2010 winter by Sports Spectrum

CONTENTS FEATURES

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This 1ssue, Sports Spectrum celebrates 1ts 25th anniversary of publish1ng! Thank you for your participation w1th us 1n telling the real stories of faith and sport.

CLOSEUP: Lions' .Jason Hunter; Hurricanes' Cam Ward (p10);

..,. Marathoner Meb Keflezighi (p12); Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy (p14); North Carolina's Tobin Heath (p16); USA hockey's .Jinelle Zaugg·Siergiej (p18); Snowboarding's Andy Finch (p20) ------------------------- ~-~!~~ ----------------------------------------------------------------

Sports Mom: 6 Guidelines for the Sidelines Six ways parents can

maintain proper perspective during games BY GWEN DIAZ

Drew Brees: Strong Brees Saints quarterback Drew Brees has seen God's hand in the good as well as the bad of his career

-----------------------"--~-~-~-=--~-~-m- ~-----------------~~~:~~:~~~~~----------------------------- - ----..James Laurinaitis: Tackle-Mania

Daniel Sepulveda: Hang Time Pittsburgh Steelers' Daniel Sepulveda has experienced, through setbacks, that God is faithful , good, and sovereign BY GREGORY SPALDING

Tony Dungy: The Point After ,_..._~==~'!'!!

Retired NFL coach Tony Dungy still leads by example through a number of roles now BY GLENN GEIGLER

Anthony Atkinson: High Hopes Anthony Atkinson's faith in his God-given talents took him from small college star to traveling the world with the Harlem Globetrotters BY BRANDON SNEED

St. Louis Rams linebacker James Laurinaitis can trace his faith and family roots to pro wrestling BY ALLEN PALMERI

K...J. Choi: The Choi of Giving Even with great successes, PGA golfer K.J. Choi speaks softly. But his faith is Clearly Seen BY ART STRICKLIN

Kelly Clark: Can't Hide Her Love Gold medal winner Kelly Clark achieved everything in snowboarding, but only God could fill the emptiness in her soul ~#it.~ BY JEREMY V. JONES

DEPARTMENTS

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~ Airing it Out- Don't be blindsided BY BRETT HONEYCUTT ~ Up Next- Taryn Lee, Tylan Merkerson, Drew McClain, Josh Wiseman BY JIMGIBBS

Pro and Con-Should Christian athletes always go to Christian colleges? BY ALLEN PALMERI AND TED KLUCK

路30 Coaching

Zone-Four steps to help coaches juggle a hectic lifestyle and avoid neglecting their family BY STEPHANIEZONARS

31 Getting Out of 32 ------------------------------------------------Fit-Creating hip mobility with the Prayer Squat Position BY CHIP SIGMON

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Uniform- Four current and former NFL players who enjoy giving back BY JENNA SAMPSON

The Big Picture-New Orleans Saints quarterback

~ Real Life-1 0 questions for St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown WITHJOSHUA COOLEY

"' Where Are They Now?- Find out what former NFL star Ray Brown and running great Jim Ryun are up to these days BY JOSHUA COOLEY

Drew Brees

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Plan-Hall of Famer and former Dallas Cowboys star Bob Lilly on what he did when he realized material things didn't Satisfy him WITH JIMGIBBS

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AIRING IT OUT BY BRETT HONEYCUTT

Don't Be Blindsided 'm sure by now you've heard about or seen the movie The Blind Side, which tells the story of Baltimore Ravens rookie offensive lineman Michael Oher, an African American kid who was homeless when a wealthy, white family (Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy) took 1!!!1!11 him into their Memphis home and eventually adopted him into their family. They and their children, Collins and Sean Jr., loved him, provided shelter and clothes (he had one set), and helped him improve his grades (his GPA was less than 1.0) so that he could go to college (he went to the University of Mississippi and eventually became an AU-American).

The Tuohys even went a step further and wrote him into their will (this wasn't in the movie, but it's in Michael Lewis' book, by the same name, and which inspired the movie). Oher had nothing, and the Tuohys, who are Christians, gave him everything. But the story is about more than a family who crossed racial and economic boundaries. It's about how we as Christians are commanded to live. Yes, commanded. Not should live or could live. (Hey, I'm feeling convicted, as well, so I'm not standing on any pedestal). I know some of you are saying, "Well, it's easy for a family with money to do the things they did." Well, no, it wasn't. Remember, they didn't do the easiest thing, they took him into their home. They didn't try and find the closest relative or put him in the custody of the state or, even better, send him off to boarding school with pockets bulging full of money (because they could have done any of those, especially the latter), and either one of those would have been admirable, and even easier. They chose, however, to do something that family and friends gossiped about and questioned, even though they were doing what the Bible says. We see evidence of this in Isaiah 58:6-7: "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break WEB SITE : www.SportsSpect r um.com

... Ole Miss Rebel: Michael Oher stands with his family during senior ceremonies at the University of Mississippi in 2008.

every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter-when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to tum away from your own flesh and blood?" Powerful? Yes, but look at the blessings in verse 8: "Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard." This radical call to help is reiterated in the New Testament, yet this time God's Word questions our faith if we don't do it. I John 3:17-18 says: "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear chit-

dren, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." It's a call to do something, not just talk about it. This goes along with James' challenge (James 2:18) to show your faith by your life: "But someone will say, 'You have faith, and I have works: Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." (NKJV) But it's the verses just before {15-17) that pierce the soul: "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is

dead, being alone." (KJV) How could we ever do something like that? Well, in essence, we do-every time we do nothing. But, once again, God lets us know the reward. This time He reveals it before He tells us what to do. James 1:25 says, "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does." God is so good to us. He tells us what to do and and also reveals the blessing we1l receive when we obey. So what is our challenge? Is it to provide a home, clothes and money to every homeless person we see? Well, if we can afford it, yes. But the real lesson is to do something. That's when the light of Christ will shine. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people Âˇp.â&#x20AC;˘ light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:14-16 0

t'iiilfl1 Brett Honeycutt is the Managing Editor of Sports Spectrum

magazine.

SPO RTS SPECTR UM- WINTER 2010

Jason Hunter DETROIT LIONS DEFENSIVE END JASON Hl:JNTER WAS REMINDED BEFORE THE SEASON THAT GOD ALWAYS TAKES CARE OF US â&#x20AC;˘ Shock and surprised. Those are the feelings Jason Hunter felt when he was released by the Green Bay Packers just before this season. But with the release came opportunity. The 6-foot-4, 271-pound defensive end spent his first three seasons with Green Bay, but was picked up almost immediately by the Detroit Lions. "I prayed about it, and my family prayed about it, and I ended up being blessed coming to Detroit," says Hunter, who noted that he didn't hold any grudges toward Green Bay. Though Detroit hasn't had much success recently (their last winning season was 2000, and since then the Lions have averaged about four wins a season), going to Detroit brought more than the blessing of playing football- it brought the opportunity to help encourage an area that has been hurting economically. "It definitely impacts you," Hunter says. "You can't help but to sympathize with what's going on here in Detroit. It's definitely something that's affected a lot of people here. The team has done events, supported different fundraisers and helped people that are trying to make a change in their city ... we aU know it's a tough time economically, not only in Detroit, but in the United States." "It's definitely a humbling experience. You get to play a game and get paid for it, and you're not really affected (financially)." "It gives you a gratifying feeling to be able to help out and do something for everyone else," he continued. "Visit kids, sick kids, and go to the Boys & Girls Club; Football 360, where kids come to a practice; golf tournament to raise money, turkey drive." Being picked up by Detroit also gave him another opportunity to play against a former Packers teammate, legendary quarterback Brett Favre, who signed with the Minnesota Vikings before the season after spending a year with the New York Jets.

Something Hunter will cherish is the sack he had on Favre during one of their meetings. "That was one of those memories and experiences that you will always keep with you," Hunter says. "You don't realize how special that was. You sacked Brett Favre. It still hasn't hit me yet. It will probably sink in later. Brett's a great guy. He's a great competitor. To be able to get a

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Celebration! Jason Hunter reacts after sacking Minnesota's Brett Favre in September. Above: Hunter wore No. 67 In the Lions' preseason.

sack like that is something I will cherish forever." Still, Hunter said his faith has meant the most. "God will definitely look after you," he says. "(My faith) has played a big part of my life and my career. I know I couldn't have done it by myself. That's something you have to keep in mind as you go through your daily life. We aU have different experiences. It's aU in how you look at it and approach it." "A lot of times things may not have gone the way I wanted it to, but I continued to persevere and believe in the abilities that I've been blessed with." 0 -B RETT HONEYCUTT

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Cam Ward CAROLINA HURRICANES GOALIE CAM WARD WEARS HIS FAITH ON THE ICE AND IN PUBLIC \though the southeastern United States has yet to embrace hockey like Detroit or challenge it for the title of "Hockeytown," somehow goalie Cam Ward has managed to build a strong fan base in Raleigh, N.C., where the Carolina Hurricanes play. "I love Raleigh," says Ward, who was the first goalie since Patrick Roy to win the Cup in his rookie year, and he was also awarded "'"Wl"""''''""~·••m•.-s the Conn Smythe trophy (the NHL playoffs' Most Valuable Player award). "It's a great hockey city. Our fan commitment generates a great atmosphere. A lot of people don't know the game down here, but after they do go and watch they aU enjoy it." There's one group of fans in Raleigh, called "Cam's Champs" who have a prominent place in his heart. They belong to a program he started three years ago to raise funds and awareness for the Special Olympics. "I played Junior Hockey for the Red Deer Rebels at 17 and became very close friends with the dressing room attendant, Mikel Mciver," Ward says. "He was in the Special Olympics. I thought to myself then that if I ever did get the opportunity to give back, I would do so on his behalf. ~ The Cam-cam: Ward makes a When I got to Raleigh I met up with Mike Sundheim (Hurricanes' save against Pittsburgh during Media Relations Director), who is involved with the Special Olympics Game Four of the 2009 Eastern in North Carolina." Conference Championship in Raleigh, North Carolina. Last season Ward made a pledge to donate $4 per save, which benefited his team and his Champs. In June he met with some Special Olympic athletes in the Hurricanes locker room to sign autographs, present prizes and hand over a check. That kind-heartedness and generosity toward others stems from his relationship with Christ. "My faith is a very important part of my life," says Ward, who credits his dad Ken for showing him how to be a good goalie and also how to be a strong Christian. "It helps me get through the ups and downs of being a pro hockey player. I have placed a cross on the back of my helmet just to put that statement out there." Ward was drafted by the Hurricanes in 2002, but wasn't called up from the farm team until the 2005-2006 season when he played as Martin Gerber's backup. Ward went back and forth between the two teams that season. "You treat it as a wake-up call when you get sent back down," Ward says, "and you get your game back on track. It happened in my rookie year so I could still get some game time when Martie was in net." When Gerber struggled in the first round of the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs, Ward got his big break and didn't disappoint. The Carolina Hurricanes came out on top. "Martie was the reason we got to the playoffs that year," Ward remembers, "but he had a couple of bad breaks and they put me in. When you get an opportunity like that you try to make the most of it. At that stage of the season everyone puts their egos aside to strive for the same goal, the Cup. It doesn't matter who scores, assists or saves." That attitude is what has helped keep Ward at the top. - J AYNE THURBER-S MITH

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Meb lleftezighi DESPITE WHAT SOME THOUGHT WAS A SETBACK, NEW YORK CITY MARATHON CHAMPION MEB KEFLEZIGHI SAW IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR GOD'S POWER TO BE SHOWN Keflezighi, now 34, was an afterthought. He had struggled since his injury, and was viewed as being too old for marathoning or not able to perform at a high level because of the injury. However, 26.2 miles later, he proved aU the doubters wrong and crossed the line in a personal best 2 hours, 9 minutes, 15 seconds, pulling away in the last two miles to beat four-time Boston Marathon champion Robert Cheruiyot and become the first American to win the event since Alberto Salazar in 1982. ''Nobody ran their best time but me," says Keflezighi, who spent the last two miles of the race talking to God. "It just showed the power of God was huge on my success and it showed on that day. Both Ryan Hall and Sara Hall's parents prayed that night, that Saturday night, to help me run my best. It's just a testimony of God's work." "I knew my God-given talent was not tapped out, even though a lot of people had counted me out." It could have been easy to think his best years were behind him. His American record in the 10,000 meters (27:13.98) was set in 2001, and his Olympic silver medal was in 2004, when he became the first American to medal in the Olympic marathon since Frank Shorter took silver in 1976. "Of course it discourages you," says Keflezighi when asked how it affected him to hear people doubting his ability. "But you have to put your trust in God. ffitimately, I have to answer to God, not what others think." But he was used to overcoming odds. He was born in Eritrea, a small, poor country of about 1':,111 t-IEW YORK CITY MAifAlliON 20b" 500,000 in East Africa, north of Ethiopia and east of Sudan on the Red Sea. He and his family immigrated to San Diego in 1987, after going to i. Momentous: Meb Keflezlghl experiences the Italy in 1986. emotions of winning as he crosses the finish line But he readily mentions faith and works, as to win the New York City Marathon on November 1, 2009. Keflezighi, the 2004 Olympic sliver medalist, James 2:14-26 says, when talking about his runwon with a time of 2hr 09min 15sec. ning and his New York City Marathon victory. "You live and learn, in God's time," Keflezighi in the top three to qualify for the 2008 Games. It says. "It couldn't have happened at a better place wasn't until weeksÂˇ after the trials, though, that he at a better time, but you have to do'your part. found he had broken his right hip. He was virtually You can't just sit on the couch. Whatever it takes, you have to work hard." helpless while being confined to a bed. Fast forward to Nov. 1, 2009, the U.S. Marathon "There's been a lot of doctors to help me get to Championship, which was held in conjunction with my feet, but ultimately God is in control." 0 - BRETT HONEYCUTT the New York City Marathon-the world's largest. â&#x20AC;˘ Nearly two years ago Meb Keflezighi couldn't walk. Even moving around in his bed required help from loved ones. His predicament was the result of a fractured hip he incurred Nov. 3, 2007, at the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in New York City. He finished eighth then, a disappointment for someone who had won silver at the 2004 Olympics and wanted to finish

