2006 ptw by Sports Spectrum

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The Greatest Show on Turf What is it like to experience the Super Bowl? Three men who saw the Super Bowl from different perspectives-player, Jeremiah Trotter; coach, Ted Williams; chaplain, Walt Day-explain their varying views BY TED KLUCK

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Season of Growth Th is time last year Shane Doan and his hockey buddies were on the outside of the rink looking inand finding out what good can come from being locked out of th e game they love BY W. TERRY WHALIN

Northwest Passage The long journey that has taken Lorenzo Romar back to Washington has prepared him for the mental and spiritual rigors of coaching big-time college hoops BY GAIL wooD

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Sophia's Choice From the West Indies to the Final Four, Sophia Young has pressed all the right buttons in becoming a college basketball star with a championship ring BY TIM wAtTS

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Miss Congeniality It certainly wasn't all smiles and laughter for Sidney Spencer as she endured surgery and rehab last season, but her approach to life made it easier for everyone BY VICTOR LEE

COVER PHOTO: Ronald Martinez 1Getty Images INSET PHOTOS (clockwise from top right): Harry How/Getty Images; Lisa Blumenfeld/ Gelty Images; Bruce Bennett I Getty Images; Andy Lyons/Getty Images; Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images Volume 20, Number 2 Power To Win Edition SPORTS SPECTRUM MAGAZINE Aproduct of Sports Spectrum Publishing, Inc. PUBLI SHER Robert B. Walker publisher@sportsspectrum.com MANAGING EDITOR Dave Branon editor@sportsspectrum.com ART DIRECTOR Steve Gier graphlcs@sportsspeclrum.com GRAPHICARTIST Laurie Nelson DIRECTOR of ADVERTISING Jocelyn Godfrey jocelyn ~~~~',Y~fC?j~~~~W~um.com

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The Defenders Three NFL players who get a lot of dirt on their uniforms but not much ink in the papers- Shelton Quarles, Michael Boulware, and Renaldo Wynn-talk about life on the defensive Side Of the ball BY BOB BELLONE, JIM CROSBY, JOSH COOLEY

Quiet Fire To achieve success as an NFL coach, Tony Dungy hasn't had to change anything in his demeanor, his faith, or his way of handling people BY TED KLUCK

JOE ROBBINS f GETTY IMAGES

Power Up! pull-out devotional guide. Our athlete contributors for this edition are Katherine Hull and Ben Crane.

MARKETING DIRECTOR Kelly Moore marketing@sportsspectrum.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alex Warner alex.warner@sportsspeclrum.com ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Debbie Miller CONTROLLER Sharon Wade WEBMASTER Steve Coltholp webmaster@sportsspectrum.com CHAPLAIN Steve Jlrgal

Focal Point Todd Peterson and John Carney pray

Countdown It's all about the numbers

Lee'd Story Sports commentary about making adjustments BY VICTOR LEE

55 Radio Replay One-on-one w ith Caroline Lalive WITH BRIAN HETTINGA

SpOils Sptc/tum magazine seeks to highiQhl Chrisl~n athletes of all sports and levels to help motivate, encouraoe. and inspire people in their farth thJOugh the exciting and challenging wor1d of sports. Printed In USA. Copyright C 2005 by Sports Spectrum Publishing. Inc. Bible quotations, unless

otherwise noted, are taken horn the HOlY BIBlE. NEW INTERNATIONAL VI'RSION. Cllfl)'ri0hl1973, t978, t984, International Brbte Society. Used by

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Up Next! Tiffany McWilliams, Julius Rono, Ashley Worley, Micah Lancaster BY JIM GIBBS .,.

'12 '13 '14 '15 24

The Biz BY DALE GIBSON

Straight Talk- with Hunter Smith

permisslon of Zondervan Btble Publishers.

SPORTSSPECTRUM is produc<d bimonthly by Sports Spectrum Publrshing, Inc.. 105 Corporate Bouievard, Suite 2, Indian Trail, NC 28079. Periodicals postage pending atlnd~n Trail, NC. and additronal malting offas POSTM~STER: Send address changes to SPORTS SPfCTRUM, PO Box 2G37, Indian Trail, NC 28079-2037.

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Training Table BY MIKE SANDLIN Body Language BY MARY EDMONDS The Big Picture-Shane Doan

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Upon Further Review BY LORILEE CRAKER

www.SportsSpectrum.com SPORTS SPECTRUM - JANUARY -FE BR UARY 2006

REAL LIFE Si.~; things you

didn't /mow about Pah·icll Ramsey, qua,.fel'baclt, Wasllington Reds/tins. (wnH HELPrRoMJOSH cooLEY.)

