50,000 east of Oakland.

On the first day coaches could contact recruits, Riley called Simonton, but his family's phone was temporarily disconnected. Ri ley, not wanting to gi ve up, called Simonton's grandmother.

"He told her to tell me that he had

SPORTS SPECTRUM - IIOVEHBER· DECEMBER 2001

9

"' Carrying a load of records. With each gain from scrimmage, Simonton adds to his all-time Oregon State records in rushing, scoring , and allpurpose yards.

called," Simonton says. "That impressed me. I knew right then that he was the one I wanted to play football for."

Even when Riley left USC for Oregon Stale, a school that hadn 't had a winning season in football since 1970, Simonton knew where he was going-Corvallis, a small, farm town in the middle of Oregon. And, just as Riley (who left OSU after 2 years and now coaches the San Diego Chargers) expected, Simonton has been a running sensation.

Simonton, who never doubted himself, proved the naysayers wrong. He's an All-American. He's the rags-to-riches story the media loves.

Last summer, Simonton, a quickwitted speaker who can fill a room with his presence, was in constant demand by reporters, doing interviews with the Bostoll Globe and the Los A11ge/es Times one day and the Ka11sas City Star and Orlando Sentinel the next. A cameraman and reporter from ESPN followed Simonton around for I0 hours one day in early August, recording his every move.

"Ken is very charismatic," says Hal Cowan, Oregon State's sports information director. "But he's not on any ego trip. He's just in demand."

Fame had arri ved. Simonton's dream had come true. He was the talk of college football from coast to coast. Yet he couldn't have been more disappoin ted. Stacks of newspaper

and magazine clips didn't satisfy. He felt un fulfilled by all that.

"If all my identity came from this, I'd be a lost cookie when it's gone," Simonton says. "After several years of searching to find out who and what! am, I realized my meaning comes in Christ."

Not in photos of him on the Sports Illustrated cover. Not in coaches' praise.

Not in games won or trophies held. Not in records or touchdowns scored.

"Seeing myself in magazines and realizing it's not enough hi t me hard," Simonton said. "I always believed, but the Bible says even the demons believe and tremble. Believing [about Jesus] isn't enough. You've also got to walk in the Word."

Everything appeared as though Simonton had the golden touch and that everything was going his way. But actually everything was coming apart.

A year ago, Simonton made a commitment to match his beliefs with his lifestyle, ending the partying, the cussing, the womanizing.

"I had people telling me, 'Oh you're so great,"' he says. "Or 'You're such a great person.' I mean, the world is full of actors. None of it's real if you' re heart isn't real."

He's learned not to measure himself by what other people think. Especially the media.

"One minute you love me, the next you don' t," Simonton said to a roomful of reporters. "That's enough to drive

anyone crazy. You like me, you'll writ nice stories about me. You don't lik me, you put a twist to the story. That' a hard existence-for me to get my li~ from you. But now I don't get m meaning from you. I find it in Christ."

Simonton, one of fi ve children, gre1 up going to church every Sunday i Pittsburg, silting in his neatly presse three-piece suit next to his father an mother and enduring long services th, would often go late into the afternoon After services at the First Baptis Church, families headed for the par and a picnic.

"We were a close church," Simonto says. "Everyone was like family. complained about it as a kid, but no1 looking back I see it as a fond memOI)' It gave me a firm foundation."

Baptized at a young age, Simonto grew up hearing lessons from the Bib! and from his dad.

"There were two things my Pop would punish me for," Simonton say "One was not obeying mom and teach ers, and the other was not obeying th Bible. He always wanted me to knm who gave the talent. It kept me humble.

But a year and a half ago, Simonto realized something about himself.

"I realized it's not what you know. it' believing what you know," Simonto says. "You can quote Scriptures, but if doesn't really change your lite, it isn doing any good. I had to make a choic Serve God or serve myself. Do it all ~ me, or do it all for the glory of God." That meant a change in loyalties.

"I don't play for Oregon State," h says. ''I'm not even playing for m own fame and glory. I'm out here I glori fy God." When Oregon State fans stand t their feet after he scores a touchdo1 or picks up a first down, Simonton sa they aren't cheering for him. They' cheering for God. "He's the one wl gives me this talent," he says.

Against its reputation as a game giants, against the notion that size rul Simonton, possibly the shortest starti running back in major college footba has turned the game on end. Not mention a few linebackers.

Simonton's slashing running style a perfect fit for coach Denn Erickson's spread offense. Erickso who coached two national cham onshi p teams at Miami before comi1 to Oregon State, rates Simonton, wl runs 40 yards in 4.4 seconds, as one

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SIMO IITO II SAYS

I

the best ru nning backs he·s ever coached. Size isn't a factor. ··s ure he's undersized. Sure he's not the fastest guy," says Tim Lappano.

Oregon State's offensive coordinator.

"He's not even the strongest guy. But he plays with a lot of determination, a lot of hean. That's what makes him so good.''

Prior to the Fiesta Bowl last year against Notre Dame. Lappano was sitting at a table with some Notre Dame boosters during a luncheon banquet. As players were introd uced, Lappano heard a few snickers when Simonton walked onto the platform. ·They were only looking at his physical stature," Lappano says. ''They didn't know what he had in his heart.

That's the thing I respect most about him. His determination and his will to win. It's incredible."

Simonton got the last laugh when he rushed for 85 yards and scored a touchdown in Oregon State's 41-9 blowout win against the Fighting Irish. So ended a storybook season for Simonton and his teammates. Oregon State. which ended 28 straight years of losing the prior season with a 7-4 record. finished the season with just one loss. At the center of that fabulous season was Simonton. who supplied the breakaway touchdowns and the leadership to turn a loser's mental ity into a winner's.

"Ken's character and his will to win are greater than his ability,'' says Eric Yarber, OSU assistant coach. ·'He's such a fierce competitor. He refuses to lose."

Simonton also understands the importance of preparing to win.

"You're not going 10 outwork me," he says. ·'It's about heart.''

Simonton also understands the importance of having a strong offensive line. To help build morale, Simonton stays out after practice with the offensive linemen whenever they have to run extra wind sprints for punishment.

'T hat means a lot to all of us li nemen... Beavers celller Chris Gibson says. 'That's a huge boost. Come game day, we work just that much harder for Ken. He's a guy linemen love to block for. You know if you get him a little seam he's going to bust loose."

Si monton's father. who is also named Ken, works in an oil refinery in Pittsburg, earning his paycheck in a blue-collar city that knows all about hard, back-breaking work. It's also a town that cares about its neighbors.

Simonton Jr. remembers walking to the park to play football and neighbors down the street waving hello. They were always checking up on him.

"People I wouldn't even know would say, ·1 know your Daddy.' Everyone cared," Simonton said. "People were always there with a good word. People were always encouraging me. They were always looking out for me."

Simonton's list of people he says in nuence him is a lengthy one. It includes teachers. coaches, neighbors. and friends. But ahead of that list stands his father. a kind-hearted man who, like his son. is good at telling a story, good at making a person feel welcome with his warm conversation.

And like his son. Ken Sr. was an athlete, excelling at baseball. Six years after he stopped playing on a local team, he got a pro tryout and eventually played for the Boston Red Sox organization. His son grew up listening to other people tell stories of his father's feats on the diamond.

The younger Simonton remembers as a young boy watching a major league baseball game on TV and a center fielder made a diving catch.

Someone said, "That's the best catch I' ve ever seen." Someone else chimed. ''No it's not. Remember that catch that one guy made. What's his name?"

It was Simonton's father.

BUSY BEAVER When Ke n Simonton isn't scori ng touchdowns, when he's not piling up another 100-yard game, he's relaxing with friends.

For now, the busy schedule of a student athlete working on a degree in communications does n't leave room fo r much else. There's not much time for hobbies.

On Monday nights, he does go to a Champions fo r Christ meeting for a Bible study.

"My hobbies pretty much right now are hanging out with friends," Simonton says.

He's taken a semester of piano, Shakespeare, and ballet. There's an JED JAC.08SOHII I AU.SPORT interest to play piano, but there's not the time.

"If I'm going to play, I'm going to lea rn to play well," Simonton says. "That's just me. When I do something, I want to do it as well as I can."