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Tobin Heath TOBIN HEATH, CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS IN COLLEGE, UNDERSTANDS HER ABILITIES ARE FROM GOD ollege life can be busy. Waking up early for an 8 a.m. class that is a prerequisite for your major, sneaking in a quick lunch with some friends, a couple of afternoon classes and then logging plenty of hours in the library. Not to mention, trying to maintain a healthy social life. If you're an athlete, you have significant time spent in practice, watching game tape, working out in the gym and traveling to play games. Throw in the fact you aren't just one of the best college athletes in the country in your sport but one of the best players in the nation-period-and you have a recipe for stress. Yet, if you're Tobin Heath, you don't have anything to worry about. She made her first appearance with the United States women's national team almost two years ago, a teenager playing with legends like Kristine Lily, Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd. AU told, Heath has played for the full national team 14 times and scored two goals, not including numerous appearances with the youth teams. "I don't feel any pressure really being in college and playing for the national team. I have never associated soccer with pressure," Heath says. "For me, soccer is a game that brings me great joy. I am extremely grateful that God has blessed me with the ability to play this awesome game." Heath counts a gold medal in the 2008 Olympics among an impressive resume for a 21-year old. A star midfielder at the University of North Carolina, Heath could be the first selection in the Women's Professional Soccer draft when she decides to go professional. Already a veteran of the national team, she figures to be coumEsv: UNC ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONs the face of women's soccer in this country for the next decade . .A Feet the joy: University of North Carolina senior midfielderTobln Heath Yet, she is still just a young woman. She tries was a four-time All-American with the to spend as much time with her family in New Tar Heels. She also helped her team Jersey as her schedule allows. She enjoys hanging win three NCAA titles, including In out with friends and has a true love for the ocean. 2009, and earned all-tournament each She also counts worshipping the Lord as one of those times. She ended 2009 with five goals, 10 assists, and 20 points. of the joys of her life. This past summer, she played soccer in California in the W-League against many other top college and semi-professional players. Oespite being far from home and having the summer fly by fast, it was a great experience for this savvy woman on the rise. She describes the friendships and fun she encountered as "unreal." Despite the busy schedule, though, one thing comes first for Tobin. "I try to incorporate God into everything I do. The Lord has put amazing people into my life to keep me accountable and help me walk with God," she says. "I don't find the balance hard because I have given everything over to God to take care of." Now that is a goal worth scoring. C)

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)inelle Zaugg-Siergiej JINELLE ZAUGG-SIERGIEJ'S GOAL IS TO GLORIFY GOD BY MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN PEOPLE'S LIVES ineUe Zaugg-Siergiej understands that winning gold medals or championships, or even being the top goal scorer on the U.S. women's hockey team isn't the highest accomplishment for her. It's to bring honor to God. "I don't measure achievement by national titles won or goals scored. I would like my achievements to be measured in lives I was able to change,'' says Zaugg-Siergiej, who graduated from Wisconsin as the school's aU-time leader in goals (89), powerplay goals (29), and game-winning goals {22), while also leading the Badgers to three national title appearances and two championships (2006 and 2007). The year after graduation, in 2008-09, she helped the Minnesota Whitecaps to the Western Women's Hockey League title. "I love being able to make a difference in someone else's life, change the way they look at the game or play the game. God has put me into a role-model position, and I pray that I can make a difference in others' lives and ultimately bring glory to God." As the U.S. women's team heads into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada (Feb. 12-28), Zaugg-Siergiej (pronounced Zawg Ser-gay) does so with a different outlook on making the team than she likely would have had several months ago. Following surgery in the fall of 2008, she played in a series of games, and then had tryouts in the spring of 2009 for the U.S. team that would play at the World Championships. "I thought I had made a full recovery and played my heart out, but I was sent home while the team traveled to Finland to win," says ZauggSiergiej, who referred to that time as one of the hardest moments in her hockey career. "That was the moment when I decided that I was going to be done. I was getting married in June and I wanted to start a new life outside of hockey." But soon-to-be husband Mike Siergiej encouraged her to not give up. "After lots of prayer and talking to God, I agreed (with Mike),'' she says. "I didn't want to have any regrets and I wanted to give it my

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all. Then I found out that I was invited to June Camp (off-ice training camp) that was scheduled for two days after my wedding." Seemingly, another bump in the road for her. "I again fought God and didn't want anything

~ Ready: Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej of the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team plays In the Hockey Canada Cup in Vancouver, Aug. 29 to Sept. 7, 2009.

to do with hockey, but God told me to keep pressing on; Jeremiah 29:11, 'For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future: So, pushing my selfishness aside, I pressed on and trained hard all summer, wanting to have no regrets." "I had the support of my new husband and my family, and I went into August camp (tryouts) with nothing to lose. God has a plan for me, and I believe He is still working in me on this team." 0 - BRETT HONEY CUTT

PHOTO BY JEFF VINNICK f COURTESY; USA t+OCKEY,INC,

SPO RT S SPECTRUM - IVINTER 2010

IIndy Finch FAMILYTRAGEDY ONLY DEEPENEDTHE FAITH OF PRO SNOWBOARDER AND Ol!.YMPIC HOPEFUL ANDY FINCH Tragedy shows no favoritism. It couldn't care less that Andy Finch reached the halfpipe finals at the 2006 Olympics and built a successful snowboarding career on a gobig-or-go-home fearlessness. Tragedy still struck his family hard in September 2007. Andy, 28, and his wife were in France when he received the call. His father, Cliff, had led Fresno, Calif., police on a high speed chase. They ran his truck into a ditch. Cliff fired two shots. Eighteen rounds roared back, striking him in the elbows, chest, neck and head. Finch was revived several times on the scene, but doctors didn't think he would survive. "There is no response," Andy says. "You're stunned when you hear something like that- just go to your knees in prayer." Andy began a relationship with Christ as a child following his parents' example, but strayed into a partying lifestyle in his teens. He turned back to God at 23 after struggling with injuries and facing consequences of his unwise choices. Now his faith sustained him. Pro snowboarder Kelly Clark traveled the same competitive circuit while Andy dealt with his family's ordeal. "Seeing him choose to lean on God more than be shaken by his surroundings was pretty incredible," she says. "He really chose to get closer with God instead of getting farther away." "I definitely praying mF~~路~~ .._ Answered prayer: h I'd found myself d " And Dad Cliff, with help, more t an ever praye , y miraculously returned says. "I saw God carrying us the to the slopes last April. whole way through. I saw Him workSaid Andy on his blog, ing in our lives. I had peace that he "My father was hoot~~路 was going to make it." and hollering for joy. Phys1ca . l surv1va . l was onl y the beginning. Doctors concluded that Cliff had experienced a combination of post-traumatic stress disorder from the Vietnam War and bipolar disorder. He had never experienced either until several weeks before the accident. 路 "My dad was the most amazing father," Andy says. "Just every boy's dream I think, taking you out on weekends, camping, fishing, always there for me, just a real respectful .._ Finch Finish: Andy man that you look up to." won the 2009 world Hell Cliff remains paralyzed on one side and must use a wheel- Challenge in New chair. On Dec. 3, he was sentenced to five years probation. Zealand in September. But last April, the Finches received a gift. At the Aspen Snowmass Disabled Veterans Snow Clinic, Cliff snowboarded once again as Andy supported him with a winglike harness. "I think that was God's way of being like, Thanks for keeping your faith, kid," Andy says. As Andy sets his sights on reaching the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, he's also able to look back and see God's faithfulriess. "I can see things out of this whole situation with my family that are a plus, just how close it's brought us all-it has repaired my parents' marriage," Andy says. "I haven't seen the full benefit, but God's also used this story for me to be able to reach out to a lot of people. God's using it for His glory. At some point I1l be able to look back and piece it all together." 0 - J EREMY v. J ONES

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A new gene.ation of winnen WR ITTEN AN D COMPILED BY JIM G IBBS

TARYN LEE: Eternal Perspective • Wheaton College senior Taryne Lee is a three-time All-American, was the 2007 National Soccer Coaches Association NCAA Division III Player of the Year, and ended her career as the school's leader in goals (97), assists (51) and points (245). But she is determined to stand out on more than just the soccer field. "Soccer is a tough sport," Lee says. "It's very physical and very demanding, and every time I take the field I want people to know that I'm a strong Christian, who is very competitive and who is not afraid to back down in competition. Sure, I want to do well on the field, but I also want people to see me as a real, practicing follower of Jesus Christ." In 2009, she earned her third consecutive NSCAA fjrst-team AU-American honor, and in 2008 she set Wheaton's single-season record for goals (30), and points (7 2). She was also named a team captain for the third consecutive season, leading by example on and off the field. "I just try to push my teammates to be the best they can be so that we can all be successful as a team," she says. "But that hasn't always been easy, especially when I was named as a captain my sophomore year. That was a very difficult time because ~ Winner: Lee plays for Wheaton in a Homecoming 2009 match against Carthage (4-0).

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I didn't ask to be captain, although it was a very nice honor. I'm sure that there were a lot of my older

teammates who resented me for that, but that was my coach's decision, not mine. So it was kind of an

awkward position at first." "But then, I just started serving my teammates and trying to encourage them and you could feel their attitudes towards me starting to change. I think they realized that it was uncomfortable for me, too, and that we were all on the same team, just trying to win games. I really try to be a servant-leader in my role as one of the captains. This will be my third year to do it, so obviously things are easier now." Things are also easier on the field. "When I first started playing college soccer, I was concerned that ) I might not be able to compete at this next level," Lee says. "In college, every player was a standout on their high school team. So, there was this ~ feeling of 'Can I be ~ successful at this \ level?' But God has just been amazing through this whole process. He's shown me that I can compete at this level, and also have a lot of fun and be a witness and an example for Christ at the same time. So it's been a very good experience for me." 0 -JIMGffiBS

TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORT S SPE CT RUM' CA LL I·B66·821· 2 97 1

TYLAN MERKERSON Football. Safety. Senior. Wingate University. Wingate, North Carolina. Age 22.

Conference honors Earned All-South Atlantic Conference honors in 2009 and 2008, and combined for 11 7 tackles, seven interceptions and one fumble recovery in both seasons. HIGHLIGHT: "Making All-SAC last year was a big thrill and, really, just being able to play college foot· ball has been a lot of fun for me." TOP VERSE: I Corinthians 2:22 HIS STORY: "I grew up in the church and I accepted Christ when I was a young kid, but I don't think I really found out what it was like to have a true relationship with Christ until I went on a retreat to Washington, D.C., with Campus Outreach. One of the speakers asked if we were ready to stand before the l ord and give an account of our life to Him. If we were

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to die tonight, would we be ready? I realized then that! wasn't ready to give God an account of my life. Suddenly, I understood what it meant to be a true bornagain follower of Christ and to give my whole life to Him." KEY INGREDIENTS: "''ve realized the importance of having strong Christian friends that can hold me accountable for the things I do in my life." COALS: "''m a marketing major and I'm fascinated with producing video games. I would definitely like to get involved in that business someday. I would also like to get an MBA."

FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I like playing video games. I especially like Madden NFL."

LIFE'STOUGHEST MOMENT: "My dad died when I was eight. That was the toughest moment of my life. Fortunately, though, I had a great stepdad that came into my life and really made a great difference in my life." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "I liked Sean Taylor of the Washington Redskins. He played the game at a whole different level." TOP CHRISTIAN CROUP: Lecrae and Da Truth

DREW McCLAIN Football. Defensive Back. Senior. Mount Union. Alliance, Ohio. Age 22.

Award winner In 2009, Ohio Athletic Conference coaches voted him winner of the league's Lee J. Tressel Most Outstanding Defensive Back award. He was also a preseason All-American in 2009 and has won two AII-DAC honors. Helped Mt. Union to the 2007 and 2008 national title games, winning in 2008. HIGHLIGHT: "Winning the national championship last year was one of the greatest thrills of my life. You work so hard for it and it was nice to see that work finally paying off." TOP VERSE: Psalms 18:2 HIS STORY: "I grew up in a family that really showed me how to be a follower of Christ at an early age. I had a unique situation growing up in that my mom was a very devout Catholic and my dad was a member of the Church of Christ. They each went to their own church and they allowed me to decide which church I would go to. It was a very difficult decision, but I decided to go to my dad's church when I was about 10 or 11, and when I was 12 I was baptized. Later, my mom started to go to church with us and

now we all go to the same church. I was very fortunate, because at the age of 12 I realized that I was a sinner and that Christ died for me and that I wanted to accept Him as my Savior and be with Him in eternity forever." KEY INGREDIENTS: "''m a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and just being around all those other athletes who are going through all those same difficult temptations and trials that you are, really helps me to stay strong." COALS: "''m really ready to graduate and get back home to my family in Newark, Ohio. My family owns a small construction business, and since I'll be getting a degree in business administration with a minor in accounting, I want to use what I've learned to help my family with their business." CHILL ACTIVITY: "I live in a house with a few of my friends, and to relax we'll just sit around and talk about stuff or maybe watch TV or play a video game. For me, it's just fun to hang out with my friends and relax."

LIFE'S TOUGHEST MOMENT: "My grandmother died just before my junior year in college, and that was very tough because she had always gone to every one of my games. That and going off to college was very difficult for me. I really missed my family initially, but as I began to get involved with FCA and some of the other Christian groups on campus, that loneliness I felt began to go away and I met some really good friends." SPORTS HERO: "Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy and all the other college Christian athletes who take a stand for Christ on a regular basis. Those guys probably don't even realize how much they inspire other college athletes like me to stand up for their faith in Christ." TOP CHRISTIAN CROUP:"I really like all types of music, but I'm partial to county music. I don't have any particular favorite Christian groups, but my housemates will usually play Christian music when we all get up in the morning. It's a great way to start the day."