0 Toughest opponent:

"I've got to say Dallas because it's so important to the team, and they've gotten us. We beat them the last game of my rookie year [2002), and this [a 14-13 win on September 19] is the first year we've beaten them since then." 8 Favorite get-away-fromfootball activity: "Hunting, no

doubt. Eit her golfing or hunting, but mostly hunting. I bow hunt for deer, and I duck hunt, too. There's really good bow hunting around here [in northern Virginia]." 0 Who encourages you spiritually? "Mark Bru nell, no question. He and I are close. It's good in every sense, not only spiritually, but he's a guy who is able to be successful, he has a great family and, finally, on the football fi eld. Mark has been an eno rmous asset since I've been here. It's unusual [for two competing quarterbacks on the same team to be so close]. Some people don't even believe it. But it's true." 0 Best spiritual growth activity: "We have team Bible studies. We have chapel services t he night before games. My wife is a believer, and we spend time in the Word together." 9 Favorite Bible passage: "One I read a lot before games is Isaiah 41:10-13. There are a lot of intangibles and different things that ca n happen in a football game, and it's nice to understand the Lord is out there with you on the field." 0 Top Christian music: "My wife and I listen to Shane & Shane a lot. All the ones everyone listens to-MercyMe. I've heard them all, really."

• FAVORITE VEHICLE? "My favorite is the one I've got- a Ford F150 truck."

WELL· TRAVELED Four Ch,.istiau point guards who have played on four or more teams during their NBA careers. 0 lindsey Hunter, Detroit Pistons. (Four tea ms:

Milwaukee, Los Angeles La kers, Toronto Raptors) 8 Dan Dickau, Boston Celtics. (Five teams:

Atla nta, Portland, Dallas, New Orleans) 0 Mike James, Toronto Raptors. (Six teams:

Miami, Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee, Houston) 0 Kevin Ollie, Philadelphia 76ers. (Ten teams: Dallas, Orlando, Sacramento, New Jersey, Chicago, Indiana, Milwa ukee, Cleveland, Seattle) 6

SPORTS SPECTRU M • JANUARY-FEBRUAR Y 2006

live Clwistian NHL players who were among the cream oftlw amateur hoclury Ci'Op and who were selected iu the first nnmd of the NHL draft.

0 Glen Wesley, Carolina Hurricanes

(1987, 3rd overall, Boston Bruins) 8 Marcus Naslund, Vancouver

Canucks (1991, 16th overall, Pittsburgh Penguins) 0 Shane Doan, Phoenix Coyotes, (1995, 7th overall, Winnipeg Jets-moved to Phoenix) 0 Jarome Iginla, Calgary Flames, (1995, 11th overall, Dallas Stars) 9 Dan Hamhuis, Nashville Predators (2001, 12th overall, Nashville Predators) JAROME IGINLA

MIAMI TWICE The University of Miami (FL) athletic pmgram is liililiiiiiliili• /mown more for its football talent than for its basltetball talent. Howeve1; the Hurricanes' basltetball pmgram has produced a pair of Christian NBA players. 0 JOHN SALMONS. G/F, Philadelphia 76ers (1st round draft choice, Sixers, 2002) 8 JAMES JONES. Phoenix Suns (2nd round draft choice, Pacers, 2003)

FROM THE EDITOR

The Scoop RETURN TO SENDER? Three Clwistian athletes

who answered requests for autogmphs. SS purchased sports cards for 10 Christian jli'Ofessional atltletes. Then we had a couple of young fans send well-written /totes to the athletes aslling them to sign the card and retum it. We included a self-addressed, stamped envelojJe to malte it eaS)'· Here are the first three athletes who came thmugh for us. A fourth athlete, Curtis Marlin, sent his autograph in late Novembertoo late for a photo. Kurt Warner. The Cardinals' quarterback signed a testimony card and sent it to our autograph seekers. Warner, we have found, is among the most accessible athletes we've ever dealt with. 0

Shaun Alexander. Shaun was really the only one who played the game. The Seahawks' running back actually signed the card we sent and returned it.

0 Grant Hill. The Orlando superstar responded, but he did n't sign anything. He sent a 4-color page with stats and a facsimile signature.