There is time fo r readi ng, a little fishing, and an occasional video game. "''m not like some guys," Simonton said about playing video football games. "They know all the codes. It's li ke they're cheating."

- GAIL WOOD

"I'm so thankfu l for my father," Simonton says. "I didn't always understand him, you know how kids are. But I always respected him enough to lislen to him.''

Li ke his father, Si monton loved baseball. He was ranked among the top I00 high school players his senior year and planned on playi ng both baseball and football at Oregon State.

However, he played just his freshman year and hasn' t played since. He hasn't ruled out playing again, but for now he' ll focus on foot ball and a man who was once a carpenter.

"I know a man named Jesus," Simonton says. "He's part of me. I get strength from Him."

Gail \\0od is a j ree/a11ce writer who lives i11 Lacey, Wasili11gto11.

LINKS LliTTER Payne Stewart made his rejuvenated faith known to the world after capturing the 1999 US Open.

Yet Payne was just one of more than 10 PGA and LPGA professionals who have won recent major championships and who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ. If you are interested in reading their testimonies and in finding out about the work of God throug hout professional, college , and amate ur golf today, then eve ry article in the Links Letter will excite you.

• To order the Links Letter, call us today at 1·800·9DLINKS, or send an e-mail message to linksletter@linksplayers.com. We'll send you a free issue for your review. The Links Letter is a publication of Links Players International , a mi nistry dedicated to equipping golfers to spread the Good News of Jesus Ch rist in the world today.

r-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- --- ------------- -hen you're having breakfast with a mjllionaire, you expect certain things to happen.

First, you expect your wealthy meal partner to pull up in a Lexus or a Mercedes-not a pickup truck. Second, you kind of figure that your eight-figured friend will make you look way under-dressed in your business casual shirt and Dockers- not show up in a T-shirt, shorts, and a baseball cap.

And certainly you don 't expect your well-heeled friend to reply, "Sure, that's fine," when you inform him that breakfast is at Cracker Barrel and not at some swanky fi ve-star eatery. And when he says, "Yeah, our Bible study group meets at Cracker Barrel back in Buffalo," you know for sure that this is one 50-percent-tax-bracket guy you're going to like.

Jay Riemersma of the Buffalo Bil ls couldn 't do li fe any other way than the calm , unassuming, friendly way he does it.

He may have to play football in a league known for its prima donna athletes who have more jewelry than a New York City street vendor and have egos the size of Lincoln Kennedy, but Riemersma has seen enough of life and knows enough of human nature not to let himself be turned into some kind of pro football caricature.

So why is he like this- this 6-5, 250pound mountain of a tight end? Why doesn't he let it all go to his head?

How can he sign a $ 12 million contract and till act like he's just an average Jay? Why does he still li ve in small-town, hometown Zeeland, Michigan, during the offseason: still attend the same

_j

church he grew up in; still love his high school sweetheart, Cara. whom he married in 1997? Why is he the kind of player about whom Scott Berchtold, the Bills' vice president of communications says, "he can laugh at himself."

Why? Maybe it's because of his parents.

The Riemersmas took parenting pretty seriously when Jay and his two sisters were little. Each had a well-defined role in helping shape their children's li ves.

"From my dad I defini tely learned discipline," Jay says. "He was the authoritati ve figure in my family. It was a good ttiing. because I needed it.

Had he not set me straight. I would have been in trouble. I could have

gotten into a lot of trouble because my personali ty.''

AI Riemersma also taught his about integrity and hard work. As proprietor of two pharmacies Zeeland, he demonstrated to Jay success took effort. '·My dad always working.'' Jay says in admi tion. 'The fact that he was running pharmacies and making it work, me about hard work.''

Riemersma's mom wasn' t bystander in this raising Jay th "From my mom !learned spontaneity, he says. "Just kind of having fun."

But before he lets that idea carry far- he qualifies it. just to make su no one gets the wrong idea Mom. "She helped me wi th the tual side and the irnportance of I can remember calling from coli and talking to my mom about an i or struggling with things. and would always say. 'We're going to the prayer warriors.· ·· Those Jay's two grandmothers.

At the center of what Jay was tau by his parellls was the Christian It came from their church. it from the parents' diligence in cussing spiritual matters with children, and it came from a li fe real Christianity.

"My dad was a Christian. and he it every day." Jay says. " It wasn't Sunday. It was every day. There's

What turned talented high school quarterback

Jay Riemersma into

a respected NFL tight end who understands his role as a player and as a person?

12

BY DAVE BRANON

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END RES ULT S

HOME TEAM

Cara had her eye on Jay Riemersma since elementary school.

But the feeling wasn't exactly mutual at the time.

"She claims we met in sixth grade," Jay says about his wife. "But I was too into sports and stuff back then to be looking at girls."

Actually, the two met for real in high school and started hanging out together when they were sophomores. With a bit of embarrassment, Jay reveals that the two met in band class.

"I played the trumpet and she played the flute, and we started talking. I was like 18th chair and I think she was second."

Of course, it was in sports that Jay cou•t<sv:CAAA"'<IJ£RSUA excelled, but then so A Sophia's choice. Will J ay and did Cara. She was an Cara's daughter be an athlete too?

All-American swimmer and an All-State volleyball player.

"She was the top female athlete in my class," says Jay. Like Jay, she trusted Jesus Christ at a Christian camp.

But despite going to the same school, playi ng in the same band, trusting the sa me Savior, and both being athletes, there was one thing very different about them. While Jay went to the University of Michigan, Cara went to arch-rival Michigan State University. "Our house is divided at least once a year," Jay says in reference to the annual UM-MSU football contest.

Cara worked in Zeeland at a large office furniture company during Jay's first year as a pro football player, using her degree in marketing. Then, after his first year was over, they were married on June 21, 1997.

In June 2000, their daughter, Sophia Grace, was born.

-DAVE BRANON

ing more imp011ant for the Christian family than the Christian father.''

Okay, good parents are important.

But is there something else?

Well, maybe it's because of his sisters.

It was at his older sisters' sporting events that Jay was first exposed to team sports. Their father descri bes how it began.

"The girls would play basketball and volleyball and softball and those types of things, and we would drag Jay along with us to their games." Jay took advantage of the opportunity.

"The girls would go imo the locker room, and Jay would go out on the basketball court. He was just a 6- or 7year-old kid, but he would put on a demonstration on how to shoot hoops and dribble between his legs and behind his back.''

Of course as good sisters do, they 1 4

SPORTS SPECTRUM - II OVEMBER·DECE MBER 2001

later made sure thei r lillie brother didn 't get too big for his britches.

'They always picked on me when I was young," he says. "And when I got older, they didn 't want to play with me because I could beat them." But they never let on like their brother was anything special as he climbed the ranks of stardom. "My sisters kept me in check prelly good. I got my fair share of ribbing.''

Good family. Unimpressed sisters.

Is that it? Or could it be something else-that Jay Riemersma is the kind of guy he is because of the way his football career developed?

When AI and Jay were tossi ng the football around in the backyard, Jay wanted to be a wide receiver, but he was "too big and too slow," his dad says. So, when he was at Zeeland High School, the Chix' coach put him under center as the quarterback.

And a good one he turned out to be.

He was considered one of the top quarterbacks in the nation during his senior year. He was a finalist for Michigan ·s Player of the Year Award.

And he was recruited by the li kes of Stanford, UCLA, Florida, and dozens of other major football powers.

But he had enough wisdom to learn that he was just a high school quarterback. not Mr. In vincible.

"At different stages in my athletic career," he says, "I had things that knocked me off my pedestal. I can remember in high school I was really doing well . In the first four games I had 16 touchdown passes. Things were going really good. ''But then we had homecoming. We were playi ng Rogers High School [from nearby Wyoming, a suburb of Grand Rapids]. I th rew three interceptions and really played awful. It was reall y embarrassi ng.

"On Monday, I got to my locker and saw that someone had wriuen a message on my locker decoration that the cheerleaders had put there. It said, ' Riemersma, you stink!· "I remember going, ·You know what. l'mnot as good as I thi nk I am.' ·· Well, he was still a preuy good quarterback: otherwise the University of Michigan wouldn't have come calling.