HIGHLIGHT: "Pulling away from

JOSH WISEMAN Track and Field. Racewalking. Sophomore. Cedarville University. Cedarville, Ohio. Age 22.

NAJA Notional Champion In 2008-2009 season, won the NAJA national championship in the 3,000-meter race walk. Part of Cedarville's nationally ranked cross country team in the fall. Has a career-best 8K time of 26:44. Also, placed 25th of 126 in the NCCAA Championship. In 2007-2008, he was an NAIA Indoor All-American in the 3,000meter race walk by placing third in a season-best 13 minutes, 58.24 seconds. Was also an NAIA outdoor track All-American in the 5K race walk finishing fifth in 24:24.19. Dean's List student as a mechanical engineering major at Cedarville University.

the competition and winning the indoor race walking nationals in the 2008 NAJA indoor meet." TOP VERSE: Hebrews 12:1-2 HIS STORY: "I was actually saved at the age of 5. I was very young, but even at a very young age I knew Christ had died on a cross for my sins. And, as I have grown older, that relationship has just grown deeper." KEY INGREDIENTS: "Going to a Christian school definitely helps. My teammates also keep me strong because we always try to push and encourage each other." COALS: "I'd like to compete in the 2012 Olympics."

FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "I like to ride motorcycles and work on old cars."

LIFE'STOUGHEST MOMENT: "I joined the Air National Guard right after high school and that was probably the most difficult time of my life. It was very tough mentally and physically." SPORTS HERO: "Ryan Hall and Sergio Reyes are my heroes in track. Reyes ran before me here at Cedarville."

TOP CHRISTIAN CROUP: Reliant K and Kutless.

"Should Ch1tistian Athletes Always Go to Christian Colleges?11

''You don't have to play for North Carolina or UCLA to be discovered."

"'The culture' might have missed out on the impact of Tim Tebow's public witness."

· ·ng for Christ is oritized in places like Bolivar, Mo., where athletes like Matt Rogers are succeeding as ambassadors. "Matt lives our mission statement every day," says C. Pat Taylor, president of Southwest Baptist University. a quiet, religious studies major SBU aims to be a Christwho thinks about becoming a centered, caring academic pastor, an evangelist or a miscommunity preparing students sionary. Kayla told me Matt is to be servant leaders in a global helping her see how her three society. Rogers, a senior, is one boys one day should go to of about 1,600 students on the Christian schools. main campus. His president If you put Matt Rogers in sees him as a student who is the lineup for some major involved in numerous activities, universities, he might mean a plays guitar in chapel, is unpre- Final Four. Georgia and Purdue tentious, and is the typical tried to recruit him; Utah wishes home-grown product. The son it had. Last year he drew of Wade and LaDonna Rogers national attention from the was saved and raised mainly in likes of Dick Vitale by helping the small town of Doniphan, his team beat the Utes, an where Wade was pastor of the NCAA-tournament No. 5 seed. county seat Baptist church. What's wrong with that fairy"I don't think he will ever tale? Why can't the best Christian change," Taylor said. "He's too · athletes play in places where well-grounded." they'll learn how to contend for Matt is 6-foot-11, 220 pounds, the faith? Isn't that what they and is the NCAA Division II are supposed to do anyway on preseason ~layer of the Year. the professional level? Nicknamed "The Gazelle," he is Believe it or not, the NBA a dominant shot blocker and scouts really have found Matt a fluid runner who can fill it Rogers. Last year they requestup from long range like Dirk ed his game film for further Nowitzki. In other words, the review. So the moral of this NBA scouts have found him. story is you don't have to play Last year I assigned a writer, for North Carolina or UCLA or Kayla Rinker, to do a feature Kansas to be discovered. Go to on Matt. She found him to be a Christian school. 0

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Florida Gators quarterback, former Heisman winner, multiple national champion, and current Jesus-inCleats, had gone to a Christian college, he would have been the greatest defensive tackle in the history of NAIA football. Taking one look at his huge 240-pound frame and superhuman strength, Tebovls wellmeaning coaches at Taylor, Wheaton, Trinity, or Olivet Nazarene would have put him where they needed help mostthe line-where he would have put his blazing speed, quickness, and toughness to work sacking 185-pound theology majors aU over the Midwest. There would have been no Heisman, probably no resurgence of greatness at Florida, fewer homeschoolers across the country, and Sports fl/ustrated (not to mention Sports Spectrum) would have been short a few cover stories. And "The Culture," if you believe in Engaging the Culture as is aU the rage these days, may have missed out on the impact of Tebovls public wit-

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ness, at least as a college player. We would have missed the excitement of cheering for an athlete who not only shared our beliefs, but was also elite. An athlete who hits, runs, and competes as hard as he prays. Believe me when I say that I love Christian colleges. I teach at one and I went to one. Both have been very positive experiences academically, socially, and athletically. Both Christian athletes, and non-Christian athletes alike have benefited from being involved in athletic programs at Christian schools, because some (not aU) of them manage to strike a healthy balance belween academics, athletics and spiritual life. And the coaches who help integrate scriptural truth into the competitive grind of college sports should be lauded. But it doesn't always make sense for elite athletes to go to Christian schools vocationally, and perhaps even spiritually. For an athlete (like Tebow) committed to dev~loping hJs God-given talents at the highest level, it made sense to go to a place like Florida where he could train in college football's best facilities, and compete in its best conference (the SEC). And it makes sense for a young man who is passionate about sharing the gospel, to be able to take it into a corner of our culture where gospel truths are few and far between. CJ

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Are you living vicariously through your child, or do you struggle with your temper during games? If so, we offer six ways, based on scripture, how you and others can maintain the right perspective •

BY GWEN DIAZ

t was the championship game. The bases were loaded, and a relief pitcher had just been summoned to the mound in an attempt to preserve a precarious lead. After a few warm-up tosses, he nodded at the catcher, wound up and let his first pitch tly. The ball never reached the catcher's mitt. It was intercepted by a metal bat and launched powerfully in the opposite direction. It came to rest somewhere outside the stadium wall. Except for a few muscles in his neck, the centerfielder never even moved as he watched the ball soar over his head. It was a grand slam if I ever saw one. Half the stadium erupted in cheers. The other half groaned. Suddenly a disgruntled dad erupted. He jumped to his feet and began yelling at the top of his lu ngs, ridiculing the relief pitcher and his coach with adjectives unfit for even the raunchiest rap song. I was shocked! What caused this man to suddenly become so obnoxious? How could he be so callous and mean? Was he too selfabsorbed to·understand that the pitcher was only a kid trying to do his very best, and that the coach was every bit as committed to winn ing the game as he was? Was he too immature to realize how offensive and inappropriate his outburst was? Was he too blind to realize that the pitcher's mom was seated right behind him-and that she was me? What had been a contest of skill and athleticism was no longer focused on the young men

on the playing field- it was all about the loud obnoxious man in the stands whose dreams and desires had just disintegrated. He had abruptly become the center of attention. Unfortunately th is has become all too familiar at youth sporting events these days. And it certainly isn't just the dads who are to blame! Moms are often just as bad. Too many parents are vicariously reliving unfulfilled sports careers or nurturing fantasies of a tuition-free college edu cation. They don' t want their children merely to participate in a sport, they want them to play on the "best" teams, become the biggest stars, and stomp out all their opponents in no uncertain terms. They can't relax and allow the true benefits of youth sports to blossom in their children's lives. In such a competitive envi ronment, even the best-intentioned parents can get carried away. God has more in mind for us to do on the sidelines than to holler at the officials or discuss the coach's IQ, or pressure our children

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to play harder. Here are some guidelines for us to consider as we cheer for our children from the sidelines. Remember the real reasons you are there. Your kids should be partici-

pating in a sports program because it offers a safe place to grow and develop; it teaches them self-discipline, good sportsmanship and teamwork; it promotes good health; and it produces fun. All of these can be accomplished whether or not their team is perennially declared the victor. Your role as a parent is to ensure the achievement of these goals. Beyond that, God has placed you on the sidelines to have a ministry! Yes, the sidelines are a perfect place to get to know people and build relationshi ps that can have eternal significance. But you must be willing to initiate conversations and listen for needs. Many parents isolate themselves by focusing solely on their own child's pat1icipation. Or, when they do enter conversations, they manage to make their child the center of attention. Having a ministry requires having a caring and giving attitude that comes from a humble heart. More imp011ant than being our child's advocate is the command for us to be Christ's ambassadors. It is our duty to introduce His love into all aspects of our world- including the hot, sticky sidelines of a summer jamboree. • 2 Corill/hians 5:20: "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." Restrain yourself from being overly concerned with the outcome. Too many parents are

more interested in the statistical outcome of an event than the emotional, social and spiritual lessons that can be learned from the experience. They focus more on scoreboards and rankings than on learning and ~row in g . They fail to realize that often more is learned in losing than can be gained by winning. Research shows that 75 percent of kids participating in youth sports drop out by the time they turn 14. This is a startl ing number. And the reasons given have to do with the pressure that is placed on winning. The games are so competitive that the kids are no longer having fun. In their words, "The adu lts take it too seriously." Winning should never be more important than a child's happiness and development. • Ecclesiastes I 1:9: "Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth."

Resist coaching from the sidelines. A running

critique of your child's play will not only distract them, it is likely to embarrass them. Your child should be listelling and looking to his coach for instructions. Your additional contributions only lead to confusion. In addition, pacing the sidelines while barking instructions is often an unwitting attempt at showcasing personal expertise. takes the focus of the game off the kids and puts it on you. Sure, you might notice things that the coach hasn't noticed (or more likely has chosen to ignore), but it's not your job to let everyone in the stadium in on his oversights. Hey, if you really want to coach, you should buy yourself a whistle and sign up at the beginning of the season. • I Peter 2: I3: "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to eve!)' alllhority instituted among men."

Refuse to take part in toxic behavior. Although

dads are more li kely to assume the role of sideline stalkers, moms often participate in a sideline ftcti vity thilt is equally as disruptive and can be even more destructive. It is sometimes known as "goal line grumbling." Negative comments spread rapidly like a virus and can affect the whole team. They are hurtful to the players and harmful to team un ity. They cause dissention and distrust. One of the quickest ways to negate any ministry opportuni ties is to talk badly about the coaches and other players or their family members. When trapped in a folding chair between two gossiping parents, it is important to try to turn the conversation in a positive direction. Kindly suggesting that parents make use of league procedures that are already in place for legitimate concerns may put an end to insidious gossip. If not, you may need to quietly fold your chair, and join a different group of parents beneath another shady tree. • Ephesians 4:29: "Do not let any wnvlwlesome talk COllie out of your mouths, but only what is helpful fo r building others up according to their needs, that it 111ay benefit those who listen. • I Peter 4: I 1: "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the vel)' words of God."

Remain positive despit the outcome. Even if t

scorecard indicates a loss, t outcome can be successful when \1 focus on what is important. \' should ask our children que tions like: Did you do yo best? Were you a good tea mate? Did you have fun? Pointing out areas of ski that need improvement on t way home only makes a chi feel unsuccessful. It immediat ly erases any enjoyment th should accompany the experien of participation. Your child is mu more interested in getting home so he c ride his bike than he is in discussing h fai led bunt attempt. • Proverbs 16:21: "Pleasant words promot instruction."

Respect and honor others. Th"

includes the coaches, the referees, a the other players (even those on t other team), as well as your own childre Outbursts from parents on the sidelines onl teach kids to disrespect and demean othe Finger pointing tells them it is all right to loo for someone to blame when things don't g their way. Be sure to thank the coaches and the offi cials after each game. Also, look for ways t encourage other children. Your input may the only positive reinforcement some childr ever receive. • I Peter 2: 17: "Show proper respect to eve1yone." • I Thessalonians 5:11: "Encourag one another and build each other up." Our behavior on the sideline can open doors for ministry and can be pivotal in dete mini ng the quality of our children's ex perienc on the playi ng field of life. It also can result i smiles on their faces and joy in their hearts it can lead to unhappiness and heMtache. \\ need to be our children's best fans in eve way! 0 Gwen Diaz and her husband Ed live in Lakeland, Fla., where sl teaches and writes and I is Florida Area Director for Search Ministries ( www.searchnational.org and the spring training chapel leader for the Detroit Tigers. Find out more about Gwen and her books at 1V1V1V.g1velldolynlnitclrelldiaz.cmlr.

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Availability: Spring, 2010. So be watching the Sports Spectrum website, Facebook and Tw itter to find out as soon as it becomes available so that you can preorder your copy. You can also sign up for e-mail notices, and be the first to know about this and other promotions, by visiting

The hardbound book will feature stories on the 25 most influential Christian athletes who have appeared in the magazine since its inception.

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CHECKING OUT ATHLETES OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY • BY JENNA SAMPSON

NFL playe..s making a spi:ritual ianpac:t th..ough thei.- foundations of guys who have perfected the art of giving. Whether it's giving the nastiest hit of the day, or giving the crowd a catch to remember, these guys are big givers in every wayand not just on the fteld. Ryan Nece, Shelton Quarles, Earnest Graham and Mike Furrey have taken the concept of giving to a whole different level off the fteld as well. • My favorite current and former NFL players this year are a group

.& Making children happy: Ryan Nece and Buccaneers safety Jermaine Phillips share gifts at a Good Samaritan Holiday Celebration.