THE QUEST One question you may have wondered • • • about. What is the most unbelievable thing someone has "exjJected" you to do because )'OU are a Christian athlete? "The one that sticks out in my mind was a meeting a few other teammates and I had with a man . He had lost his car in a flood during a period of heavy rain. He wanted to meet me and about fo ur other teammates who were Christians. His request was for us to 'help' him get a new car. By 'help; I mean actually buying him one. The request in and of itself wasn't so bad, but when· questioned further about the type of car he was seeking, he asked for a full-sized, brand-new sport utility vehiclethis after losing his previous car because he couldn't afford to pay the insurance on it." - KEVIN MAWAE CENTER , NEW YORK JETS

WEB SIT E: www . Spo rt sS p ectrum.com

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• In the fall of 2005, I did something I had not done in a couple of decades. I coached a high school basketball team. Same school. Different century. Different gender. Different results. Same joys. When I last coached high school, I was the varsity boys' coachand our team set a school record by winning 18 games. But winning all those games wasn't our greatest legacy. What matters the most to me is that today I consider the guys on that team my friends. Occasionally, four of those former high school players and I go out for lunch. Of course, we talk about our team and some of our most memorable moments-and we still discuss strategies from those games all those years ago. But most important, we meet together as Christian dads, husbands, and servants in our churches. All JJ. Back on the bench. A return to coaching was a reminder of the joy of those men are active of working with teenagers. Christians, successful in their professions and marriages-and working in their churches. They have faced tragedy and pai n, and we can share that. They have teenagers, and we can share what that means. These many years later, they are no longer my students-we are peers in life. But we share an amazing bond as players and coach. Back in the day, we shared hard work, ups and downs, difficulties and joys. I taught them what I could about basketball and they taught me a lot about teenagers. Together, we were successful because we strove to do our best to glorify God and grow up together in our relationship with Him. And we got pretty good at the basketball thing too. And now I'm back. Coaching freshma n girls. Our record wasn't very good. In fact, it was downright embarrassing. But again, it's not just about winning basketball games. It's about trusting God, learning to serve Him, and learning from each other how to live this life. It's about helping young girls grow up to be everything God wants them to be. Coaching these young ladies reminds me why we do Sports Spectrum. In various ways- including journalism-many Christians are using sports to make a difference for God's kingdom. How are you using sports to further the work of Jesus Christ where you live? Dave Branon, managing editor Sports Spectrum magazine editor@sportsspectrum.com Letters There are two ways to send letters to Sports Spectrum to tell us how you think we're doing: 1. Send a letter to Editor, Sports Spectrum, 3000 Kraft SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49512 2. Send an e-mail to editor@sportsspectrum.com. We would love to hear from you-and so would other Sports Spectrum readers. SPORTS SPECT RUM - JAN UARY - FEBRU A RY 2006

~ee'd Stor~

•

Victor

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Halftime Adjustments-In Life • If you're ahead at the half, have you won yet? If you're behind at the half, have you lost yet? Of course not. Let me tell you what "halftime" means in the world of sports (besides "bathroom break"): Time to re-evaluate. A huge part of the key to success in sports-and life-comes in how effectively we evaluate and adjust. "Halftime" can mean part of the way through a game, a season, or even a season of life. (Utah's 34-point halftime deficit t's halftime of a high school against Denver on Nov. 27, 1996). basketball game. Central High trails Northwest by 14. The The ZOOS Miami Dolphins, Central coach recognizes that Northwest is beating his team's trying to rebound under new man-to-man defense with a coach Nick Saban from the darkest steady diet of pick-and-rolls and era of the Dolphins' storied one-on-one moves created by history, have found halftime to clearing one side of the floor. In be a recharging experience. "I've been in places where at the locker room, the coach doesn't yell or belittle- he adjusts. The halftime there's very little adjustment being made or no adjustteam switches to a zone with ments at all," defensive tackle occasional half-court traps, someVonnie Holliday told The Palm thing it hasn't used in a few Beach Post. Holliday is on his third games, but which was effective a couple of weeks before in another NFL team. "It's really refreshing match-up. The coach makes the and reassuring to the players that adjustment, reminds the team of when you come in at halftime, its effectiveness previously, tells the coaches actually have an idea. them they are going to steadily You as players gain confidence chip away at the deficit, and chat- from that. They do a great job." Halftime preparation is meticulenges them to be overcomers. The zone disrupts Northwest's lous for the Dolphins. From how the chairs are arranged, to the flow and puts Central in better placing of towels and water, to the rebounding position. Northwest's momentum is broken. Central's set-up of screens to review formations-the Dolphins enter a virtuplayers are hopeful again. They creep back, and they win by two. .allaboratory at the half, designed Central's coach didn't panic. He to enable positive change. recognized what wasn't working, remembered what had worked, Sometimes halftime adjustand adjusted, ~alling upon the ments are strategic. Sometimes character of his players in the they are emotional, mental, or midst of the adjustment. spiritual. Often they are simple gut-checks that reveal the characIn the Los Angeles Lakei'S' ter of the participant. One fundamental truth of most recent run to the NBA Finals (they lost to the Detroit Pistons in sports and life is that if you keep 2004), many players suggested the doing what you've been doing, but expect different results, turning point of the season was overcoming a 30-point halftime you're foolish. We all need to deficit to defeat the league-leading make changes at times. Dallas Mavericks in the regular Is it "halftime" for you? Maybe season. That fell just short of the it's mid-life or mid-season or pergreatest comeback in NBA history haps you find yourself uncertain 8