Growing up as a fan of the Wolverines, it was an easy recruiting decision to make when it came time to decide.

Besides. he liked what he saw when he visited the campus during recruiting.

"Everything was done tirst-clas and I really bought into their progra right away... Jay did have to give u one thing when he went t Michigan-his dream of playing col lege basketball. As a two-time All State hoopster at Zeeland, he ha entertained thoughts of tryi ng bot sports in college-or perhaps just bas ketball. But his high school athleti di rector buried that idea when h observed to Jay, "Six-five quarter backs are hard to find: six-five powe forwards are a clime a dozen."

If you're payi ng close auention t the details of this story, you migh notice that there's a bit of a discrepanC) developi ng.

Quarterback. Tight end.

Which is it?

Well, that may be another reason Ja) Riemersma isn't going to wi n any competit ions for Self-absorbed Athlete of the Year.

H

e went to Michigan as a highly touted quarterback, and he came out of Ann Arbor at the other end o the pass pattern. While at Michigan, which has put more than its share of top-qual ity quarterbacks i111o the NFL, Riemersma was transformed from quarterback to tight end.

As Riemersma began his third year as a Wolverine, he wa hauling Todd Collins for the starting QB job. '·Todd and I were going back and forth for the starting job in trai ning camp," he recalls, "and. Boom! I drop back to throw a pass and I felt a warm, burning sensation in my shoulder, and my arm went numb. I tried to shake it off.

Being the tough kid I was, I went back and hoped the coach wouldn't call another pass play. Sure enough, he called for a long pass. I went back and threw the ball about I0 yards."

The injury was rotator cuff damage, and Riemersma's career as a quarterback was over.

Michigan's coach. Gary Moeller. took Riemersma aside a li ule later and suggested that he try playi ng tight end instead of quarterback. "You' re a pretty good athlete... Moeller said. "Let's try this for spring ball.''

At first Riemersma was reluctant, but with 2 years left in his college career, he finally decided to give it a try.

II wasn't easy. '·I didn't have a clue.

They had to teach me how to get into

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the stance."' But Jay was an eventual Academic All-Big Ten player. and he learned quickly. He became a starter at tight end during his last two seasons at Michigan. When the NFL drafted its new crop of players in 1996, the Buffalo Bills chose Riemersma with the 244th pick.

Besides giving Riemersma a chance at the NFL, the injury redirected his life as a college student. "Everything was going prelly good up to that point.

But I was hanging out with the wrong crowd, gelling into trouble. But when the injury happened, God got my attemion and refocused me."

All of these elements- the family, the career, the injury-have combined to make Riemersma the kind of man mothers everywhere wish their boys would grow up to be.

But is there something else?

How about something that happened when he was 6 years old? For many jJeople, the events of such youthfulness are not memorable-are not life-changing. But now, 22 years later, Jay recalls this seminal event in his life.

"I can still remember it today. I grew up in a Christian home, and we were always going to church. And my folks were always shipping me off to some kind of Vacation Bible School or Bible camp. I didn't know if they were just trying to get rid of me or what," he says with a smile.

"At one of those Bible camps our pastor's wife was showing a video. It was about two different bicycle gangs-the good gang did good stuff and the bad gang did bad stuff. I was just 6, but I can remember wanting to be like the good kids."

When the pastor's wife explained that the good gang did good stuff because they had Jesus in their heart, the message sunk in. "She asked if anyone wanted to make that decision, and I did. I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior right then."

In the heavil y churched area in which Riemersma grew up, he was not alone in his early interest in spiritual things. But as he matured, he noticed that not everyone shared his passion.

"Church in our area is something you just do because you're supposed to. I think our family was different in that when we came horne from church on Sunday, it wasn't just "Hey, when do we eat." It was li ke, "Hey, what did you learn today?''

"There were times when I had to make sacrifices, and I didn' t like it at the time. I had to go to church on Wednesday nights, and I would much rather have been playing pickup basketball with the guys down the street.

But it was time we had set aside. In my parent 's eyes it was pre11y important.

When I look back on it, it's the reason I' ve turned out the way I have. It was because they made those decisions."

The way Riemersma has turned out is clearl y positive and powerful.

Both on the field and in the locker room, he has become a leader of the Buffalo Bills. Over the previous two seasons, Riemersma averaged 34 catches, many of them red zone receptions for touchdowns. In 1998. he tied the team's record for touchdowns for a tight end with six. It was no surprise that the Bills decided to sign Riemersma to a $12 million contract in February 2000.

The Bills, which have long had a strong spiritual presence, have benefited from Riemersma's presence in matters of the heart as well. Team chaplain Fred Raines says, "He is taking leadership in the locker room. He strives to make faith relevant and he makes Bible study a priority."

And Riemersma takes his faith to the streets as well, assisting with the Buffalo City Mission, a Christian organization that seeks to bring "help and healing for homeless men, women, and children." Jay makes appearances on behalf of the mission, and he gets

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involved in events such as serving food on Thanksgiving. "It's been a rewarding experience," he says. "Cara and I have really enjoyed it. It's not just that you' re helping people with their physical needs, but you' re helping spiritually.

They're gelling fed spiritually."

Indeed, these are not the kinds of things you expect to learn when you're breakfasting with a well-paid, star athlete. But then Jay Riemersma has a style about him that has nothing to do with big contracts or big egos.

..tr. Patriot games.

Jay Riemersma knows he's fair game after the catch, and he works hard to be ready. "Some of the hits you take don't hurt a lot, but they look bad." At 6-5, 250, sometimes it takes three players to bring him down.

IIDELID HELP When Jay Riemersma arrived in Buffalo to play for the Bills in 1996, he was surprised to find a friend in Bryce Paup, All-Pro linebacker.

"Bryce took me under his wi ngs right away," Riemersma says.

"He saw me at the Bible studies. We played against each other every day in practice, and he began helping me-telling me how to have better leverage and things like that.

"He became my prayer partner and accountability partner."

During the Bills' games, when Jay was on the field Bryce would pray for him, and Jay would return the favor when Bryce and the defense took the field .

"I couldn't believe this veteran, this NFL Defensive Player of the Year, of all people, wanted me to pray fo r him."

But then, in 1998, Paup moved on to Jacksonville.

"That was pretty tough. I thought, 'How am I going to get through a game without him praying for me?'"

He gets through them now with a new prayer partner.

Cornerback Kenny Irving took over, and Jay and Kenny exchange prayer times during their games. "It's a neat way to get through a game," Riemersma says.

-DAVE BRANON

..,. Paup Up: Bryce Paup took Jay under his Buffalo wings.

SPORTS SPECTRUM - IIO VEMBER· DECEMBER 2001

15

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'

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[_-----1 h

YOU WERE EXPECTING

everything for Derek Fisher.

The 27-year-old, 6-foot- 1-i nchguard has come a long way since joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 1996 as the 24th pick in the NBA draft. Fisher has gone from being a quiet but hardwo rki ng player to a team spiritual leader and key component of a championship team.

He reminds many of the same ki nd of team and spiritual leadershi p that A.C. Green carried for many years as a member of the Lakers' "Showtime" teams of the 1980s.

The timing couldn't have been better for Fisher, who was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. It was after the draft but before mov ing to th e entertainment capital of the world that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior.

"I didn' t know anyo ne in Los Angeles, and I had never even been here before," says Fisher. "So for the most part I was on my own. I was about to face a big transition in my life.

I knew that I couldn't make it alone.

"Ri ght after the draft my brother and his wife were in town, and the whole famil y went to church. After the sermon that's when it hit me. I think that was God's plan all along. It was His ti ming that l accepted Christ just as I was about to leave for L. A. and the NBA." Fisher, one of three c hi ld ren (brother Duane Washington, who played in the NBA, and sister DeAndra), comes from a home where Christi anity, reading the Bible, and going to church were the standard.

"My mother was a big influence on

Over the years, Fisher has overcome surgery, coaching changes, and alleged team disuni ty to become a big factor in the Lakers' two consecuti ve NBA titles. Many expect him to have the same impact in a possible thi rd champi onship ru n o nce he returns to the lineup in December or Janu ary after recoveri ng from hi s second foot surgery, whic h took place during the summer.