• Leading the way in lending a go through your mind," says Nece, helping hand is NFL veteran Ryan who most recently played for the Nece. Since his rookie season with Detroit Lions. "I was trying to raise the Buccaneers in 2002, when he money to grow the foundation and burst into the starting lineup as give scholarships in honor of those an undrafted free agent, the lineguys and do different things, but backer has been making -~-~~---. the recent economic a splash in the Tampa downturn made Bay community in fundraising increasa variety of ways..The ingly frustrating." Ryan Nece Foundation Hearing a sermon awards annual college about the Good scholarships through Samaritan was all it its Good Samaritan took to nudge Nece Program, but that's not . into making a bold enough for Nece. In June 2009, move in the spirit of giving. "I he created a new charity called realized that in my foundation, "The Power of Giving" in memory the program is called the Good of two former Buccaneers teamSamaritan Award, and I was going mates, Corey Smith and Marquis out and asking for money to make Cooper, who died tragically in a a difference. I knew I needed to spring 2009 boating accident. start giving instead of relying on "Any time there's tragedy in other people to make a donation." someone's life, a lot of thoughts Nece invited 70 friends of his 3 2

SP OR TS SPE CTRU M • WINTE R 2010

foundation to an event they thought they'd be paying to attend. Surprisingly, he gave each of them $55 (his Lions jersey number) to start a chain reaction of paying it forward-officially launching "The Power of Giving." "I gave a speech about going out in the community and making a positive impact-grow it, multiply it, or break it down and spread it out-be as creative as you want," he says. Each of those 70 people took the challenge, and many chronicled their ideas and experiences on the Power of Giving blog (ryannece.com). One car dealership was inspired to give each new car owner $55 to Pay it Forward; a struggling painter who received $55 from one of the attendees now puts $55 on the back of each new painting sold, with Nece's letter explaining the program; and one creative participant even walked the streets of Tampa to feed parking meters due to expire.

"God created us to be connected to one another, and it's our responsibility to take pride in being connected in a positive way," says Nece. "We all have fingerprints, and we leave them everywhere we go. We also all have spiritual fingerprints, and we all have the opportunity to make a spiritual imprint on the people we come in contact with throughout our day." Nece hopes to spread the Power of Giving across the country in a true grassroots style, and it's already begun. His blog includes posts from students in several states who have participated in the program. "Sometimes youll never truly know the impact you have on others, so if seeing the result is what you're focused on, youll be frustrated," says Nece. "Sometimes you don't get anything back when you give, but a seed can be planted and watered by someone else. Sometimes you find out down the road what your impact was."

• The Ryan Nece Foundation isn't the only foundation God is using in the Tampa Bay area to make an impact for His Kingdom. Shelton Quarles, who played for the Bucs from 1997-2007 (and now serves as a pro scout for the team), founded his IMPACT Foundation to provide resources and opportunities to at-risk single parent families (sheltonquarles.org). The former linebacker's foundation was inspired by his mother, who had Quarles when she was 15 and worked two jobs to make

ends meet. "That taught me the value of hard work," he says. Since 2004, the fqundation has raised more than $500,000 to impact the local community through events like "Mother's Day Miracles," which awards complete home makeovers for deserving single moms. "I know what it is like to not have a place to call your own," said Quarles during the 2009 makeover event. "The Bible says, 'For everyone to

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whom much is given, of him shall much be required;" he says. "I have benefited from the opportu-

nity to play professional football, and after 12 years of playing, I feel I have a lot to give back."

the starting lineup in 2005. By the end of the 2007 season, he'd set the team single-season record for

the most consecutive games with a touchdown (six). Quite a rare comeback story for the NFL.

Furrey and his wife, Koren, started The Mike Furrey Foundation in March 2008 to help the hungry, homeless, hurting, and hopeful. Just five years prior, the wide receiver was living out of his car while trying to make the Rams squad during the summer of 2003. Since then, he's had quite a career,

Furrey was recently named National President of the "Basket of Hope" program, which is the family's favorite service project. "We go to two local hospitals once a month and deliver about 20 baskets of toys and games to kids who are

T Remade home: Joining Shelton and the Bernard family were Lauren Baiden, caterer, and Michelle and Tom Wiebe, interior designers.

• The aptly named "Earnest Giving Foundation" makes a difference with at-risk youth by providing mentoring and hands-on educational programs including performing arts and music production. "Today's youth don't have many outlets due to the lack of resources and the lack of organization within community," Graham says. "I believe that all human beings have an innate drive to succeed; I think

that we can provide the keys." (earnestgiving.org) Graham himself is an amazing model of hard work and patience. After getting cut by the Bucs as a rookie in 2003, the hard-nosed running back struggled with being on and off their practice squad for a few seasons, before finally breaking into

T Earnest giving: Graham visits Heights Elementary near Ft. Myers, speaking on the importance of FCAT testing and scholastics.

• The fun of giving: Ryan spends time going through a bag of gifts with a child at Nationwide Children's Hospital In Columbus, Ohio.

running routes for St. Louis, Detroit, and now Cleveland. "My wife and I started the foundation because we believe that you should take what God has blessed you with and serve others who are in need," he says. "We try not to gain too much attention from what we do, but try to do the best we can quietly."

terminally ill or have major health problems," he explains. "We bring a separate optional tote bag with inspirational books from Tony Dungy [former coach of the Indianapolis Colts] and a prayer book." Furrey also speaks at churches, residential boys' homes, and has founded two FCA chapters (one in Detroit and one in St. Louis).

• Furrey and his NFL counterparts Nece, Quarles and Graham, all have something in common: humble beginnings. But hard work and dedication propelled them past unfathomable odds to reach the pinnacle of success in the NFL. Th ey continue to make an impact (or Christ both on and off the (teld and will all, no doubt, leave huge spiritual imprints that will last (or eternity. 0 WEB SITE: www.Spo r ts Spectrum.com

SPORTS SPECTRUM - WINTER 2010

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ew Orleans Saints quarte rback Drew Brees doesn't possess the speed of a Michael Vick,

STRONG BREES From being injured and traded to being named NFL Player of the Year, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has come to see God's hand in everything â&#x20AC;˘ BY SEAN JENSEN

the prototype frame of a Peyton Manning, or the arm strength of a Jay Cutler. <JI "He's not the biggest guy. He's not the strongest, or the fastest," says brother Reid Brees, who is two years younger than Drew. "But he' ll still find a way to beat you." <JI Therein lies what makes Brees special. ~I He doesn't have the ideal size (6 feet), ann strength or pedigree (second-round pick out of Purdue). But he has thrived at each level. ~I He led Westlake High School (Austin, Texas) to its only undefeated season ( 16-0) and a state title in 1996, when his team won the SA Division II championship with a 55- 15 victory against Abilene Cooper. He also led Purdue to the 200 I Rose Bowl, the school's first appearance in the prestigious bowl since 1967, and a surprising upset of then No. 4 Kansas State in the 1998 Alamo Bowl with a brilliant 80-yard scoring drive with I minute, 25 seconds left in the game. <JI "His work ethic is unl ike anything I've ever seen," Reid says. "Even if he weren't in the NFL, he would still be a successful person." <JI Saints coach Sean Payton also notes that Drew isn't the prototype quarterback, in terms of size. But Payton says he has the prototypical leadership qualities, preparation and intangibles that demand respect. <JI "Drew is so committed as a player, that I think everyone in the building respects his work ethic and his commitment to our franchise," Payton says. "He holds himself accountable to be prepared, both physically and mentally, and he sets the bar high for his teammates, and that is crucial to that position." <JI Brees raised that bar last season

and established himself as one of the league's top quarterbacks. ]n 2008, he passed for 34 touchdowns and 5,069 yards, the second-most yards in NFL history and only 15 yards short of Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino's NFL record for a single season. Remarkably, Brees threw for more than 300 yards 10 times last season, earn ing Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year and his third Pro Bowl honor after also being named in 2004 and 2006. He says he wasn't aware how close he was to Marino's record or even 5,000 yards. But his teammates, part icularly his offensive linemen, wanted him to break the mark. "They were keeping up with the record more than me," Brees says. "A lot of things have to happen for you to throw for 5,000 yards. That's a complete team effort. Unfortunately, that didn't turn into as many wins as we wanted."

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HIS FAITH 'W'A.LK Drew and his younger brother Reid grew up in church, learning the songs and stories of the Bible. But the real draw was their countless friends in Sunday school. "I 'IIVan.ted Everything didn't click for Drew, though, until his 17th birthday. He was at his home church, The First Baptist to be one Church in Austin, Texas, and his pastor had a message that o:f those, registered in his mind. ':fe'IIV good "Normally, me and my brother would be elbowing each :men.., other during the service;' Drew says, "but that day was different." The pastor's message: the Lord was looking for a few good I really men. He even referenced the popular 1992 movie, A Few Good accepted Men, which was one of Drew's favorite movies. Jesus "It just clicked to me," says Brees. "For some reason, it Christ clicked. 'You know what? I want to be one of those, ' few good men.' I really accepted Jesus Christ into my heart." into :my While at Purdue, though, Drew acknowledged that he was heart." "more out of touch" than he wanted to be. Sometimes, he slept in Sunday morning after a late night with friends. "It's not like I abandoned it. But you go through that lapse," he says. But after the Chargers drafted him in 200 I, Drew joined the team's Bible study, which was led by Pastor Shawn Mitchell. Now entering his 27th season as the team's chaplain, Mitchell says he has been blessed to work with many good men associated with the Chargers. "The Lord has been very good to us," Mitchell says. "I was with the team when we were 1-15 (2000), and also to the Super Bowl (1994). I've seen hundreds of players grow in their faith. I've married and buried athletes." But Mitchell describes Drew as a "standout" and the "real deal," citing his humbleness, his leadership, his compassion and his spiritual maturity in the face of adversity. "Drew was a real catalyst to the spiritual dynamic on the team," Mitchell says. "He was always in the front row of our team meetings, and he was also in the middle of our chapel services." Brees endeared himself to his teammates, Mitchell says, with his perseverance. Players were split on Brees and veteran Doug Flutie during the 2003 season, when the quarterbacks each led the team to a measly two victories apiece. The next offseason, after the selection of North Carolina State quarterback Phillip Rivers in the NFL draft, Brees tearfully and prayerfully asked God for strength, Mitchell says, during training camp. "We kicked off that year in prayer, then God began to SPORTS SPECTRUM- \'/INTER 20 10

3 7

STRONG BREES

raise up Drew, to the at hlete that we see in New Orleans," Mitchell says. Drew relied on Proverbs 3:6: "In all your ways acknowledge him, and HE will make your path tra ight." A year later, after an injury, Drew relied on Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

TRIALS ON THE FIELD Brees weathered several storms before arriving in New Orleans. The first followed a 4-12 season in 2003, when Brees battled for the starting spot with Flu tie. After the season, the San Diego Chargers traded their No. I pick in the NFL Draft to the New York Giants for multiple picks, then selected Rivers fourth overall. Still, because of a protracted holdout by Rivers, Brees started the 2004 NFL season, and he resurrected his career (NFL Comeback Player of the Year) and his team (AFC West champions, with a 12-4 record). Through the ups and clowns, Brees mai ntained his faith. But he endured another storm at the end of the 2005 season.

"" Treated /Ike dirt? The Chargers didn't believe Drew Brees' shoulder was sound enough for a healthy contract offer. New Orleans, however, delightfully dlsa路greed and knew a Saint when they saw one.

3 8

Although the Chargers had been eliminated from the playoffs the previous week, the club wanted to win their IOth game of the season against their AFC rival Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. Attempting to recover a fumble, Brees absorbed a questionable hit (while on the ground) by Broncos defensive tackle Gerard Warren that tore his labrum and partially tore his rotator cuff. An inevitable question eventually permeated his mind, if only for a moment. "That was a real bad injury," says Brees. "It was my throwing shoulder, and it was potentially career-ending. If you don' t think for a split second, right after it happened, I didn't think, 'Why is this happening? Why me?' "But I very quickly snapped out of it, and realized, th is is happening for a reason, and I' m going to turn this into a positive. He wouldn't let me face it if I couldn't handle it." A second-round pick of the Chargers in 200 I, Brees had established himself as a leader on and off the field, and he helped turn around the fortunes of the franchise. He and his wife Brittany loved the community, and he even ad mitted to

SP ORTS SPECTR UM - \'/IN TER 2010

a San Diego radio station that he was willing to take less than "franchise-type" money to remain with the Chargers. "I absolutely wanted to stay," Brees says. "I was pa11 of rebuilding that team and getting them going in the right direction." "Hey, I was the quarterback," he says. "That was my team."' So he was devastated when Chargers general manager A.J. Smith made clear to him and his agent Tom Condon that the club wasn't convinced of his recovery, with a modest contract offer that included an even more modest guaranteed bonus. "I said, 'This is the worst th ing that has happened to me in my life,"' Brees recalls. Yet Brees, considered a "franchise-type" quarterback by two other clubs, opted to play for the New Orleans Saints and immediately steered them to the NFC South title and the NFC Championship game. "A year later," Brees says, "I looked back and said, 'That was probably the best thing that happened to me."' ~OR.E THANJUSTAGAME

Brees doesn' t like to gloat about his statistics. But there is one thing he's proud to brag about: the Drew Brees Foundation.