SPORTS SPECTRUM- J A NUARY -FEB RUA RY 2006

you've chosen the right major halfway through college. Maybe you're a high school junior who looks around you and realizes there's no direction-or a wrong direction-to your life. Take a halftime break. "The challenge you're facing is not new to the human experience," says Jay Strack, a leadership expert, author, speaker, and founder/president of Student Leadership University. "It was true in the days of the gladiators and in the days of the disciples." Strack has spoken to more than 100 athletic teams, including NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball. He

enable getting you there?" Here are some principles of reevaluation, gleaned from Strack and Les Steckel, long-time NFL assistant coach who is currently president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. 0 Start where you are. This is a call to realistic evaluation. Own the condition of your life. Are you failing at what you are attempting? Are you succeeding, but yet do not have peace that this is what you should be doing? Are you a 6-feet-1 high school basketball center dreaming of playing low post in college? How many of those have you seen lately? God has a great future for

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frequently addresses athletes about seasons of life. "Scripture refers to 'seasons' over and over," Strack says. "It says to be ready in season and out of season-well, what does that mean? Is 'out of season' the offseason, or when you're injured? So I did a word study and found that the word often translated season is also translated 'opportunity' and it means a 'favorable wind blowing: It's the picture of a Greek ship, sails full, making great time, but with a clear destination." Strack suggests that in your halftime you "try to paint a picture of where you are headed. Do you know where you're going? Do you have some values that will

those who follow Him, but He can't operate effectively in His power if we don't understand where we are. 8 Use what you· have. God gave you talents. Evaluate them ana consider whether you are using them fully. Also consider lesser talents- which may simply be ones you haven't fully developed yetthat you haven't given their due. You are equipped for something and probably more than one something. As an individual, a team, a family, there is a style that fits you. 0 Ask God for guidance. You've re-evaluated where you are and what you've got. Now go to God. "Ask for advice; get on your knees," says Steckel, who made a

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"fourth-quarter life adjustment," he says, from being a football coach to president of FCA. "I've told my kids, 'Mom and Dad don't know God's perfect plan for you. But pray. Pray you'll find yourself in the center of God's will, and when you're there, there is tremendous peace and contentment.'" 0 Do what you can. You've reevaluated, considered your gifts, and asked God for guidance. Now adjust. "If you're on a team, and you're taking on water, lead the charge to getting all hands on the pump," Strack says. "Then you be the first one to start paddling the right direction. Wherever you find yourself, no matter who is to blame, be part of the solution instead of the problem. Always value people more than property; even if you're off course and going to be late, still value people first. "If your re-evaluation is of you alone, simply paddle in the direction God gave you, with a good attitude. The vision of where you're going will become clearer as you get nearer." A personal re-evaluation may require a major change of course -or it may not. You may be doing the right thing with the wrong attitude. An attitude adjustment may shed light on your dark path. Don't be afraid of change. Strack tells the story of asking a pilot of big passenger jets about flying on autopilot. "He said that even with autopilot they have to constantly make course corrections," Strack says. "They've got head winds, tail winds, cross winds, the earth's gravity, traffic, weather- he said they constantly have to adjust. "Adjusting in mid-course is not a sign of weakness; it's a sign of strength." 0

Veteran sportswriter Victor Lee lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. Comment on this article at victorlee@victorlee.org.

Repla~ ~

With Brian Hettinga

Caroline LaLive was a member of the 1998 and 2002 US Winter Olympics ski squad. Brian: Tell us about your career. Walk us through how you got to the level where you are now. Caroline: I started skiing when I was 2. My father is from Switzerland, so it was part of the heritage. I quickly developed a real love for the sport. I started racing small races when 1 I was about 6, and then I kind of li climbed the ranks all the way up / through the junior program and then on to the national ski team. I went to the 1998 and 2002 Olympics.

going to be racing felt like a bit of an advantage. Brian: Were you skiing your best leading up to the Games? Caroline: Actually, right before the Games, I had had a little slump. I headed to Florida for a 5-day break. I just tried to recharge my batteries and get focused. I had been in a slump, but I was confident I'd snap out of it.