As a little-known draftee from the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, where he was the 1995-96 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, Fisher was about to move to a city and join a team that was on the verge of rebuilding into another dynasty. The Lakers had just acquired Shaquille O' Neal from the Orlando Mag ic and an unproven high school player named Kobe Bryant.

me when l was yo unge r and even now," says Fisher. "We always went to church each Sunday. Being from the South, that was just a part of growing up. But I have to say that early in my life I didn't have a real understanding about Christ. All the way through high schoo l I never reall y got to know Christ one-on-one."

It wasn' t until college that Fisher's spiritual journey began to move forward. There he became active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and became close with the UA- Litt le Rock's strength and co ndi ti oning coach Ken Coggins. Under Coggins, Fisher started attending weekly chapel services, reading the Bible, and searching for truth.

"Ken Coggins was the spiritual leader of the team," says Fisher. "We spent a lot of time together. He was a big

• It could be said that tim ing is

KO BE BRYANT OR SHAQUILLE O'NEAL, PERHAPS? NOPE, WHEN IT COMES TO MATTERS O F THE HEART-IT'S

DEREK FISHER (f_ _ ___h l I

li II._

BY KEVIN HUNTER

I F ---- ----- --- - ~

u

--------------- ----------------------------------- -------------TO SUBSCR I BE: CALL 1·800·283·8333

------------- -----,

~ Checking the Answer. The Allen Iverson-Derek Fisher showdown in Game 1 went Al's way, but by the time the Series had ended, Fisher had turned into an offensive hero in his own right. He hit 10 of 19 3-point attempts in the championship series.

in_fluence. He was a very positive person and really into the Word."

After the draft and after he had trusted Jesus as Savior, Fisher packed his bags and headed for L.A. For support he also mo ved his cousin An thony Grant and close friend Clarence Finley with him.

During his first couple of seasons in L. A. , Fi sher remained quiet and kept to himself. He was not one to take advantage of L.A .' s nightlife nor have it take advantage of him. So he spent much of his time at home. fishing. listening to music, or hanging out with Grant and Finley.

Rick Harvilie. who has been the chaplain for the Lakers for 16 years, says that when Fisher fi rst joined the team, he didn ' t reall y see much of him at chapel services. 路'Derek was a young guy comi ng into a league with a bunch of superstars,'' says Harville. "He was a very low-key guy who worked very hard .

He didn't come to services very much. but he would always ask questions...

Green, who helped the Lakers win two titles with the 1980's ''Showti me'' era tea ms with Magic Johnson and James Wort hy, came back in 2000 after sti nts in Phoenix and Dallas to win one more title in L.A . with a whole new group of players. including O'Neal. Bryant, and Fisher.

"I only had a chance to play with A.C. for one season, and we won a championship together," says Fisher. " It was a great experience. Not onl y being a teammate of his. but also get-

ting a chance to know him as a man and getting a better understand ing of the Christian walk. " He' s a walkin g example for younger people like me who want to work hard and wal k in the Christian faith. It was great to have him there because it almost was li ke having a piece of God there. You knew that he was your brother in Christ, and he was always there to listen to you if you needed to talk."

Beca use of Green' s influence.

Fisher progressed dramatically as a man of faith and as a player. He has emerged as a spiritual leader of the team. He's bolder. more aggressive. and more confident as a player and as a Christian.

"Wh en A.C. wa s here , Derek watched him carefully." says Harville. ''He learned so much from him. Derek has grown so much that people on the team respect him. To know how much he's grown is to look at the relationshi p he has with others. ''He plays with two of the most high-profile players in the league. and they listen to what Derek says-as does the rest of the team. This is onl y the beginn ing. I expect even bigger and better things from Derek.''

Now Fisher can be seen leadi ng the Lakers and opposing teams in prayer after games- with his mother sometimes joining in. He is a regular at the team路 s chapel services and has earn ed the res pec t of the enti re Lakers team.

Fisher has also developed close

relationshi ps with other players in the league, such as Arkansas native and Detroit Pistons forward Corl iss Williamson and Miami Heat forward Brian Grant.

Fisher has matured as a Chri stian and as a player. There may have been two breakthrough moments last season to prove it.

The first took place in a regul ar season game against th e Boston Celtics on March 13. It was his first game back after the first foot injury sideli ned him for the entire first half of the 2000-200 I season. Fisher came back in style, scoring a career-high 26 points and picking up six steals in a 11 2-107 win in front of the hometown crowd at Staples Center.

The second breakthrough moment came in Game 2 of the NBA finals against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Fisher scored 14 points. includi ng a key three-poin ter and a ra re slamdunk as the Lakers tied the series at II with a 98-89 wi n. Fisher was just as big a threat on defense, holding Allen Iverson to 10-for-29 shooting.

That was a big difference compared to Ga me I of the seri es. in which Fisher was humiliated by the NBA's Most Valuable Player. Iverson scored 48 points while being guarded most of the time by Fisher. On the offensive end Fisher was held scoreless and sat out the last 20 minutes and 30 seconds of the game in a 107- 101 overt ime loss.

"Both times I felt I had someth ing to prove.'' says Fisher. "Coming back

A. Two straight.

Midseason rumblings abounded as the Fisher-less Lakers struggled last season. Just as Derek returned to action, though, the team jelled and went on to win its second NBA title. Indicative of Fisher's contribution was Game 4 of the Lakers' sweep of the San Antonio Spurs, in which he scored a team-high 28 points.

路------------------- ------------------------ -------- ----- ----------- -- -- ---------------- -------------------------J 1 9 SPOR TS SPE CTR UM COVE RS ALL THE SPORTS. WEB SITE : htt p :fl www. s po rt. o r g

SP ORTS SPE CTRUM - 1/0 BE MBtR路 DECEMBER 2001

J

LAKER LEADER!

c

llS Three's a Crowd...

Pleaser. Derek Fisher shot .515 from threepoint range in the playoffs (35-68). In the series with San Antonio, he was an astounding 15-for-20 from trey land. ~

the first game after an injury, I wanted to play well and get back into the swing of things. During the playoffs, I wanted to prove that I could play at a championship level consistently and do whatever I' m needed to do."

The 4-1 series win for the Lakers capped off a league-record 15-1 run.

Fisher played in all fi ve games and averaged 9.8 points and went 10-of-19 from three-point range. Since Fisher's retllm to the team in March, the Lakers went on cruise control and were 30-6.

Fisher played the enti re seri es in some pain. For the second time in 2 years he would need surgery, but Fisher decided to wait until after the season to have it done. " I think th at deep dow n I knew something was wrong," says Fisher, "but I didn't want to sit out the championship series. It meant too much to me, and I wanted to contribute to the team in whatever ways I could.""

After Green was let go by the Lakers following the 1999-2000 season, Fisher was on his own. It was almost as if the torch of team spiri tual leadership had been passed to him. As far as any compa ri sons to Green, Fi sher said that many of the Lakers already made them, whether he likes it or not.

"Phil Jackson even jokes with me about it," says Fisher. "There's an understanding on th e team that I' m different. That doesn't mean that I'm

)~The Fisher Zone DEREK LAMAR FISHER >-- 6-1 >-- 200 >-- DOB: 9-6-74 We're No. 4! As a senior at Parkview High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, led his team to a 35-1 mark- and a No. 4 ranking in the country.

Magnificent Seven: Derek and six of his high school teammates played Division I college basketball.

Big brother: Duane Washington (Derek's older brother) played for the New Jersey Nets (1987-88) and the Los Angeles Clippers (1992-93) . He also played pro hoops in Europe and Israel.

Twain Duane: Duane Washington played for the Nets at the time Dwayne Washington was a Net. Fav food: Derek's favorite pregame food is chicken parmesan.

REWIND >-- 1995 Averaged 17.7 points a game his junior year at Arkansas- Little Rock >-- 1996 Finished his Arkansas Little- Rock career as second all-time in points (1,393), assists (472), and steals {189) >-- 1999-2000 Ranked 18th in NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.88-1.00) THE GOOD STUFF >-- 1996 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year >-- 1996 Set Arkansas- Little Rock caree r record for free throws made {399) >-- 199 7 Played in the Schick Rookie Game during NBA All-Star weekend >-- 2000 Member, NBA champions >-- 2001 Member, NBA champions 2 0

SPORTS SPECTRUM - IIOVEMBE R路 DECEMBER 2001

FRSHIOn STRTEmEnT Although his present career plans include winning a few more championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, Derek Fisher is already getting a jumpstart on life after basketball.