0 t~-0

ST RONG B RE ES

In San Diego, his foundation focused on children dealing with cancer. But, upon arriving in New Orleans in 2006, Brees broadened the reach of his foundation to help rebui lding efforts after Hurricane Katrina devastated that region in August of 2005. After the 2006 season, Drew was named the Saints' Walter Payton Man of the Year. "We completed a $1.8 million fundraising campaign," Brees excitedly says. "In the last seven years, we've raised or committed $4.5 million." "We're prelly proud of that." He is even more proud of his son, Baylen, who was born on a special clay earl ier this year, January 15th. That is Drew's birthday, and Brillany naturally delivered Baylen in about an hour, in the mid-afternoon. In fact, Baylen's birth bolstered Drew's faith. "When you watch the birth of a child, and hold him in your arms, it makes you

realize that God is as real as ever, or else there is no way this would be possible," Drew says. "It's the greatest birthday present a clad could ever have." He says each day he and Brittany have a moment when their eyes connect and one of them says, "How did we create him? What a blessing he is." Child No. 2 may not be too far ofT, Drew says. Life couldn't be beller for Drew Brees, whose Saints are having an incredible 2009 season and his passing numbers make him a legitimate candidate for the league MV P award. "God puts us in positions, all the time, for a reason," he says. "You can say, 'Why is this happening to me'? But you have to understand that it's happening for a reason, and God is doing it to strengthen you." 0 Sean Jensen covers the NFL a11d the Mi11nesota Viki11gsj'or !he St. Paul (Mi1111.) Pio11eer Press. -. How good a year Is Drew having? Wife Brittany pre路 sented him with son Baylen In January; faithfu l fans were on hand even In Miami, where the Saints came back from a 24路3 deficit to beat the Dolphins 46路34 and Improve to 6路 0.

like urgency, intensity, anticipation, and intelligence. The package looks pretty much the same these days in the NFL as he leads the St. Louis defense. "I just try to get guys lined up," he says, emphasizing that when he makes the right calls there should be no tmcertainty in the minds of his teammates. "I know that's my first job as a mike backer is to make sure everyone's aligned right, and if everyone's aligned right, then we can play ball. That's my biggest concern. I don't go out there and put pressure on myself saying, 'I can do this, do that.'" Laurinaitis, who turned 23 on Dec. 3, is capable of making a dozen or more tackles on any given Sunday. His transition would appear to be complete.

WHY HE PLAYS "When I'm out there and I'm tired, draw strength from my faith," he says. "God's blessed me to play this sport. I was reading the other morning Romans 12:1 -2, where I'm supposed to be a living sacrifice to God. If that's in the football arena, playing football, doing what you love to do, what God's blessed you to do, keep that in your mind. "Imagine this is what God planned all those years ago for your life. You'd better take advantage of it. That's kind of the way I try to look at it. It also helps that football isn't my identity. That doesn't get mistaken for me not loving football with all of my heart. When football's done, ! won't be depressed. You won't see me struggling, because my identity's going to be in Christ all the time. That's just the realization you have to have, and the guys in the NFL that have that realization, when their career is clone, you don't find them struggling to find themselves because they already know Who they belong to."

BEGINNINGS Laurinaitis grew up playing hockey and football in the .western suburbs of Minneapolis. He also got to know the theatrically athletic world of professional wrestling by watching his father and two uncles perform. Having already been exposed to all of that, he was but a freshman in high school, a budding young athlete, when a holy troupe of brutes, giants who are known for executing visually explosive feats of strength, came to town. The Power Team led Laurinaitis to Christ. The Dallas-based team of evangelists also led his parents and sister to Christ. All four were baptized in Phoeni x under the ministry of Christian 4 2

SPORTS SPECTRUH - WINTE R 2 0 10

pro wrestler Shawn Michaels.

STUDENT

OF THE

WORD

These days he tries to turn the tension of temptation into a positive. "I always tell people, if it's not a struggle, if there's not a conflict in your head about things every day of your life, then you're going down the wrong path," Laurinaitis says. "That conflict is the Holy Spirit telling you, 'Hey, don't do this, do this.' If you don't have a conflict in your head, you're more than likely doi ng more of the wrong thing than the right thing all the time and you're just convincing yourself that it's right. So it's always a walk, but it's been growing a lot since high school." A check of YouTube indicates that Lau rinaitis, the middle linebacker who wraps up run ning backs with short bursts, can also teach in short bursts. just something I've always kind of drawn One such clip shows him speaking on on. When people feel li ke they're com2 Corinthians 12:9, where the Lord tells ing up short, maybe they can't handle a the apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient task ... that can even be applied now." for you, for my power is made perfect "When I came here, every player's in weakness." Paul then proclaims he going to thi nk in their heads, 'How am I enjoys boasting in his weaknesses, so going to translate to the NFL?' You've Christ's power wi ll reside in him. just got to realize, hey, when you're feelLaurinaitis likes that. ing a little vulnerable and weak, rest on "I think sometimes people need to Christ. Put your faith in Him, and His know that you're not going to be perfect," will's going to happen, and when it he says. "There's going to be times when does, you've just got to be able to accept you feel weak. There's going to be times it and go with it." when yoit feel inadequate. That's what LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL Christ is all about. "I think sometimes people get the Laurinaitis speaks of his football career misconception when you're a Christ ian, as if it is a comet. In that way he is 23 you have everything figured out. In going on 43 in his thinking- odd for a Corinthians, you have Paul there who's guy fresh out of college. Clearly he has one of the first leaders of the whole contemplated what the Bible says church, and he's still saying, 'When I'm about life. weak, I'm made strong in Christ.' That's "It's an iffy time right now in society

with a lot of people struggling financially-what are people going to do?'' he says. "A lot of people have questions that aren't answered. You've got to know this isn't it. This isn't the end of our road here. We're just passinga vapor. "I was listening to a sermon on that at my church here, where (ou r pastor) was talking about a vapor and a mist. He said you can just think of your life here on earth as like a fog, where you wake up and it's like really foggy, you can't see, and you're like, 'How am I going to get through the clay? How am I going to get to work on time?' You know the forecast calls for sunny skies and a high of 95, but the fog in the morni ng is real. "The next thing you know, you get done dropping your kids off at the bus and it's like, boom, there it is, it's a beautiful 95-degree day. That's what Jesus is saying. Your life is a little mist. We might be struggling right now. People might not live a great life. That's why I'm definitely so grateful for everything I've been given. I sit here a lot and just wonder, 'Why me?' It's kind of one of those things. It's going to be a mist. People might struggle their whole life, but when it comes to that 95 sunny at the end of day, when they pass and they're up in Heaven, that 's what it's all about." His favorite verse is an artfully tattooed illustration of John 16:33 that covers a lot of territory on his right side. "I think that all Christians can kind of just rest in that," he says. 0

• Ram-ifications: Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo thought so much of rookie James' "productivity" that he named him starting middle linebacker for St. Louis during training camp in August. ~ Laurinaitis has made the transition from star linebacker with Ohio State to being a legitimate force in the NFL.

·~

Allen Palmeri is a longtime Sports Spectrum writer and columnist who (ives in Jefferson City, Mo.

----- -------- ------------------------------ --------------- ---------------------------------- ----------------43 -WEB SITE : www.Sports Spe ct rum. com

SPORTS SP EC TR UM • \'/ I NTER 20 10

ittsburgh Steelers punter Dan Sepulveda received a

Super Bowl ring for Pittsbu gh s last-second victory against the Arizona Cardinals last season, but the NFL's most-highly touted punter in years never played a down for that Steelers team. He also did not appear in the team photo and was not on the active roster. The reason he missed the Steelers' Super Bowl season? He had his second ACL injury of his career. Many players would harbor bitterness. But Sepul veda, a 6-foot-3, 230-pound third-year pro, told a Pittsburgh sportswriter that God wanted hi m on the sideline and that a bad att itude doesn't serve any useful purpose. The Steelers' punting, last season's glaring weakness, made it difficult. Pittsburgh brought in two different punters, released one, and then brought the other one back. Instead of pouting, however, Sepulveda offered advice and encouragement. After witnessing the title mn, though, Sepulveda yearned to return.

INJURY CAUSED PITTSBURGH PUNTER DAN SEPULVEDA TO SIT OUT THE STEELERS' SUPER BOWL RUN LAST SEASON. BUT INSTEAD OF COMPLAINING, HE LEARNEDTO DWELL IN GOD'S FAITHFULNESS, GOODNESS AND SOVEREIGNTY â&#x20AC;˘

BY GREGORY SPALDING

BEGINNINGS He points to September 17, 1989, as a defining moment when he accepted Christ as a 5-year-old with John 5:24 as his verse, "Very tnlly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." He played in many youth leagues growing up, but says, "I struggled with my physical growth. My hope was in Jesus Christ, my true identity. But my other identity was in sports." That remained tme throughout high school, where he played little his senior year because he was hm1. Because of that, he didn't get a scholarship. His brother, who played linebacker in high school, convinced him to walk-on at Baylor. "But in my first practice, when we were practicing the inside runs at linebacker, a lineman named Matt Pickel put me nat on my back \Vith a block. My brother laughed at me on the sidelines," Dan recalls. Dan asked the Baylor coach about punting. The coach ignored him, but then finally agreed. The coach told me, "Get a coach and work on punting and come back next year. You can't start this year because you don't know what you're doing. You have a strong leg so maybe there's something there."

The new coach promised him a shot if he told the team he wanted the job. He won the job, but struggled with his role. "Punting is not the same as playing football," Sepulveda says. "If you mess up, you don't use your fire and emotion on the next play, but just get booed. I called my dad and told him I was quitting. I wanted to play safety and hit somebody." But he stayed, and became not just Baylor's stm1er, but the nation's top punter, as he collected three All-American awards and became the first kicker to win the Ray Guy Award twice, in 2004 and 2006, while making All-Big 12 four times. "It was so clear to me that God's hand was on me," he says. "My sophomore year I won the Ray Guy Award after trying to quit. In spite of me, God continued faithfully guiding me along this path, even though I tried to mess it up. How many times has He been faithful despite our unfaithfulness?"

ANOTHER CHANCE Amazingly, Baylor finished !17th out of 188 teams in punting, and, coincidentally, the school tired the entire coaching staff, opening the door for Sepul veda. "This was one of the evidences that God was at work," admits Dan. 4 4

SPORT S SPECTR UM - WIN TE R 2 0 10

THE NEXT STEP A conversation with then-Baylor coach and former NFL Pro Bowl player Guy Morriss inspired Sepulveda to perfect his technique, but he tore his ACL after his junior year and rehabbed passionately to get drafted the next season.

"God is humbling you because He's going to do something big," his father, Carlos, told hi m at the time. "And you' ll be ready for it. I don't know where He's going to take you, but it's going to be bigger than you can imagine." So he had a good senior year and attracted interest. "Coming to Pittsburgh for the first time was very overwhelming," Dan Sepulveda says. "I remember staying in Allegheny Center after the draft, going up on the roof, looking at PNC Park and Heinz Field and thinking, ' Holy Cow, I'm

supposed to be the punter for this whole city.' And I was feeling it. I'm from Dallas, but I know how crazy Steeler fans are."

SPIRITUAL TRIALS

Once, Steelers announcer Tunch llkin commented about seeing Dan reading his Bible in front of his locker. "I was pressured to go out with the guys, and I knew I didn't want that," Sepulveda says. "That turned into a lot of lonely nights, but I memorized Scripture, an awesome blessing." "When you feel the world's weight on you, you need God. So I started looking for a Bible study group for support. I emailed someone to get involved in a Bible study and drew energy from that." Then on training camp's second day of 2008, he tore his ACL- agai n. "This is God's plan, a blessing in disgu ise," he told a men's prayer breakfast gathering at South Hills Bible Chapel during the Steeler's Super Bowl run. "I've shared with more people than I would have. If one life is changed, then all the rehab is worth it. If I have to go through rehab to reach one more person wi th the Gospel, that's all that matters. Because if you don't accept Jesus, nothing else matters." Before the injury, everythi ng seemed to be goi ng well. The Steelers drafted him in the fourth round in 2007 (rarely has a team selected a punter so high), he was named to Pro Football Weekly's All-Rookie team and won the Joe Greene Rookie Performance Award recognizing the team's best rookie.

FAITH IN ACTION Many people wonder what strengthens him in adversity. lie points to his part:uts, who did three key things for him. First, they exemplified a good marriage. "They worked on their marriage, something for my brothers and me to see," he recalls. Second, they taught him spiritual hygiene. "Life has choices and consequences. If you don't brush your teeth, your breath stinks. Likewise, if you don't study the Bible and pray, you become spiritually dirty. But it's one thing to hear it. My dad lived it. Every time I went into his study, his room, he sat reading his Bible. You h;Jve no idea how much that meant to me," Dan says. ., Third, his parents showed him unconditional love. Dan recalls what his dad said, "'Make good choices.' He cared about what I was doing." Additionally, his dad affirmed his love by constantly telling him, "You're a winner. You're mine. And I love you." "Those three statements gave me roots," Dan says. "A young man needs to hear he can do it from his father. That's everyth ing you need as a young boy." Those roots have sustained him, and helped prepare him for things God will allow in the fut ure. 0

Greg01y Spalding is a freelance writer who lives in Pittsburgh, Pa. SPORTS SPECTRUM - WI NTER 2010

Josh BJrOWD JOSHUA COOLEY REVEALS THE MAN UNDER THE HELMET

Ten questions for St. Louis Rams kicker Josh Brown, who is in his seventh season in the NFL (and second season with the Rams after spending 2003-2007 with the Seattle Seahawks). He only has one missed extra point in his career and has connected on more than 80 percent of his field goals, including better than 60 percent from 50 or more yards. His longest field goal is from 58 yards, which he kicked in his rookie season in 2003.

l! Who challenges you the =.. most spiritually, and how?

wife, but hopefully I1t get into it more soon."

S~ DoBibleyoupassage? have a favorite "Philip-

"Definitely my wife [Molly] and my parents. They hold me accountable and make me walk the line and stop me if they see me do something I shouldn't be doing. My wife is probably the biggest partner I have."

pians 4:13 is one that I've held onto the longest as a child and growing up in athletics."