Brian: Leading into the Games, you were expecting success. Others were speaking of expecting you to medal Brian: You had an interesting experiin quite a few events. Explain how ence in Nagano in 1998. Tell us about that turned out for you. that experience. Caroline: I think subconsciously Caroline: I found out only 3 days before I was leaving for the Games that I had put some pressure on myself. I was definitely shooting for a medal I actually made the team. It was a in the combined. I had strong perquick packing and then heading to formances in that event in years past. Japan. It was an incredible experience BRIAN HETIINGA culturally. The people were amazing. talked with CAROLINE But I had trouble from the get-go. In the downhill, I crashed on the bottom It didn't feel like the Olympics because LALIVE on Sports Spectrum Radio. half after having a really fast run, which we didn't stay in the Olympic village. You can hear Sports could have probably been a medal run. I was just 18 years old. Spectrum across the So I thought, okay, I've got two more. United States on Saturday at noon It'll be okay. The combined was the next Brian: Then there were the 2002 Eastern time. Go to event, the one I felt most confident Olympics. Was it different because www.sportsspecit was here in the United States? about. But I fell in the first run on the trum.com for a list of stations that carry slalom, and it put me out of contention. Caroline: Yeah. In looking back, my the program. The third race was the Super G, and I perspective was different. It was the fell on the fifth gate. I ended up not excitement of being at home and havfinishing any of my events. There was some nasty ing family and friends there to support me. And, press coverage. It was a test of character. knowing the terrain and the hills where we were

.& Still going. Caroline Lallve competed In the downhill portion of the 2005 US Alpine Championships last April and finished second.

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Brian: What would you say God has taught you through this? Caroline: I think the biggest aspect was that because of my career and my skiing, I feel that the Lord has directed and guided me into being successful, and He gave me this talent. When I didn't win, I would think, Lord, what is going on here? This is so much the desire of my heart. I just kind of felt alone. I had to reflect and realize that our plan is not always God's plan. His timing is perfect, and obviously it wasn't His time. You learn so much more when your faith is tested. Also, He can use defeat to help me witness to people. How I approached and dealt with defeat I really hope is a good testimony. 0 SPORTS SP ECTRUM - JA NU A RY- FE BRUA RY 2006

Up Next • Written and Compiled

Jim Gibbs

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TIFFANY MCWILLIAMS: Who Is In Control? • Sometimes, the most difficult challenges come right after life just seems to be getting good. Tiffany McWilliams found that out last year when she was a fifth-year senior at Mississippi State University. McWilliams had starred at both cross-country and track & field and had her eyes set on the 2004 Olympic Games. McWilliams, 23, was the 2004 NCAA indoor mile and outdoor 1500m champion; the 2003 NCAA outdoor 1,500m champion; the 2003 NCAA indoor mile runner-up; finished third at 2003 USA outdoor 1500m; and was the 2004 SEC BOOm, 1500m, and mile champion. She had established herself as one of the top middle distance runners in the NCAA and, by 2004, had become one of the best runners in the US. She crossed the finish line in her career-best time of 4:32.24 to win the 2004 NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile, edging the defending champion Johanna Nilsson of Northern Arizona. But then came the bad times. A stress fracture in her left foot put her Olympic dreams on hold in her first chance to make the team. "I have my sights set on 2008 now, and I just keep trying to remind myself that God is in control,".she says. Like most Christians, McWilliams said she found it easy to praise God when things were going well. "During my sophomore year, everything was going great," she says. "I was really feeling good when I ran. No injuries, great relationship with the

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SPORTS SPECTRU M

Lord. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly. But then I hit a bump in the road, and I got injured late in my junior year. Things began to get tough. I got a stress fracture in my left foot, and that led to a lot of other prob- ~ lems in my left side and in ~ my left leg and my back. " Running was just so ~ painful, and I really wasn't j sure if I was going to be g able to run competitively ~ again." While McWilliams was weighing decisions athletically, she was trying to

make some pretty tough decisions away from the track as well. "I was struggling to find a church that I wanted to go to and felt comfortable in. So things were tough last year," she says. "I was also trying to find an agent and trying to decide if I really wanted to tum pro or not. I was getting all this advice from all these different people, and I really didn't know which way to go. Then, because of my injury, I couldn't compete in the Olympic trials. So it was really a pretty difficult time." Over a period of several months, however, McWilliams realized that God was, indeed, in control. "I realized that the more I prayed about it and the more I gave all these things over to the Lord, the more at peace I felt about it. I also started getting involved in a small group Bible study, and it really helped .,.. Winner. Tiffany won the women's 1,500-meter race at the 2004 NCAA Championships .