Fisher, a communications major at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock, has always had an interest in having a business of his own. He and a colleye friend, a fashion designer, have started their own clothing line based in Los Angeles. Fisher describes the clothing as "casual urban upscale."

"It's similar to Polo, Ralph Lauren, Guess, and Nautica," says Fisher.

"The clothes have a very mainstream look. We've worked really hard on this since college and hope to work more on its development for the next couple of years."

But Fisher isn't committed totally to becoming the next Ralph Lauren just yet. He says that he wants to explore other options and try a number of things before settling on a single career after the NBA. "I'm really interested in a lot of things right now," says Fisher. "As far as business, I'm interested in other franchising opportunities besides clothing.

I'm also interested in coaching. Right now I feel like I have a lot of options.

I think I can be good at whatever God wants me to do."

-KEVIN HUNTER

perfect or that I' m better than anyone else on the team. I know that people are watching me, and I've accepted the role of being a 'spi ritu al leader' on the team. I take it very seriously.

"What I try to bring to this team and guys like Mike Penberthy, Mark Madsen, and others is that you can be successful, have a great career in this league and still walk with Christ. You don't have to give in to the system or do what everyone else does to be a good player in this league."

Whil e sittin g in a restaurant in Cul ver Cit y just outs ide of Los Angeles, the kid from Little Rock was more than happy to sign a few autographs for Lakers fans. At times Fisher seemed almost flattered by the attention. But after winning two consecutive championships and being on a team that is the favo rite to win it agai n this season. Fisher has accepted another role on the team and in L.A.-that of a celebrity.

"The people have reall y made it easier for me to be here," says Fisher. "'The fans around here are great. I' ve never seen anythin g li ke it. There has been a great deal of support for the team and for me ever since I' ve been here.

"It's a great feeli ng. I reall y appreciate all the kind words and encouragement I' ve received, and especiall y during the summer after the surgery.

There have been people coming up to me telli ng me that they' re pray ing fo r me. The supp ort has been ov erwhelming, and it's been great being a part of this organization. I hope I' ll

be here for a lot of years to come."

At the same time he's still the same Derek Fi sher who came to L.A. 5 years ago. Although he just bought a home in the very upscale Encino area just north of L.A., Fisher still enjoys video games and hanging out wi th his cousin and close friend. Fisher does get out more these days. He likes to travel and was a regular at many of the WNBA's L. A. Sparks games during the summer.

Fisher said he's grown and learned a lot since first arri ving in Los Angt:lt:s.

He emphasizes that li ving the life of a professional basketball player is more than playing an 82-game season, winni ng championships, and the admiration of fans. " lt "s not as easy as it looks, and there are a lot of temptations out there," Fisher says. "That's the one thing I'd like to get across to Lakers fans and basketball fan in general.

We ' re human. We have stru ggles.

They may be different from what the average person goes through, but they are struggles and they' re real. To do what we do and s till wa lk th e Christian walk is very difficult.

"All of us make mistakes, and will continue to make mistakes. We ask God for forgi veness and try to learn from our mistakes and move on. That's all a part of growing up and shaping us into who God wants us to be."

In His perfect timing of co urse.

Kevi11 Hu11ter is afreelallce writer who lives i11 Lo11g Beach, California.

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In a multitude of ways, St. Louis cornerback Aeneas Williams is more than your average NFL cornerback

BY MIKE SANDROLINI

--------------------------- ----- ---------------------- --1 urt Warner became one of this country's most recognizable athletes after leading the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl title nearly 2 years ago.

The most telling moment of Super Bowl XXXIV, though, occurred on the final play of the game when Rams linebacker Mike Jones sealed the win by stopping an outstretched Tennessee Titan wideout Kevin Dyson one yard short of the goal line.

There's no question Warner was the catalyst behind St. Louis' rise to the top of Mt. NFL. But without the Rams' stingy defense that magical season, America might not have heard of Warner, and head coach Dick Vermeil's celebrated comeback could have been about as anticlimactic as Mike Ditka's second tour of duty with New Orleans.

Last fall. however, the Rams" '·D·· became one of the league's most generous. We' re talking biggie portions here.

St. Louis gave up 47 1 points, an average of just over 29 per game. It was the seventh highest number of points allowed in a season in NFL history. (This dubious honor came just one year after the Rams set a record for most points scored in one NFL campaign.)

Despite watching opposing offenses taking liberties with their defense- and minus Warner for fi ve games after he broke the pinkie on his left hand- the Rams managed to finish I0-6 and squeak into the playoffs as a wild-card team. But their bid to wi n a

second traight Super Bowl fell short when the New Orleans Saints went marching in, through. and around them for a 31-28 playoff victory.

Following that game. the house-cleaning began. First the Rams fired defensive coordinator Peter Giunta. By the time St. Louis gathered for mi ni-camp last April, it had parted ways with Super Bowl hero Jones, defen. ive linemen Kevin Carter, Ray Agnew, and D' Marco Farr, safeties Keith Lyle and Shevin Smith, and cornerback Todd Lyght either through trades. freeagency, or retirement. It was time to haul out the "Hi, I' m " tags for the Rams' defense.

The secondary, it was decided, needed a major overhau l. It had allowed 36 touchdowns during the regular season and play-

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offs in 2000. So the Rams brought in free-agent safety Kim Herri ng from the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens, and they traded for veteran Arizona Cardinals cornerback Aeneas Williams.

Football fans outside the Phoenix area might not know much about Aeneas Williams.

But if hi s unique fi rst name doesn't pique your interest-Aeneas also has a brother named Achilles, and his 4-year-old daughter's first name is Saenea (that 's Aeneas spelled backwards)-what he's accomplished on the field might.

Williams is a six-time Pro Bowler. That's quite an achievement for any NFL player, but even more so when you consider this: Williams has spent his entire pro career with the Cardinals-a team that recorded only one winning season since 199 1, Williams' fi rst year with the club. And this: Williams didn't start playing college football until his junior year at Southern Uni versity.

Williams' wife, Tracy, picks up the story from there. "He followed his brother's every step," says Tracy. "His aim was to be an accountant and finish school just like his brother."

But when Achilles graduated from Southern in 1988, Aeneas didn' t have big brother to look up to anymore. At that point, Aeneas concluded

Al&EUO / AU..SPORT

.A. Cardinal recap. While a member of the

Arizona Cardinals, Williams recorded 46 interceptions {2nd on the Cards' all-time list) and 6 picks for touchdowns {team record).

He also led or shared the NFC lead in interceptions three times {1991 , 1994, and 1997).

2 4

SPORTS SPECTRUM- 1/0VEMBER· OECEMBER 2001

2:-·-· The Willia111s

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AENEAS (A-NEE-US) DEMETRIUS WILLIAMS ~ 5-11 ~ 200 ~ DOB: 1-29-68 What's in a name? Aeneas' dad, whose name is Lawrence George Williams, wanted to make sure his sons (Aeneas and Achilles) didn't have ordinary names like he did.

No, thanks: Dartmouth offered him an academic scholarship, but Aeneas wanted to go where his dad and brother had gone: Southern University.

Home team: Wife, Tracy; Daughters, Saenea and Tirzah; Son, Lazarus.

MA: Tracy has a master's degree fro m the University of Illinois.

REWIND ~ 1988-90 Had 218 tackles and 20 receptions in his 3 years of college football at Southern ~ 1991 Made first start against the Los Angeles Rams on September 1. He had three tackles and an interception in t hat game. ~ 1993 Scored two touchdowns in one game: one on a fumble recovery, the other on an interception. ~ 1991-2000 Second all-time in Cardi nals history with 46 career interceptions THE GOOD STUFF ~ 1990 Led nation in interceptions ~ 1991 Named NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year ~ 1994-1999 Played in the Pro Bowl ~ 1994 Led NFL in interceptions wit h nine ~ 2001 Began season with consecutive-games-started streak of 159

he needed to plot his own course in life. So Aeneas, who played against fi ve future NFL defensive backs as an All-District MYP at Fortier High School in New Orleans-among them Ashley Ambrose of the Atlanta Falconsdecided to try out for Southern's football team as a walk-on.