B>. What Bible character ~ do you feel you are

~ Describe what best

most like? "Somebody once told me I'm kind of like John the Baptist. We were having a heated discussion about chapel, and he told me, 'You are realty getting after it: That's the one person other people have compared me to."

helps you grow in your relationship with God. "Honestly, it's staying in the Word and praying and never forgetting He's there. It's growing each day, regardless of what I'm studying, and taking that stuff and applying it to life at work on and off the field, out in public and around my children. I have two stepsons who play football- they are 7 and 11. I'm with them at practice, so I'm being seen in community. The kids [including a daughter " ••• STAYING IN born in July] make me want PRAYING AND to be better [spiritually]." a~ Have you found a book

yII

What's the dumbest fan request you've ever received? "I did have a small child ask for 10 autographs on 10 different helmets. That's ....,.. .......,.. ,G<TTY,..,,,... kind of the funniest thing THE WORD AND because they're kids and don't NEVER know the difference. They think everything grows on trees."

FORGETTING HE'S THERE."

that has been encouraging in your life as a Christian (other than the Bible)? "A book that one of my mentors gave me a couple months ago catted True Humility [by C.J. Mahaney]. Being a pro athlete and being humble is kind of an accomplishment in itself. Some people have so much success that it's hard to stay grounded. I've enjoyed a lot of books, but that's probably the most recent one. That and the Tony Dungy book [Quiet Strength]-both of them have been great examples of those who are leaders."

4 What's the most rewarding church ministry -d: or mission you have been involved in? "Music.

I've been involved in music [specifically singing] since I was 5 years old. In Seattle, I was part of a praise and worship group. I was single then, so I could realty focus on that. We did some church camps. It's allowing kids to see a guy on TV who has a coot job by other people's standards and see him devote himself to doing something good and praising Him. It's harder now with kids and a

a~ What's your favorite

Y way to unwind after a tough game? "It's kind of changed throughout the years. When I was younger, I'd rather go out with the guys. Now, I just enjoy being at the house with my family and going to dinner and relaxing a little. There's realty nothing that settles me down. It just takes time. If I'm angry, Ill probably spend more money."

!1J\ What's your favorite off-day activity? "I love 'fill riding four-wheelers and motorcycles. It goes against any NFL contract I've ever signed. My brother and I ride four-wheelers at dune parks across the country. We love to hunt and fish. We just love being outdoors."

ell (('\\What's been your most exciting NFL moment? d:LWI "The last-second 50-yarder back in 2005 [at horne against Dallas, a 13-10 Seattle win]. That was the one game that had come down to the wire, and we ended up going to the Super Bowl [later that season]. It was a 50-yarder in the rain. Loved it." 0

4 8

SPORTS SPECTRUM - WI NTER 2010

NOW A FOOTBALL COMMENTATOR, FORMER INDIANAPOLIS COACH TONY DUN GY IS STILL GIVING 110 PERCENTTOTHE PEOPLE AND CAUSES IN HIS LIFE â&#x20AC;˘

BY GLENN GE IG LER

THE POINT AFTER or the 33rd consecutive season, Tony Dungy's Sundays are filled wi~h .foot?all. The only difference now is that every game ts 111 pnme tt me. A coach or a player in the NFL since Peyton Manning was a one-year-old, Dungy this season became a commentator on NBC's Football Night in America telecasts on Sunday evenings. And after trading the stadium for the studio and the NFL for NBC, Tony, typically, is perfectly tranquil about the transition. "It's been prelly easy. I did not really retire from something as much as I was going to something else," says Dungy, who along with his family has sellled in Tampa, Fla., where he once coached the Buccaneers. "I have a great schedule now, gone Saturday to Monday, but home the rest of the week." Coaching and commentating ali ke align naturally with Dungy's skill set. "Constructive criticism- as a coach that's what you do. Coaches are used to giving constructive criticism, like I do now on TV," he says. "I'm starting to get comfortable in the studio. At first, though, it was like being a rookie back in 1977," says the former defensive back, whose first exposure as an NFL player, as well as coach, were both with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

WHYTHE CHANGE? Television is not what attracted Dungy off the Indianapolis Colts' sideline last winter, however. The notoriously steadfast man of faith had been in prayerful meditation with his wife, Lauren, about the next phase of their li fe for five years. Finally, on January 12, 2009, Dungy announced he was leaving the league with 148 victories and only 79 defeats, as the first coach to vanquish all 32 NFL teams, with the most consecutive years leading a team to the playoffs (10), and after collecting a Super Bowl victory as a coach (Colts, 2007) and as a player (Steelers, 1978). Of what is he most proud? "Well, yes, the Super Bowls, but also coaching five NFL Man of WEB SI TE: www . Spor t sS pec trum .com

AON HOSKINS I ~ IMAGES

..,. Means of s upport: After stepping down from the Colts' head coaching job, Tony was asked by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to mentor convicted quarterback Michael Vick. Above, Tony embraces s upportive wife Lauren after announcing his retirement from the Colts in j anuary, 2009, as owner Jim lrsay looks on.

S PORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 20 10

.,. Dungy Through the Years (left to right): 1973-77: Tony, the MVP quarterback, for the Minnesota Golden Gophers. 1978: Tony, the defensive back, for the Super Bowl Champ Pittsburgh Steelers (and later for the 49ers). 1983: Tony, the defensive backs coach (and later defensive coordinator), for the Steelers, with later stints at Kansas City and Minnesota. 1996: Tony the head coach, age 40, welcomed by Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer. 2002: The Colts era begins, and Dungy wins the Super Bowl In 2007 (lower right). 2009: Tony the TV commentator, mentor, and avid supporter of ministries, foundations, and family.

the Year winners," he says. NFL Man of the Year is bestowed on the player who best serves his team, community and country, and has been awarded to Dungy proteges Derrick Brooks, Warrick Dunn, John Lynch, Hardy Nickerson and Peyton Manning. "I tried to do a couple things as a coach;' Dungy says. "One, develop people into a cohesive unit. And, secondly, help young guys to become better men." Providing young people direction in life and a Christian compass to find their way has long been a distinction of Dungy's faith, and wi th his football demands no longer as unrelenting, he has T Watchful eyes: taken the teachings of Mauhew 7:13-14 Tony Dungy (A, along with Philadelphia to more of the multitudes. Coach Andy Reid) "It's important for me to talk to kids looked on as troubled about doing the right things and not folquarterback Michael lowing the crowd," he says. "They need Vick was Interviewed by the media in August, to know not to take the broad highway, 2009. Vick signed a but instead the narrow road."

stuck at the stadium between Sundays, made a trip to Nashville, Tenn. There he joined Grammy vocalist Michael W. Smith for a fundraiser to support "Rocketown," a Christ-centered youth outreach. Rocketown extends God's love to about I,400 youngsters every week. "I went to the facility to hang out with kids. It was one of the special days that I have had," he remembers. His family has also enjoyed more time with him. One example is his youngest daughter, Jade, who recently did something with her father that she had never done. "It was her 8th birthday and I'd never been to her party before," he says. "One of the biggest benefits of my new schedule is I' m able to do these thi ngs." Afforded more hours to ply his faith in the community, Dungy has expanded his com mitment to two establ ished ministries headquartered in Tampa. one-year contract, All Pro Dad, formed to assist men with a second year BENEFITS OF CHANGE across the country in becoming beuer option with the Eagles A few months ago, Dungy, free to travel fathers, has a heavy NFL representaafter being released from jail. during the week after so many years tion, including Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary, plus approximately 20 current players or assistant coaches, and about 35 league alumni. Dungy speaks at outings and authors a blog diary for All-Pro Dad, a group that connects wi th nearly 40,000 fathers a day through seminars, events and e-mails. Abe Brown Ministries has been another conduit for Dungy's discipleship. The organization's namesake, Abe Brown, is also a former football coach. One day in 1976 he read a newspaper account of a former player--<Jne of his playerscharged with murder, and since then has proceeded to offer Christ's compassion to inmates, in addition to former offenders and their families. Last spring, at the behest of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell , Dungy

carried that same burden for the beloved wayward to Leavenworth , Kan. There he stepped inside the steely enclave of federal prison to visit with one of the league's own, Michael Vick, who was fini shing a sentence of nearly two years for involvement with dog-fighti ng. Several meetings followed and culminated with Yick being reinstated by Goodell and signing with the Philadelphia

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TO SUBSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPEC TRUM: CALL 1路 866路821路2971

Eagles, Dungy acting as an ambassador fo r Christ as much as for the NFL.

WHAT'S NEXT? Dungy's familiar faith-and-family focus will soon be merged li ke never before. He and his wife, along with Tony's three siblings, are looking to start a family foundation. In a year's time, the NFL vacuum has been filled to overflowing with what

really drives Dungy. Foundations and Rocketown and Yick and eight twinkling candles are compelling priorities that mini camps and game plans and team meetings just don't respect. "Football was a season in my life," Dungy says. "It's a great platform, but you have to look at it in balance with other factors like spiritual things and family time. Every year from 2004 to 2008, l looked at it. ' Is this the year I

want to leave?' I asked." Here, at the dawn of 20 I0, upon the passage of a full NFL season, regrets are none. "I can do di fferent thi ngs now for the Lord in different venues," Dungy says, placidly. 0

Glenn Geigler is a freelance writer and an educator at Adams Middle School in Tampa, Fla.

7 QUESTIONS FOR TONY DUNGY

A WORC 1 S EVE VIEW An instance when faith prevailed even when you first 1 doubted: "Right after I was fired in Tampa {2001), I was not sure where I was going or what I was doi ng. But I believed God would provide and Indianapolis was great."

The most challenging NFL opponent you faced: "Barry Sanders. A unique talent. You just held yo ur breath." The Detroit Lions' diminutive runni ng back with di zzying quickness we nt to the Pro Bowl all 10 of his NFL seasons, 1989-1998. A character trait in another you would like to adopt 3 for yourself: "The humility and forgiveness of Nelson Mandela. I visited South Africa and saw his impact." The president of South Africa from 1994-1999, Mandela was earlier imprisoned for 27 years for anti-apartheid activities.

Which is tougher: NFL player or NFL coach? "Defi nitely 4 head coach. You have to prepare all the guys. As a player you just have to prepare yourself."

5 motivation,

A biblical ideal you have learned that would benefit others: "Do things unto the Lord, make that your and it will turn out well. Maybe not what you wanted, but it will be His will." ' Is a high-profile profession more privilege or pressure? 6 "More of a privilege. I didn't look at it as pressure." Outlook for Tim Tebow, Florida Gators quarterback and 7 Heisman Trophy winner: "I think he will be a great professional, as a quarterback. I know a lot of people doubt that; I don't. He's a great leader and player." - GLENN GE!GLER

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SPO RTS SPECT RU M - WINT ER 20 10

ANTHONY ATKINSON HEART WOULDN'T LET HIM GIVE UP ON HIS HOOP DREAMS IN COLLEGE OR AS A HARLEM GLOBETROTTER â&#x20AC;˘

BY BRANDON SNEED

wo-and-a-half years ago Anthony Atkinson, now a star performer for the resurgent Harlem Globetrotters, was the hottest guy in college sp01ts. How people outside of his hometown of Wilson, N.C., have forgotten him is almost as unbelievable as what he did then. It was March 24, 2007, about 3 p.m. Atkinson and Wilson's tiny Barton College (925 full-time students) were playing in the NCAA Division II men's basketball national championship game against Winona State, the defending champs and winners of an NCAA-record 57 consecutive games. Barton trailed 74-67 with 45 seconds left. Then Atkinson scored I0 points in the tinaI goosebump-inducing 39 seconds, including the game-winning layup at the buzzer. Various clips on YouTube show those final seconds and have been viewed more than 1.6 million times. One YouTube user wrote: "This has to be fake." Says Atkinson, "People, to this day, still ask me how it happened. And I still can't explain it." It started with a vision.

Huge Heart Atkinson's parents told him early on that they couldn't afford to send him to college. "We told. him, whatever you're going to do, you're going to be good at," says Anthony Atkinson Sr., "If you work hard enough, you can pay for all your education, and maybe make some more on down the line." From age 6, Atkinson knew it would be basketball. Atkinson trained two hours a day, four days a week with his father. Some days were brutal; some days little Anthony cried. But every clay ended with Atkinson's father wrapping his arm around his shoulders, saying, "I' m proud of you." As hard as the workouts were, COURTESY: HARt..EM GI.OOETAOnERS

SPORTS SPECT RUM â&#x20AC;˘ WINTER 20 10

however, Atkinson never complained. It was failure, not fear, that upset him. "I hated feeling like I'd disappointed my father," says Atkinson. "He wouldn't do anything that was going to hurt what he was trying to accomplish," says Atkinson Sr., tappi ng his chest. "This was always the biggest thing about him. His heart."

First Test

.... '

Growing up, Atki nson Jr. dominated. In AAU, he remembers scoring 38 points on future Wake Forest great and current NBA star Chris Paul , and 26 on future North Carolina star and current Charlotte Bobcats player Raymond Felton. In high school, Atki nson led Wilson's Greenfield School to three state championship appearances and two titles after never before breaching the second round of the state playoffs. Letters poured in from Tulsa to North Carolina. But his size (5-foot-9, 150 pounds) scared most large schools from offeri ng a scholarship, so he signed with Division I mid-major -.._ Campbell University and swaggered onto campus ready to save a program that finished 5-22 the previous year. Atkinson was named

to the conference all-freshman team and deemed team MVP, but Campbell finished 3-24. "That ate me alive inside," says Atkinson. "I was used to being on teams li ke, 24-3, not the other way around; winning championshi ps, not finishing at the bottom of the barrel." Atkinson's huge heart atrophied, suffocated with frustration at his new coach and the team's performance. He began missing classes, shirking assignments. "I just got depressed," says Atkinson. "I was just like, ' Forget it.' I didn't care anymore. I didn' t care about nothing. Because basketball was my life, and it felt like somebody just took it and just stompeu on it." During his sophomore year at Campbell, he scored 14 points against current Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. That ~ Yes! Anthony Atkinson trans路 ferred from NCAA Division I Campbell to Division II Barton and revived his love for the game before landing with the Harlem Globetrotters.