to have that support system. After praying a lot about it, I did decide to tum pro. It was tough to give up my last year of eligibility, but after praying about it and talking to my coach and the athletic director at my school, we all decided that it was the best thing to do. So I did decide to tum pro and run for Adidas, which is the only endorsement I have. I'm signed through a year after the next Olympics, and I'm pretty excited about it." Even though McWilliams is still fairly young, she JULIUS RONO knows she can't run comTrack. Sophomore. Roberts petitively forever. Wesleyan College. From "Running is not the only Kenya, Africa. Age 21. thing in my life. I want to do things for other people • Had a tremendous freshand help people through man season by claiming work in my church, whetwo national championships ther that's teaching a ~~:::::,..._at the NCCAA Indoor Sunday school class Nationals. Won the or being a mismile with a time of sionary or what4:1B, breaking the Roberts school ever God has in record. He broke store for me. another record in I also want to the BOO-meter race, get my master's degree winning the championship in human sciences-either with a time of 1:56. He also family studies or child finished second in the 3,000development. Those are all meter race with a time of B:41. things that I1l just have At the NAIAnational chamto keep praying about pionships, Rono once again broke the school record in the because, as God taught BOO-meter and mile races. He me last year, He's got it finished second overall in the all under control whether BOO-meter race with a time of I realize it or not." 0 1:53.91. He finished fifth in the -JIM GIBBS mile at 4:13, qualifying for All-

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American status in both races. HIGHLIGHTS: "In the NCCAA Indoor Nationals, I was trailing in the 800-meter run, but then I won it with a burst of speed at the end. That was very exciting." TOP VERSE: Matthew 19:27 HIS STORY: "I grew up in a Christian family, and they shared the gospel of Christ with me at an early age. As a young boy I realized that I needed God." KEY INGREDIENTS: "With God, everything is special and I pray all the time." GOAL: "I just want to be the best athlete I can be and compete in the Olympics in 2008." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "Relax with friends." LIFE'S TOUGHEST MOMENT: "My biggest challenge was when I went back to school and found that there were so many things to do. It's been fun to come to the United States, but it has been an adjustment. I grew up in Kenya, Africa, and I've been in the US for less than a year now." SPORTS HERO: Japheth l angat.

A cross-country runner at Harding University in Arkansas. FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSICIAN/BAND: "I have a lot of Christian African bands that I listen to."

ASHLEY WORLEY Soccer. Defender. Senior. Wofford College. Spartanburg, South Carolina. Age 21. â&#x20AC;˘ In 2004, she as a tri-captain of her team and started all 13 games in which she played. Recorded a pair of goals during the season against Southern Conference foes Appalachian State (9/19) and at The Citadel (10/ 17). In 2003, she started 17-of-19 games in which she played and was a solid defensive standout, recording three goals during the season. In 2002, she started all21 games. HIGHLIGHT: "My very first game was very exciting. It was against Clemson and even though we lost 2-0, it was still exciting to be playing college soccer." TOP VERSE: Jeremiah 29:11 HER STORY: "I actually got saved at an FCA camp when I was in eighth grade after I had been listening a whole week to some Christian speakers. I thought I had known Christ since I had grown up in a Christian home, but I realized that I really didn't have a personal relationship with Him- so I accepted Him as my Savior." KEY INGREDIENTS: "Having a quiet time every day keeps me focused. Just like in sports you have to practice every day, having a quiet time every day helps me to keep focused on Christ." GOALS: "I hope to be a coach

after my playing career ends. But after I graduate from college, I'm planning on trying to play semipro soccer." FAVORITE CHILL ACTMTY: "I like to make my own personal greeting cards and do scrapbooking." LIFE'STOUGHEST MOMENT: "I lost the use of my legs when I was a junior in high school and was playing soccer. In one of our games, I played the worst game of my life. My legs just wouldn't do what I wanted them to do. After the game, they seemed to go limp on me. The next day, it was even worse. In fact, it had seemed to spread into other parts of my body. My bladder was messed up, and I couldn't even use the restroom normally for 2 or 3 days. Basically, it was a virus that attacked my spinal cord and I had to learn to walk all over again. I was running and playing again about 6 months later, and I was very thankful to God that I was able to play again. I could definitely see how God used that illness to get my attention. Before that happened, my life pretty much revolved around soccer and giving the glory to myself rather than to God." SPORTS HERO: Michelle Akers, a former US National Team soccer player who also competed in the Olympics. FAVORITE CHRISTIAN GROUP: Point of Grace