Not only did Williams make the team as a defensive back, he played three seasons and picked off II passes his senior year alone. His stellar play caught the eye of NFL scouts.

"We were dating at the time, and I never thought about him playing in the NFL," says Tracy. "But when the scouts started coming around, he said, 'Wow, maybe I'll be in the NFL.'" Well, Will iams did make it to the NFL after being selected by the Cardinals in the third round of the 1991 draft. It was a red-letter date in Aeneas Williams' life, but the It-year pro recalls goi ng through an experience 2 years earlier that, in his eyes, was supremely more significant.

"I remember specifically, it was July of 1989 during summer break from college in New Orleans," Williams says. "Almost supernaturally I found myself being drawn to a particular church. I got to that church [for a Sunday service] and recall hearing the gospel preached [in a way] I understood. After the pastor taught, he gave an altar call. I didn't go, but the next week I promised myself I was going to go. That next week I went forward to receive Christ."

From that point on, Williams' faith continued to grow.

Aeneas and Tracy Williams and their three children: Saenea, 2-year-old daughter Tirzah, and infant son Lazarus have been actively involved in a Phoenix-area church. Aeneas has a passion for working in minisu·ies that help men, and Tracy has ministered to women in the area of abstinence. She also led Bible studies for women

who are new to the faith. In addition, Aeneas and Tracy hosted a Bible study for Cardinals' players and their wives or significant others.

Sure, the Cardinals never cracked the Top I0 of any NFL power rankings during the 1990smost years they were hard-pressed to make the Top 20. But playing for a team that rarel y gets penciled in for Monday Night Football does have an advantage in this sense: You can go to the supermarket or to McDonald's in relative obscurity.

"Maybe a couple of people who went to the games might recognize him, but we had a pretty normal life there," Tracy says.

Maybe too normal. During the 2000 season, Aeneas' IOth with the Cardinals, both Aeneas and Tracy began to feel that it was time to leave the Valley of the Sun. Nothing spooky.

Just a sense.

"My wife and I sensed in our hearts that our assignment was finished in Arizona and that we had completed the work that God had for us here," Williams says.

For Tracy, the sense that it was time to move on became apparent to her as early as the Cardinals' summer training camp. "Maybe Aeneas didn't foc us on it until November or December. He was totally focused on his job at hand," says Tracy. "I started a women's [Bible] study that lasted over 6 years. I felt that God was closing that out. People were stepping up to take it over. God was putting people into positions, and I felt led that God was pruning us for someplace else."

Or was He? The Arizona Cardinals' front office certainly didn' t catch any drift of Aeneas' and Tracy's premonition. Arizona designated Williams its franchise player du ring the off-season.

Once Tracy got word from Aeneas that the Cardinals had made him their franchise player, she called Aeneas' agent, Eugene Parker, to disTO SUBSCRIBE: CA L L 1·800-283 · 8313

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cuss the situation. Parker, who also represents Deion Sanders, told Tracy that Aeneas' new status with the club meant the chances of him going to another team were basically (a) sli m and (b) none.

'T his was totally a shock to both of us," she says. "I asked Eugene, 'If something should open up, it would have to be the hand of God?' He said, 'Yes.'" few weeks later, Aeneas called Tracy on her cell phone while she was at an area mall with her mother.

He had some potentially exciting news.

"He got a call from Eugene, and he asked if we'd like to go visit the Rams," Tracy says. "We thought, 'St. Louis. Wow! That wou ld be a great place to go and serve in the ministry.' So we came out, visited, and loved it. We got to spend time with Kurt Warner and his wife Brenda, and it worked out."

In April , the Cardinals and Rams agreed to a trade that sent Williams to St. Louis.

"As far as moving, we were ecstatic," Aeneas says. "It was a tremendous opportunity, but it wasn't an overwhelming thing. It was more the point that God was gracious enough to allow me to play I0 years, then has given us an opportunity to play for a very good team."

Williams believes he can bring leadership and big-play ability to the Rams' secondary and help them get back to the Super Bowl.

"What I enjoy the most is having the talent and gift to turn plays around and be a stabilizer for the kids back there," he says. "We have a very young secondary. Not only are they young, but they don't have a lot of experience as far as playing together. Obviously, we have a great deal of work to do. But the nucleus of the team has an outstanding shot [to return to the Super Bowl]. So now we have to put the work in to get that accomplished."

Aeneas and Tracy look forward to opportunities to serve at their new church home in St. Louis. Exactly what roles Aeneas, a licensed minister, and his wife will have in their new church has not yet been determined. "It's a little early to tell," he says. "I really sense that my wife and I will submit under our pastor to learn as much as possible."

But one thing is already guaranteed: Aeneas Williams won't go unnoticed in football-hungry St. Louis. "Someone recognized him right off," Tracy laughs.

Don't pit Aeneas against Ku1t Wamer in a popularity contest just yet, however. Wamer is sti ll the toast of St. Louis, but as Aeneas and Tracy discovered while meeting with the Warners, Kurt uses his celebrity status for good purposes.

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路They get a lot of attention here," says Tracy of Kurt and Brenda. "They' re pretty gracious about it, and they feel it's a blessing to be in this position. Kurt 's take is to use it for the gospel and share the Lord with them. They' re very genuine people."

While some NFL athletes are busy defending their rap sheets or setting their cruise control on life's fast lane, Williams, like Warner, chooses to follow the road less traveled. And on those occasions when Williams finds hi mself in front of a microphone, he too will reflect on things not of this world-should the opportunity present itself.

"My biggest moti vation is to please an invisible God who I can see all the time," says Williams. 'That sounds like a paradox, but my No. I motivation is to please God at all times."

One way Williams tries to please God is to be the best cornerback, the best father, the best minister, the best husband he can possibly be.

Tracy gives him straight A's in each area.

"When my oldest one was 2 years old, we took parenting classes," Tracy says. Those classes, she explains, took place every Monday night for 16 consecutive weeks. The only time Aeneas missed a class was when the Cardinals had a rare prime time Monday night game.

"We had to drive 45 minutes away every Monday night," she says. "That's the kind of dedicated person he is. He's not just an athlete.

He wants to be the best at what he does. He's very self-driven and disciplined. He loves to read and study the Word, and is very astute about the Bible. He loves to teach men, especially."

Here's a lesson from Aeneas Williams, licensed minister, that both men and women can take to heart. It's about life and deathspecifically how precious life is, and how it can be taken away. Case in point: Korey Stringer, All-Pro offensive lineman for the Mi nnesota Vikings, who died of heat stroke in early August. He was only 27. "ln the Book of Ecclesiastes. it says it's a good thing for a man to consider death," Williams says. "I remember reading that in the off-season, and it sounded strange to me. Whenever you ponder the end or dying, whenever you ponder your life today with the end in mind, it helps you make better decisions today because you live your life with an eternal perspective, not just day in and day out, getting through the day's situations. It makes you say thank you more. It makes you appreciate things more."

Interestingly, Williams says he had stopped by a nearby cemetery around 5 days before Stringer's death. "l sat outside of a cemetery and just pondered life," he says. "Just to reflect on the importance of life, and not be a person who just went to the grave without releasing my potential. A cemetery is one of the wealthiest places. There are books unwritten, there

AP PHOTO JAL!_ES A. F114\.E'V

A Wealth of Words If you happen to see a high-profile athlete such as St. Louis Rams cornerback Aeneas Williams on television talking about his faith, how do you react? Do you listen, or do you tune out and mumble under your breath, "If I were maki ng millions of dollars, I'd be praising Jesus too."

Tracy Williams realizes there are those who'll scoff at her husband, but she reminds cynics that becoming an NFL player was an afterthought, not his No. 1 priority, when going to college. He wa nted to be an accountant. And he was rooted in his faith long before he started to reap the financial benefits of playing pro football.

"Aeneas comes from a very good family," she says. "He was going to be successful at something. God had placed him in the NFL to minister to people. When it is all over, he'll be serving the Lord."