WIN TE R 2010

HIGH HOPES

------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------T Miracle on FortySeconds Streak: Anthony scored Barton's final 10 points, Including this reverse layup In traffic to tie the game at 75. Seven seconds later he would score the winning layup with 0.01 seconds on the clock.

was halfway through the season, but it ended up being his last game because Atkinson became ineligible. Basketball was gone.

Last Chance In the middle of the ensuing breakdown, Atki nson heard God. "God told me," Atkinson recalls," 'You can take this path, keep doing what you're doing now and never be a success. Or you can wake up, go back home,

and get all these things I had for you.'" Back home. To the town of Wilson. To Barton College. Atkinson Sr. says the transfer wasn't smooth and that some in Campbell's academic offices asked, "Why keep trying?" "It's like they thought he just couldn't make it," Atkinson Sr. says. "They quit on him, and they felt like he should just quit." But he didn't. "I was always interested in getting

him on the rebound," says Barton head coach Ron Lievense. "His clad called me and said, 'Would you be interested in Anthony coming to Barton?' Anell said, 'Absolutely."' Atkinson returned with a plan . Friend Brent Godwin recalls Atkinson saying, ''I'd rather wi n at a Oil level than lose al a 01 level." Campbell teammate, Ben Coleman, reca lls Atkinson saying, "I'm going (to Barton) to compete for a national championship." Says Coleman, "The way he said it, I was li ke, 'This is prophetic."'

New Perspective Atkinson redeemed his eligibility and became Barton's "motor" his junior season. He was named conference player of the year, averaged 18.4 points and 5 assists per game, and carried the Bulldogs to a 28-4 record (compared to 18- 11 in 2004-05). Although they lost to Winona State in the Elite Eight, no Barton team had ever made it past the round of 32. Atkinson's heart was resurrected. He told the Barton student newspaper, "What I do out there on that court every night- that's God coming through me." His senior year, Ba11on won an NCAA record (all divisions) nine overtime games. Atkinson became a first-team All-American and Bub Cuusy Award finalist. In the opening round of the Elite Eight, he hit a buzzer-beating 30-footer to lead Barton to an 83-81 victory. In the Final Four he made the game-winning free throw to set up a rematch with Winona State for the tit le.

How "That" Happened With Winona's All-American Zach Malvik on the line with 35 seconds left and Bat1on down 74-69- Atki nson had just scored-even Barton's faith Iiad faded. On the bench, towels were being chomped in frustration; others were hung over heads in dismay. Rep011ers all congregated behind Winona's bench, where championship t-shirts were laid out. "I said, 'Lord, show Your face,"' Atkinson says. ''That's alii asked. I said, 'Lord, I' m here, You said You wouldn't bring me this far to leave me. Now You show Yourself in this arena."' Atkinson scored eight more points, including the game-winning layup as time expired, and Barton won its first and only national championship. The game was nominated for an ESPY and named by NCAA Champion magazine as the

HI GH HOPES

second-best storybook ending the past 25 years. National interviews and appearances filled the next few weeks. Once the prodigal, Atkinson became Wilson's favorite son. "And to think," says Lievense, "had he stayed at Campbell, he might have won seven to 12 ballgames a year, and nobody would know who he is."

Why "That" Happened So many ask "How?" but nobody asks "Why?" what happened, happened. Last summer, somewhere between slide-dribbling 20 feet across the court and using the rim as a pull-up bar, Atk inson was driving through Wilson when a boy waved him down as so many do in Wilson these days. "Anthony Atkinson! Can I have your autograph?" the boy asked. Atkinson stopped, signed the kid's shoes, hugged him and his mother. The mother called the next day- the boy slept in the shoes. It was one of the first nights he'd fallen asleep without crying since his daddy left them. "I wasn't given the opportunity to be able to do stuff like that," says Atkinson. "I didn't have anybody l could run up to and ask to sign an autograph growing up around here." . Atkinson loves people, particularly kids. He always wanted a younger sibling. "So it's like he made the whole world his family," says Atkinson Sr. Atkinson has money the likes of which he'd never imagined. But instead of

splurging on himself, he's investing in hope for Wilson's future generations. He recently started a 12-and-under Wilson AAU team, coaches it with his dad and covers all the fees families normall y pay. He envisions building a new recreation center where kids from Wilson County can leam and play. "If I can touch just one person's life through my basketball," says Atkinson, "the deed is done." Atkinson sti ll dreams of playing in the NBA, knowing that he's held his

own against bigger, better guards li ke Paul, Felton and Rondo. "Maybe I'll go to the NBA one day," he says, "But right now, I'm where I'm supposed to be." That boy with the shoes probably wasn't the only reason why what happened, happened. But if he was, it would beenough. 0

â&#x20AC;˘ Having a ball: Performing with the Globetrotters plays into Anthony's heart for kids, like these happy guys who played keep-away with " Lit Ant" at Sovereign Bank Arena In Trenton, N.J.

Brandon Sneed is a freelance writer living in Wilmington, N.C. You can visit him at www.brmulonsneed.com.

GLOBE TROTTING The Globetrotters don't get their name by accident. Atkinson's already played in more countries than he can count. Like many, he loves to travel, but for reasons beyond sig htseeing. "I don't want to travel just to see mountains in Europe," he 1 â&#x20AC;˘ says. "You can get that on TV if you really want that. I wa nt to interact with the culture, with the people." He's visited places most Americans don't want to see. The poverty-stricken streets of Bosnia, of Israel, the places where the water they drank smelled li ke sewage (where it might actually be sewage). Where there was nothing like Gatorade or Air Lebrons or shoes, period. "The water looked like that right there," says Atkinson, motioning to a glass of sweet tea a waitress had just refilled. In one of his first tours with the Globetrotters, Atki nson hiked to Golgotha during a trip to Jerusalem. Standing where Jesus Christ was crucified two millennia ago, he began to cry. "It's wild, man," he says. "God's purpose for my life, all this going on with basketball, brought me back to the place where Christ died for us-where Christ gave me purpose to begin with." - BRA NDON SNEE D

WEB S ITE: www .Spo lt s S pectr um.com

SPORTS S PECTRU M - WINT ER 20 10

THE CHOI OF GIVI NG

----- -- -------------------- --- ------ --------------- ----- -------- --------- ------ -Choi met his wife Hyunjung Kim there and came to be disci pled by Pastor YongJo Ha, senior pastor for the large evangelistic church that has multiple meeting locations outside the capital city. "My biggest support both on and off the course would be my wife, who first introduced me to my faith in Christ and is the loving mother to my three children," Choi says. "I have a spiritual mentor who I met in Korea many years ago, who is pastor of my church in Seoul, Korea, pastor YJ Ha of the Onnuri Church." PGA Tour Chaplain Larry Moody fi rst met Choi after he came on the PGA Tour following the 2000 season. He knew of his interest in spiritual things, but the lack of a Korean Bible study on the PGA Tour and the lack of Choi's complete English knowledge limited his patticipation with other believers during the weekly Tour Bible study. But the more Moody was around Choi, the more he saw his competitive nature and his hunger for spiritual things.

GOC 1 S HOUSES "I know he is very active in various Korean churches and various causes," Moody says. "He has a very quiet and humble spirit, dedicated to spreading God's love and Word." When he is on the road, which is common for Tour golfers 20-25 weeks a • Bundle of Chol: With wife Hyunjung, . daughter Amanda, and youngest son Daniel, K.J. posed after winning the 2006 Chrysler Championship In Palm Harbor, FL. Known In the U.S. and many countries as simply K.J., Chol's given South Korean name Is Chol Kyung-Ju. K.J. was the first Korean to earn a PGA Tour card (In 2000) and the first Korean to win a PGA tournament.

~ ~

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•

year, Choi tries to seek out local Korean Christian churches for ti mes of fellowship and worship. When he is home, he can be counted on to be in his local Korean church in The Woodlands, near Houston. "I know K.J. was one of the most dedicated people there," says Ed Fowler, who served as interim pastor at Choi's home church for 18 months. "Every Sunday he was in town he was there. If he wasn't there, then his wife and kids were."

USING GOC 1 S BLESSINGS Choi's travels to different Christian churches while on the PGA Tour also led to opportunities to use God's riches, loaned to him, to help others. "One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalms I:3, 'He will be li ke a tree fi rmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; And whatever he does, he prospers," says Choi of his fi nancial motivation. After his 2005 victory at the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, Choi donated $90,000 of his prize winnings to the Korean Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, where he attended each Sunday he was in town for the annual tournament.

WINNING WAYS It was one of his seven PGA Tour titles,

ful fi lling a dream he first had when he came to America after years of practicing by himself and studying his hero Jack Nicklaus' instructional book in Korea. "The year was 2000, and I remember it vividly because I passed the PGA Tour qualifying school in last (qualifying) place and I was so overwhelmed," Choi recalls. "I always said to myself I would be the fi rst PGA Tour player out of Korea and I never deviated but of that:': His first two PGA Tour victories came in 2002 at Tour stops in New Orleans and Tampa, and nearly two years later he came to America and played on his first President's Cup team for the international squad in 2003. "The biggest attraction was, of course, the level of competition on lhe PGA Tour," says Choi of his motivation. After his victory in Greensboro in 2005, he repeated the following year in Greensboro, then broke through with victories at the Memorial Toumament, hosted by Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods' AT&T National event in Washington, D.C. Then Choi opened the 2008 season

with a victory in the Sony Tournament in Hawaii. Âˇ

INSPIRATIONAL LEADER While he has won more than $18 million in prize money, he wants his success to motivate other Korean golfers; he also wants his God-given riches to help and bless other Christian causes. "I would hope that some of my success here would inspire a lot more of my compatriots to challenge themselves to the higher stage of golf here in the United States," he says. Choi says part of his dream came true when countryman Y.E. Yang won the Honda Classic Tour event this spring in West Palm Beach, Fla. He has challenged other Christians as well, giving his testimonies to other Koreans in churches and speaking to the annual Pre-Masters Prayer Breakfast in Augusta, Ga., a few years ago. Even Choi's wife is getting into the routine of helping others with the money God has given them. WEB SI TE: www.SportsSpectrum.com

Woodlands Christian Academy, where the Choi's three children, David, Amanda and Daniel attend, was havi ng its annual fund-raising auction in March when Choi's wife called the school office just days before the event. "I'm sorry I'm calling so late," she told the receptionist,"but is it too late to donate somethi ng for the annual auction?" Asked what would require such a late call, Hyunjung Kim Choi said she had two of her husband 's 2009 Masters player's badges and she would like to put them in the annual auction, provided she hadn't missed the deadline. The school made the exception and the two tickets sold for $4,500, the largest amount of any single item. As with the new Korean church building going up at The Woodlands thanks to a large donation, K.J . Choi refused to take credit or publicly acknowledge his gift.

"When I'm getting mad at golf or getting upset or nervous on the golf course, I just start singing hymns or thinking about Bible verses," he says. "One of my favorites is Joshua 1:7. 'Only be strong and very courageous. Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses, my servant commanded you: Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go.' " Choi has been successful from the rice fields and the single golf range of Korea to the highest levels and unbelievable riches of professional golf in America. All along the way, impressing those who see hi m in word, deed and action. "He is a dedicated believer," Moody says, "spreadi ng the Word and God's riches to the world. That's what Christians should be doing." Something that comes across clearly in any language. 0

PURE FOCUS

Art Stricklin is the Vice-President of Public Relations for Marketplace Chaplains USA in Dallas, Texas.

Humbleness helps him mai ntain focus and stay on the right path.

â&#x20AC;˘ Sign of the times: Autograph slgnlngs like this one have become the norm for K.J. with his successes on the PG~ Tour. (Here he signs autographs after the final round of THE TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club In September, 2008 ' In Atlanta. )

SPOR T S S PECTRU M -

WINTE R 20 10

elly Clark sat alone in a Utah hotel room, writing in her

journal. It was another contest beginning another season: 2004, two years past the pinnacle of her stellar career when she became the first American female to win an Olympic snowboarding gold medal. That same year, 2002, she also won every other event, including the Winter X Games, and attained all her professional goals-at age 18. Clark was the queen of snowboarding and had everything: fame, money, travel, the ability to dictate her career. It was incredible-for a little while. Now it all felt empty. ''I was writing about if I didn't wake up tomorrow, I was fine with that," says Clark in the Nations Foundation film One Year. "I didn't think anybody would care ifl didn't wake up tomor-

CAN'T HIDE HER

THE QUEEN OFTHE HALFPIPEACHIEVED EVERYTHING AND CAME UP EMPTY. NOW SHE'S OVERFLOWING WITH GOD'S LOVE â&#x20AC;˘ BY JEREM Y v. JONES

A. Board of the Rings: At age 18, Clark was the youngest member of the U.S. snowboarding team at the XIX Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. And In spite of a bruised tailbone and a broken wr ist suffered three days before the final, she finished with gold, glowing as she listened to the American national anthem during the awards ceremony. Afterwards though, her success led to questions about life and God.

row. r was writing if this was what life was, then I was done with life." Fast forward to the present: Kelly Clark is still alive. She's still pushing women's halfpipe riding to new levels. She's still a medal favorite going into Olympic qualifying for Vancouver. But the emptiness is gone. Now she's filled with love- a love that she can't contain. And that changes everything. "Basically when I came to the end of myself, God met me," Clark says.