MICAH LANCASTER Basketball. Point Guard. Junior. Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, Michigan. Age 21. â&#x20AC;˘ Returning for his junior year for the Cougars following a sophomore season in which he garnered several honors, including NAIA All-American

Honorable Mention, NCCAA Second Team All-American, NCCAA Mid-West Region Player of the Year, and first team AllConference. He also led his conference in scoring (19.5 ppg) and assists (8.7 apg) last season as a sophomore. He has scored 925 career points and is currently carrying a 3.54 grade point average. HIGHLIGHT: "I scored 37 points against St. Francis (near Fort Wayne, Indiana) during my junior year." TOP VERSE: Proverbs 3:26 HIS STORY: "I was raised in a Christian home, and in sixth grade the story of the gospel became real to me. I had heard the story all my life, but in sixth grade Christ became real to me, and I began to get serious about having a relationship with Him." KEY INGREDIENTS: "It's a constant battle to stay close to the Lord, especially to find time to read my Bible and spend time in prayer. It's a constant journey. When I'm in the Word the most is when I feel the strongest. When I feel the weakest is when I feel like I haven't been spending time in the Word." GOAL: "Most of my goals still revolve around basketball. Ever since I was little, I've dreamed of playing professionally. Right now, I'm looking at maybe playing professionally overseas. I'm also majoring in public speaking in college, so after my basketball career is over, I hope to get into public speaking and maybe be a motivational speaker." FAVORITE CHILL ACTIVITY: "Just hanging out with my roommate and other friends. Just being around people is relaxing to me. Not necessarily a lot of people but just a few close friends."

the JV team as a freshman. Then I grew to 5-2 as a sophomore and made the varsity but was moved back down. That was pretty tough because I still felt like I could play on the varsity. There was a great feeling of success in making the varsity, and then moving back down was tough. I stayed on the JV until tournaments started, then I moved back up to the varsity to stay." SPORTS HERO AND WHY: "Michael Jordan because I've always admired his work ethic and his intensity when he was on the court." FAVORITE CHRISTIAN MUSICIANS: Third Day.

SPORTS SPECTRU M - JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006

1 1

The Biz •

Dale Gibson

[EXAMINING THE MRNY SIDES OF SPOAlS RS OUSINESS]

Let's n.. tho Coaah t is amazing how many fans want to see a coach fired after a key loss. Here's hoping you are not one of those fans.

If you are, how would you justify your decision? Would you be able to provide documentation supporting your decision? The number of coaches who are terminated each year is staggering. It is a fact of life at all levels of sports, whether amateur or professional. Rarely does a day go by without a rumor- or fact-based media story of an impending coaching change. No position is more open to public scrutiny than that of a coach. Everyone has an opinion about a coach and is usually willing to share it with anyone who will listen. Venues ranging from family outings to the local coffee shop to the workplace provide opportunities to debate the pros and cons of a coach's performance. Sports have a unique way of transforming fans into Monday morning quarterbacks, ready to

share with anyone who will listen just what the coach did wrong, who should be the starters on the team, and what strategy the coach should have employed. The "I told you so crowd" has plenty of members. It is not limited to just those with playing experience. Coaches are fair game for everyone's opinion. It will continue to be that way. Changing coaches at the professional level is usually a business decision. Frequently, the decision is predicated upon wins and losses, dollars and cents, or a combination of both. Unfortunately, today's amateur sports teams (college and high school) are prone to mimic the professional model of playing musical chairs with coaching positions. Intercollegiate and interscholastic athletic organizations need to remind themselves of the benefits they enjoy as amateurs. They are part of educational institutions, academic programs, and most often, parental involvement. Therefore, firing a coach for "just cause" should transcend the number of wins or an economics-only approach. There are sYStematic processes to evaluate coaches beyond wins and losses, economics, or basing the decision on whether or not administrators like or dislike a certain coach. The following guidelines with explanations are offered for institutions (colleges and high schools) which seek criteria for retaining or releasing coaches: • An athletic team must be viewed and run as a business. • An athletic team must exist as 1 2

an extension of the institutional in organizational development. mission statement. Several such evaluative tools • An athletic team and the coach- already exist. Second, coaches should be es must have points of comparison.