Tracy can bear witness to the fact t hat when Aeneas talks, people listen. She cites a TV segment prior to a recent Super Bowl when Aeneas appeared with two other NFL players. ''They were sharing the gospel," she says.

After the program aired, Tracy notes that Aeneas "got letters from people, nonbelievers, who happened to be tuning in.

They sat down and wrote a letter. They wondered 'If he's got all those finances, why is he serving Jesus? Why does he need to?

There must be something more to Jesus: " - ~\ I KE

SANDROLIN I

are songs to be sung, and there are in ventions never invented."

A valuable thought from Aeneas Williamsa minister, a father, a husband. And an NFL cornerback who just might become a lot more recognizable this season.

Mike Sandrolini is a freelance writer ll'ho lives in Warrenville, Illinois.

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at Summe rall, one of the most well known vo ices and faces associated with the National Football League over the last 40 years, has now become a faithful voice for his new faith in Jesus Christ - thanks to a remarkable transformation in his life.

The popular Sunday aftemoon voice of FOX-TV NFL football has become a regular speaker about his new life and journey from the depths of alcohollaced despair to a new life in Cluist.

"Pat's been truly part of a transformation experience in his own life and the transformat ion is still occurring," says his Dallas-area pastor Claude Thomas. "It's part of what it says in Romans 8 that God is changing us, and Romans 12: 1-2 that we all have

Pat Summerall -who possesses one of the most familiar

.

.

VOICeS In

pro football -1s now speaking out about a whole new subject

BY ART STRICKLIN

2 6

After his football career was over, Summerall went into broadcasting. In addition to his football broadcasting, he also became the signature voice of the Masters golf tournament and the US Open tennis tournament while at CBS. He then moved to FOX to broadcast football. He is entering his 22nd season overall with partner John Madden.

Summerall freely admits he became an alcoholic while broadcasting on TV and was ultimately living from drink to drink as his body broke down.

He had been an only child, and his parents divorced before he was born.

He says that left him with a sense of emptiness m1d aloneness.

He first realized the need for a chm1ge during the 1994 Masters toumament in Augusta, Georgia, the night after making his mmual stop at the Liquor store to fill up his house for a week-long pmly.

" I had been getting sick a lot, throwing up blood- and I got sick again at 4 a. m. I looked in the mirror, and the lights started to glow brighter until I saw what a terrible sight I was.

I said to myself, 'This is not the way I want to li ve."'

A week later, Summerall was lured into a secret meeting, which included 13 of his closest fri ends and family members. Also there were some bigname sports and TV figures-all pleading with him to get some help for his drinking problem. His daughter was there as well, and she told him that she had lately been ashamed to have his same last name.

Summerall spent 33 days in th e Betty Ford Center in Palm Spri ngs, Califomia, which helped cure his alcohol problems. It didn't, however, fully address his spi ritual vacuum.

a transformat ion experience."

Asked to explain the change in his own life over the last couple of years, Summerall, 70, is for once at a momentary loss for words.

"I don' t know what to say. It's just what happened to me, thi s is my story. I don ' t really know what to call it, but our home is named 'Amazing Grace,' so I thought about, 'The Hour l First Believed' or 'Grace Shall Lead Me Home.' " Summerall was bapt ized at the age of 69 at Fi rst Bapti st Church in Euless, Texas, outside of Dallas. He is now seeking to li ve a consistent Christian life, with help from a regular Bible study, church fellowship when he is in town, and regular growthwhile balancing a busy schedule in a fast-paced and highl y competiti ve work environment.

From the outside, Summerall 's life has always appeared to be an AllAmerica story. A prep football star in Florida, he attended the University of Arkansas and became a star kicker for the Razorbacks. He went on to play in the NFL and stm1ed for the New York Giants, playing under assistant coach Tom Landry.

SPORTS SPECTRUM - IIOVEMBER路DECEMBER 2001

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After one of his first speeches about Thomas said he has watched his medical recovery, Summerall Summerall's work on TV for a good bumped into his old coach Landry, porti on of his adult life and is thrilled who helped explain about the spiritual that his professional excellence is now need he still had in his life. matched by his personal peace.

"What Pat present s to me is the Summerall was also directed to longtime Dallas Cowboys chapl ain entire spec trum of pro footbal l," John Weber, and he began attending Thomas says. "He is as current as Thomas' church near his home. today, but has the voice and experi"Pat is a great story of God's wonence of yesterday." derful redeeming grace," Weber says.

Summerall nms a production facili"Pat is very real, very honest, very canty in Dallas, where he does a lot of offdid about hi s life. He has a realistic season work in commercials and speapproach about where he has been, but cials. He also works with Dallas-based he doesn' t glory in the past." moti vator Zig Ziglar on occasion.

One night whil e talking with "I remember Zig once saying that Thomas in hi s house, Summeral l with Jesus, you are never an onl y shared his story of transfor- _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ child, and that meant a lot mation and asked about the to me because I had always requirements of joining the been an only child and had church. The pastor talked "Now at always been lonely, but I don' t have to feel lonely with him about baptism and I Ik any more." church membership and what Summerall could be ast, nOW Every summer before the NFL season start s and doing to affirm his new walk in Christ. l,m ready, every week before their fea"He was already on the ture game, Summerall and process of his spiritual jourMadden take a tour of the and I hope NFL teams or visit with the ney, and I' m just so glad I was able to come alongside teams they are going to be of him and help and encourbroadcasting that week. age him in this time. l told you are Summerall said one Pat God has given him a week before broadcasting unique platform. as well., a Dallas-Green Bay game, "God used him in a they met with a coach who mighty way wi th his longtold them a true story time friend Mickey Mantle - - - - - - - - about Packers Hall- ofin speakin g with Mantl e Fame defensive end Reggie about the Lord in his final days, " White and Dallas guard Larry Allen, Thomas says. then a rook ie. Summerall says the Summerall says he had been around story makes a vital point about his rough and tough football players all of new faith. his li fe, but when he was baptized "Reggie White lined up aga in st before a large congregation at FBCLarry Allen and on one snap, gave him Euless, he felt totally helpless. a good club move and almost decapi"1 wen t down in the water, and tated Troy Aikman," Summerall says. when I came up it was li ke a 40-pound "On the next series of downs, Allen gave White a few choice words, but at weigh t had been li fted from me. " Summerall says."! have a happier life, the snap White slipped past him and a healthy life, and a more positive feelburied Aikman once again. ing about life than ever before."

"As he headed back to his huddle, Weber says others are quick to see a White looked down on the fallen Allen difference in Summerall , who once and said, ' Rookie, Jesus is coming, was the life of every party with a drink and you're not ready.'" in his hand. Now he gets his power "Now at last, I know I' m ready, and and life from another source.

I hope you are as well."

"I' m so happy for Pat Summerall," Words to remember from football's most recognizable voice.

Weber says. "He is one of the most posit ive, delightful persons to be around. He is one of the most complete Arl Sn路icklin is Direc10r of Mini.m y Re/(1/ions IVilh Marke1place Minislries and successful people in his business, in Dallas, Texas. and now is one of the nicest."

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A short list of Baylor University products who have made names for themselves beyond the Waco, Texas-based campus would, no doubt, be headed by Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, the world record-holder in the 200and 400-meters.

Then, of course, there's NFL Hall-of-Famer and I0-time Pro Bowler Mike Singletary, the ferocious Chicago Bears linebacker with the BIG eyes and an even bigger heart.

Ronnie Bull was a f11llback for those same Monsters of the Midway during the 1960s. And major league baseball followerscertai nl y Chicago White Sox fans-are likely fami liar with Kip Wells, an up-and-coming right-

Now Danielle

Crockrom is an All-American for the Baylor Bears, but it wouldn't have happened if not for her father and her faith

BY MIKE SANDROLINI

hander whom many believe has the tools to become a star.

Get ready to add a new name to the list.

Danielle Crockrom.

Crockrom may very well be the next Baylor athlete who' II be making a name for herself once her college eligibility is up. One thing is for sure: Those teams in the Big 12 Conference that face the Baylor women's basketball team on a regular basis already know Crockrom all too well.

The 6-foot-2 forward, who's in her final season with the Bears, combined with teammate Sheila Lambert last winter to form one of college basketball's most feared 1-2 combinations-and put Baylor on the Division I women's hoops map.