BACK TO ROCK BOTTOM Later that dark day in Utah during qualifying heats, Clark overheard another rider consoling a crying contestant who had fallen and been knocked out of the competition. "It's all right, God still loves you," the girl offered. The simple statement lit a spark of hope. Maybe God loves me? Clark thought. It was something to hold on to. Clark tracked down the girl at their hotel, introduced herself and asked the girl to tell her about God. Clark had never been to church and only knew stereotypes about Christianity. "It was about going to church. It was about being good and following ru les. That was my understanding of God," she says. Her new friend explained that follow-

ing Jesus was about relationship, not religion. Clark took it to heart and began questioning life, spirituality, God. She knew her conditioning coach was a Christian and asked if she could bounce questions off him as she so1ted things out. "He was like, 'Delinitely, we've been praying for you,'" Clark says. "And I was li ke, 'I don't know what that means."' He gave her a Bible and The Pwpose Driven Life. Clark began to read and pray, ask ing God, "Okay, if you're real, show me that you're real." After about five months, she asked herself two questions: '"Could I ever wake up another day and not thi nk about God?' And the answer was no because He was already so real and active. And I asked myself, 'Could I ever run from Him?' And I was like, 'No, because I know that He loves me.' So I was li ke, 'Okay, that's it, and then I gave my heart to the Lord."'

NEW IDENTITY With the winter season ending, Clark's world travels slowed down, and she plugged into The Lighthouse, a snowboarder church in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. There she fou nd community and a haven to grow in her new beliefs. As the next winter drew closer, Clark felt some nervousness about how she would be received back on the snow scene. 0~1e day at church she was struck

by the words of a worship song and sensed God speaking to her. "He was like, 'Kelly, your love for me is going to be something that you can't hide. It's not going to be something you're going to have to tell people about or put on display or prove. It's just going to be something you cannot hide,"' she says. It brought her peace and gave her an idea. She asked a friend to create a new sticker with the words Jesus I cannot hide my love. A snowboarder's board is a place

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CAN'T HIDE HER LOVE

of importance, a place to display stickers of sponsors and allegiances and things of val ue. Kelly placed the new sticker prominently on the nose of her board. "I basically figured honesty and openness are the best way to go," she

says. "Regardless of what was going to happen, I knew God was with me and that it was about love. It wasn't about making a point or something." Some people didn't understand the changes to Clark's lifestyle, but most of her friends and sponsors embraced her for who she was. It was hard to argue with the fruit of her new life. The biggest changes came internally as her identity shifted. Clark had been snowboarding since she was 7, structuring her life around the spmt since her early teens and riding as a full-time pro straight out of high school. Snowboarding defined her, so it took a process of unlearning and relearning to separate who she is from the sport she loves. "There came all sorts of freedom and joy with my snowboarding, with my competing, with my career," Clark says. "I get to snowboard because I love to do it, and because God made me to do it. I don't have to snowboard anymore to prove to people who I am." "That's what's rad about Kelly, she's not trying to lit an image. She's totall y cool with how she is," says J.J. Johnson,

pro snowboarder and vice president of Nations Foundation, a snowboarding ministry. "She pushes the focus at Jesus and not at herself."

OLYMPIC REALITIES

i ~

Life didn't become perfect after meeting Jesus, though. Clark experienced more injuries than ever in the two years after becoming a Christian. Her total knee surgery took six months to heal, and she suffered a concussion and two broken wrists. Her return to the 2006 Olympics wasn't sealed until the last possible qualifier. Then at Turin, she missed a medal by one point after falling on the last trick of her final run-a frontside 900, or two-and-a-half rotations. She describes it as "a heartbreak," adding "But it's not a life-shaking thing." Clark feels healthier than ever in all aspects of her life as she focuses on Vancouver 20 I0. "It's so much more fu n when you' re not thinking that if it doesn't work out, then your li fe's going to be over," she says. "But at the same time I've got to put my entire heart into it." Being a self-described, goal-oriented person, Clark is focused on gold. If she can maintain her momentum from a strong last season, her chances should be good. Last year she finished on the podium in every halfpipe contest she participated in and won the overall titles for Dew Tour Halfpi pe, Swatch Ticket to Ride World Snowboard Tour and the Grand Prix. "She'll defin itely come out of Vancouver with another medal," says fellow 2006 Olympian A'nily Finch. "She's riding so well. Her confidence is up. She's boosting bigger than all the other girls. There are defin itely some other girls stepping up, but they don' t have her ampli tude." Winning another Olympic gold would bring a sense of freedom, satisfaction and validation of eight years of hard work. But whatever the outcome- win or lose, healthy or injured-Clark is confident in her identity. She knows God ' loves her, and that's something she just can't hide. "Just being able to pursue my dreams with God is somethi ng that's part of the journey I'm on right now," Clark says. "It's been a really fun adventure." 0

"She'll definitely come out of Vancouver with another medal . ... She's riding so well. Her confidence is up." ANDY FINCH

~ Grand Torino: On her final run (left) In Torino, Kelly could have done a " safe" run for a silver or bronze medal-or go for gold with an all-out routine. Choosing the latter, her first five tricks were spectacular. But at the bottom of the halfpipe, she was unable to land her fronts ide 900 and missed medaling by less than a point. Kelly was visibly upset as U.S. team路 mate Elena Hight (above) offered com-, fort and consolation.

Iro nically, Clark's run was considered by many to be the best ever by a woman. After Torino, Kelly would rebound with her finest season In 2008-09, and has become the early frontrunner for Olympic gold In 2010.

Jeremy V. Jones is a freelance writer who lives in Colorado Springs, Co. SPORTS SPECTRUM - WINTER 20 10

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CH ECKING OUT ATHLETES OFF TH E FIELD OF PLAY • BY JOSHUA COOLEY

What have yoa doae sla.ce yoaJP spowts c:aweea" eaded? RAY BROWN n the violent mosh pit of the NFL, also known as the line of scrimmage, where 300-pound behemoths crash into each other like male rhinos fighting for turf, the yearly extent of offensive lineman's careers can often be measured on one hand. Then there's Ray Brown. A 6-foot-5, 325-pound anomaly, Brown retired in January 2006 following a 20-year run. Most of his peers enjoyed brief career sprints; Brown ran a marathon. "I really do think people were praying for me and intervening for me," says Brown, a Marion, Ark., native who is finishing his second season as the Buffalo Bills'

,,,

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SPO RT S SPECTR UM - WINTE R 2010

assistant offensive line coach. "I didn't do it by myself. It was a combination of friends, family and coaches." Selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986 as an eighthround draft pick out of nondescript Arkansas State, Brown forged a convention-shattering career with four teams (including the Redskins, 49ers and Lions) before finally calling it quits at age 43. In his final season, with Joe Gibbs' NFC wild-card Redskins in 2005, he became the NFI:s oldest offensive lineman since World War II. Brown was a classic late bloomer, not becoming a full-time starter until 1993, his eighth year in the league, shortly after switching from tackle to guard. In 2001, while playing in San Francisco, Brown earned his lone Pro Bowl selection at age 39. Despite the high NFL mileage, he retired with relatively little physical wear and tear. "I've got regular aches and breaks," says Brown, who turned 47 in December. "My back hurts sometimes, and my knees are sore. But nothing major." Brown now teaches the skills he once employed, and his current players marvel at his longevity. "I was talking to one of our players [recently] , and he asked, 'Why did you play 20 years?' I was always motivated," Brown says. He began his coaching career in 2006 as a Redskins special assis~ant, spent the 2007 season doing radio and TV work in the D.C. area, and returned to the NFL sidelines in 2008 with the Bills. Brown, who became a Christian around the time he came to _ Washington in 1989 and benefited greatly from the spiritual examples of Redskin icons like Gibbs, Darrell Green, Tim Johnson and

COURTESY: 8UfFALO BIUS

Now: Ray Brown has been an assistant offensiv~ line coaC'W for the Bills since 2008, and began with Washington in 2006. .,. Then: In 1998 with San Francisco, where he earned his lone Pro Bowl selection in 2001 . He played for four teams in 20 years. .A

Art Monk, now relishes the opportunity to impart wisdom-football and spiritual-to current players. He encourages them to be FATfaithful, available and teachable. "I get to interact with young men and mentor in a lot of ways," Brown says. "I say all the time: 1 know nothing about coaching! just played a long time. If there's anything you want to know, come to me:"

He and his wife, Ashley, have also been involved with Pro Athletes Outreach, the United Way and Special'Olympics. As for his nascent coaching career, he is not looking too far down the road. "Good work stands out," Brown says. "It's a small NFL world. It's important that I just keep my mind on my situation here. The opportunities will come." D - JOS HUA COOLEY

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~IM preposterous as it sounds, athletics once did not look prornis- I ing for Jim Ryun. In • ~ junior high, he got cut from the basketball and track and field teams at school and (no joke) the baseball team at church. It didn't help that a bout with the measles at age 5 had stripped him of half his hearing. "I remember praying one night: 'God, if you've got a plan for my life, please show it to me, because I could use it right now;" he recalls. Jim Ryun: Exhibit A that God answers prayer. Within two years, in 1964, the Wichita, Kan., native became the

RYUN world's first high school athlete to break four minutes in the mile, propelling him to an American record and the first of three Olympics and into the pantheon of the greatest distance runners in history. "It really did change everything," Ryun says when asked to reflect on how his first sub-4:00 mile affected his life. "The only way to describe it is, I don't know what it would be like because I never was without it." In 1966, as a college sophomore at Kansas, Ryun set his first world record at 3:51.3 and was named Sports fllustrated's Sportsman of the Year, one of seven times he graced the magazine's cover.

• Then and now: Representative Jim Ryun, R-KS, talks to reporters on Capitol Hill while holding a copy of the FY2007 budget. He served In Washington, D.C., from 1996 to 2007. Right, Jim Ryun shares stories and headlines with campers during a recent running camp. ~ Munich, Germany: Jim Ryun in action during the 1972 Summer Olympics. Ryun was tripped and fell down during a qualifying heat, and although the International Olympic Committee acknowledged that a foul had occurred, the IOC denied U.S. appeals to have Ryun reinstated in the competition.

Among many other highlights, he held the world mile record (3:51.1) for nearly eight years, set world records in five other events and won a silver medal in the 1,500 meters at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. Ryun's last Olympics, the 1972 Munich Games, ended in controversy when he failed to make it out of his qualifying heat after being fouled. A year later, he turned professional and briefly competed on the short-lived International Track Association circuit. He was inducted into the U.S. Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1980. In May 1972, he and Anne, his wife of 41 years, became Christians through the witness of some friends. His newfound faith § provided the fulfillment that his fleet feet could not. "I wanted the peace that only ~ comes through Jesus Christ," he ~ says. These days, Ryun, 62, runs ! about three to five miles a day

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after undergoing knee surgery last year. His favorite course? A leisurely pace on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., where he and Anne moved to years ago during his 10-year stretch as a Republican Congressman from Kansas. Once named the most conservative U.S. representative by the National Journal, his tenure ended after five terms in January 2007. He stays busy with four ~dult 1 children and 10 grandkidsmost of whom live in the D.C. area-as well as his public relations firm, Jim Ryun Sports, Inc., through which he does motivational speaking and hosts several running camps across the country each year. He also has written three books and acts as a spokesman for Lyric Hearing, a hearing aid company. AU in all, not too shabby for a partially deaf kid who struggled as a teen to find his niche in sports. "Even failure God uses in your life," he says. 0 - JOSH UA COOLEY

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Sometimes, after all your dreams come true, you find out that material things and worldly awards are not as fulfilling as you had hoped. In fact, sometimes after you have it all, you find that your tank is still empty. For his recent book American Made-Heroes that Stand the Test of Time, author and Sports Spectrum contributor Jim Gibbs asked Bob Lilly how he found true happiness. â&#x20AC;˘ We buckled down in 1972 and beat the Miami Dolphins in Super Bowl VI, 24-3. It was very exciting to finally win an NFL Championship. But I'll never forget the morning after the game. Football had been 11 years of my life and I had accomplished all of my goals. Winning the Super Bowl was supposed to be the ultimate. But about 6:30 on the morning after the Super Bowl, I walked out on the parking lot of our hotel in New Orleans. There were beer bottles, beer cans and all kinds of trash left from the night before. I remember stumbling around and saying, 'Is this all there is?' This was 11 years of my life and I had accomplished all those goals and yet I was hollow inside. Suddenly, it was over; the elation and joy had burst like a balloon. I remembered something a man from West Texas told me one time. 'Every man has a God hole. You can try to fill it with anything you want and you just can't get satisfied until you fill it with Jesus. In fact, the more you try to fill it, the bigger the hole gets until you find Jesus." The hole in my soul just kept getting bigger. I played three more years and my focus was on accumulating material things. But no matter how much I accumulated, I still felt Utis empl.i.ness inside. A few years later, one of my neighbors invited my wife Ann to go hear an evangelist speak. Ann went with her and decided to give her life to Jesus and become a Christian. Ann soon started going out of her way to make me feel special. Special meals, love notes on the refrigerator and other things convinced me that Ann's life had changed. She seemed so happy aU the time. This continued for about two and a half years and I finally went to Ann and said, 1 don't know what you have found, but I want it: I had accepted Christ as my Savior when I was in high school, but I had fallen away from the Lord. In 1981, I rededicated my life to Christ, and suddenly the light came back into my life. Once I made Christ Lord of my life, I began to feel a great hunger for the Word of God. I got some tapes and I listened to them whenever I was in the car. I went through the Âˇ._. New Testament 14 times that year. What I like to tell people is that Jesus Christ can change your life in the same way He's changed mine. Don't let the emptiness of material goods and popularity be a substitute for the genuine peace and happiness that comes from knowing Jesus in a personal way. Give Him your life and experience the most rewarding and fulfilling life you can know. 0

Writer Jim Gibbs assisted with this article. Reach him at gibbsjim@gmail.com.

What Does It Mean? Bob Lilly realized that material things weren't satisfying and that there was an emptiness without Christ. If you have relied on material things to make you happy and still aren't satisfied, then confess that you need God and are lost without Him, and ask Christ into your heart today.