With Crockrom, a force inside, and Lambert, a guard, lighting it up from the outside, Baylor secured its first-ever NCAA tournament berth by goi ng 21-9-

quite a turnaround from a dismal 7-20 mark the previous season.

"On the floor, we just kind of clicked," says Crockrom of playing with Lambert. "I like her style of play. She's quick. She loves to push the ball, and I love to run.

She throws some awesome passes. It makes my job pretty easy."

Lambert, who rifled in 22.1 points per game, and Crockrom, just behind Lambert with a 21.2point average, ranked eighth and 14th, respectively, in Division I scoring last season. But when it comes to cleaning the offensive and defensive backboards, few do it better than Crockrom.

She snapped down 11 .6 rebounds per game, which ranked her fifth nationally. Her rebound-

ing total for the season, 347, set a Big 12 record, as did her 19 double-doubles.

There were post-season honors aplenty for Crockrom over the spring and summer-first-team All-Big 12; Baylor Female Athlete of the Year; one of onl y five players named to the Womens CollegeHoops.com Early Bird AllAmerican team. She also was named (along with Lambert) an alternate to the 200 I USA Basketball Women's World Uni versity Games. In add ition, Crockrom traveled with a Big 12 All-Star team in August that competed in Austria and Germany.

And to tllink Crockrom came very close to missing all the accolades the 2000-01 campaign bestowed on her.

Following the Bears' 7-win 1999-2000 season, Crockrom's sophomore year, the Houston native gave serious thought to leaving Baylor. In her eyes, basket-

COURTESY: BAYLOR

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.,.. Athlete of the Year.

Danielle Crockrom was named the Baylor University Female Athlete of the Year for 2000-2001. During the season, she set two Big 12 records: most rebounds in a season (347) and most double-doubles in a season (19).

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ball just wasn't much fun anymore.

"I was having a hard time," she recalls. "I wasn't happy with the way things were going with basketball. It took a huge amount of time. Basketball-wise, we were losing.

No team chemistry. It got to be hard. My shot was way off.

I wasn' t playing my game, and I wasn't having fun. I didn 't want to play anymore. I didn' t want to look at another basketball, and I was thinking about transferring [to another school]."

Crockrom, who was raised in a Christian home by her mother and father, Debra and Ricky, and who trusted Christ as a young teenager, admits to "being shaky" in her faith as she was trying to decide her basketball future.

That's when she sought out her father's council.

"Dad is very spiritual," Crockrom says. "He's been the most influential person in my life and is a model Christian.

He has unbelievable faith in God." Dad's advice was simple: Finish what you start, let go, and let God. "Dad said, 'Once you start something, you should finish it,'" Crockrom says. "I had no peace at all. I was almost a nervous wreck. That's when Dad said, 'You have to pray about it. Let God handle it.' I asked for guidance and patience and understanding of His plan for me, and not just what I wanted for myself."

Crockrom's prayer was answered shortly after the season ended. Baylor hired Kim Mulkey-Robertson to take the head

SPORTS SPECTRUM - !IOVEMBER·DECEMBER 200 1

coaching reins. A gold medalist with the 1984 US women's basketball squad, Mulkey-Robertson saw untapped potential in Crockrom after just a few practice sessions prior to Crockrorn's junior season.

"I was tired and frustrated," Crockrom says. "She pulled me aside in practice during a drill. [She said,] 'This is a time when you have to dig deep and push through. Danielle, I'm going to make an All-American out of you yet, because it's there.' Every time I felt myself getting tired, I would think about what she said and push through, regardless. That stuck with me because she has so much faith in me."

"That's flattering," Mulkey-Robertson says about Crockrom's giving the coach credit for her turnaround. "But she needs to look at herself in the mirror. She's been very receptive to this coaching staff. She's been a joy to coach. I take very little credit there, because it started with Danielle."

Crockrom's spiritual growth has mirrored her growth on the court too. Being one of the top players at a successful Division I school-even though that school, Baylor, is rooted in Christian tradition-is difficult. Your life is going 247, and it's easy to get sidetracked. Crockrom, though, tries to reserve consistent intervals of quiet time, and she regularly attends voluntary team Bible studies Sunday mornings during the season.

"That definitely helps," says Crockrom. " It kind of makes me stop and take time to give praise to God and learn His Word."

And Ricky Crockrom is only a phone call away, as well.

"It's reall y hard," says Crockrom of trying to balance her faith with basketball and life on a college campus. "You have to always surround yourself with the right kind of people. My dad is always there to be that little voice in my ear. Even if he's not here, I can just hear what he'd probably say to me in certain situations. I love him so much.

He's my best friend.

"There are a lot of things that are out there. You have to have some kind of spiritual foundation. If you don't, you can get pulled in all kinds of different directions. I schedule a place where I can read and have time to myself and pray."

Crockrom could very well be drafted by a WNBA club when her collegiate career concludes next March. Playing at the professional level is something Crockrom has thought about, but it doesn't consume her. "I'm not getting ahead of myself or putting anything ahead of the team," she says.

"The WNBA has done so much for women's basketball, and I definitely want to be a part of that. If they'll have me, I'm willing to go, that's for sure."

Mulkey-Robertson believes Crockrom possesses the necessary skills to make the jump to the pros. "The biggest compliment I can give her is that she's one of the top three best offensive rebounding post players I' ve ever been associated with," Mulkey-Robertson says. "She can score, and offensive rebounders are hard to find. I think those two things alone will help her play at the next level."

But Mulkey-Robertson's confidence in Crockrom is not confined to hoops.

"Basketball is a talent God gave her," Mulkey-Robertson says, "but she's talented in so many ways. I think Danielle will play at the next level, but I certainly don' t think she will completely fall apart if she doesn't. There are so many things she can do in life. She will find what that is."

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Straight Talk With ...

Offensive Guard, Oakland Raiders â&#x20AC;˘ Named to Pro Bowl eight times â&#x20AC;˘ AFC's Offensive Lineman of the Year 1991 rofessional football players seem to have it all. We have health, we have fame, and we have fortune. But when the stadium lights dim we often have a few other things you might not expect. There's often a loneliness and an insecurity found among the best athletes.

I liken our situation to the Bible's book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon had fame and fortune- he was the wealthiest and wisest man of his day. Yet in spite of it all, he still had a void in his life. Solomon learned that everything he had was meaningless. He had no contentment.

P

After being named to six straight Pro Bowl appearances, I began to realize that nothing in this world-fame, fortune, or athletic achievementcould fill my void and give me peace. This led me to seek out those who I knew had that peace, comfort, and contentment.

It led me to a teammate named Napoleon Kaufman.

Napoleon began to disciple me. He began to teach me about Jesus Christ. He began to share the Bible with me.

In 1997, I began to understand that there was more to the Christian life than I was experiencing. I had grown up going to church, but it wasn't until this point in my life that I truly began to understand what being a follower of Jesus Christ was all about.

Later that season, in the Oakland Raiders' facility, I turned over all areas of my life-my past, my present, my future, my fame, my fortune, and my family- to Jesus Christ. I put it all into the Lord's hands and asked for His

to Jesus and was baptized by my teammate, friend, and mentor, Napoleon Kaufman.

In Matthew 10:39 it says, "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."

It's not until we come to Jesus Christ and give him all areas of our life that God will bless us and craft us into the man, the husband, and the father that He wants us to be.

Since the day I trusted Jesus, I've been a new creation in Christ. I've had a hunger to be in God's Word-the Bible, a hunger to tell others about Jesus Christ, a hunger to be in church, and a hunger to spend time in God's presence.

Today, I know that contentment comes only in Christ. Football now takes a distant third place, compared to my love for God and my love for my family.

If you desire Jesus Christ, pray this simple heartfelt prayer of surrender...

"Heavenly Father, I believe that Your only Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross in my place. I receive Your Son's sacrificial death for the forgiveness of my sins. I ask You, Jesus, to come into my life as Savior and Lord-Master over all areas of my life. I surrender my past, my present, and my future to You. And I desire to be led by Your Holy Spirit. Amen. "

hee Booklet Steve refe"ed to the book of Ecclesiastes, wn'tten by Solomon.

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