evaluated according to the mission statement ofthe institution. The

First and foremost, the perception of sports, even at the college and high school levels, is that sports is big business. Unlike professional sports, amateur sports try to portray idealistic reasons for its existence. However, success still is tied to the amount of money a program has for facilities, equipment, salaries, and programs. Therefore, a coach must have good-to-excellent management, organizational, and business skills. Gone are the days when the only skills a coach needed were those of player development and implementing game-day strategies. Athletic teams have evolved into bureaucracies with several layers of management. Successful head coaches, nowadays, spend as much time, if not more, outside the gym or field than in actual practice sessions. Their time is directed toward planning, directing, coordinating, budgeting, and organizational management. Institutions, therefore, need to utilize instruments to appraise a coach's effectiveness

SPORTS SP EC TRUM - JANUARY - FE BRUARY 2006

mission statement provides a description of the purpose of athletics. Rarely is winning mentioned in any mission statement. Participation, skill development, and the inherent values of sport are reasons usually given for having sports teams. It would seem somewhat odd to fire a coach for being extremely successful in accomplishing the goals of the mission statement, only to be fired for not winning enough games. An agreement between the institution and the coach needs to be reached concerning the importance of the mission statement and how it is to be applied in the performance appraisal of the coach. This should be agreed upon prior to hiring the coach. If wins and losses are going to be the major consideration for retaining a coach, then winning should be included in the mission statement as the foremost reason for fielding athletic teams.

Finally, coaches and teams should be compared to those in similar settings. Since comparisons are made in every facet of life, then why not athletics. For example, consider college basketball. Suppose College A plays College B. Both schools are similar in size, tuition, have similar athletic budg-

ets, support personnel, and play within the same conference. Let's say that it costs around $20,000 a year to attend each school. College A starts three seniors, one junior, and a sophomore. Its starting five represents a $340,000 investment. College B starts one junior, one sophomore, and three freshmen. Its starting five represents an investment of $160,000. Should College Alose to College B on a consistent basis with more dollars invested, then the return on the dollar for College A is not very good. Obviously, many more areas, other than financial ratios, may be compared. The number of years experience in coaching, the academic reputation of the schools, the overall athletic budget, summer camps, transfer rates, and various other things may impact athletic success. Athletic administrators may decide to weigh or prioritize the importance of different areas. The bottom line is that coaching changes should be justified based on sound rationale. One only has to remember that the University of North Carolina once hanged Dean Smith in effigy. Duke's Coach K was anything but successful when he began his career with the Blue Devils. Thankfully, each had an athletics director who was wise enough to use several criteria for evaluation. 0 Dale E. Gibson, Ed.D. is professor and Chair of Physical Education and Sports Management, Tusculum College in Greeneville, Tennessee.

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Upon Further Review •

B~ ~orilee

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MUSIC CD

TAKE ME BACK By Kent Bottenfield IBB Records Order this CD at www.kbott.com

Kent Bottenfield has a compelling personal testimony, which includes 16 years in pro baseball and a near-fatal artery blockage. The 37-year-old also has a soothing, strong voice and a way with words, which he applies to his rookie outing as a CCM recording artist. There's no doubt the guy has a gift for pitching songs as well as baseballs, and you can easily picture him crooning to his teammates on the St. Louis Cardinals before a rotator cuff injury lapsed his career. (Apparently the former AU-Star was known to tote along his keyboard on the road.) It's also clear that Bottenfield's message of hope is heartfelt and passionate, with each of the CD's 14 tunes pointing to Christ's salvation. The result is a polished collection that comforts, calms, and provides an inspirational boon for the weary traveler. That's the good news. The bad news isn't aU that terrible; it's jl!St that Take Me Back somehow fails to reach its potential. especially with blockbuster producer Michael Omartian at the helm for half the CD. There's nothing wrong with simple lyrics, especially if they convey genuine emotion and truth. Bottenfield's do, and the words reach out immediately to the listener with hope and edification. But the music sounds like warmed-over Steven Curtis WEB SITE: www.SportsSpectrum.com

Chapman, or the more formulaic CCM of the 80s-flat, somehow, and a little derivative. Still, if you're not looking for new edges to be cut here, Take Me Back offers encouraging music, beautifully sung, and both the title track and "Rain" stay with the listener long after the CD is done playing. Here's hoping Bottenfield's sophomore effort, in progress now, will build on his obvious strengths and offer additional depth and creativity.

and Wendy Ward contribute devotions, along with the magazine's staff writers and freelancers. What I liked most about these succinct, snappy meditations is how connected the biblical applications are to the sports illustrations. A vignette about a goalie who is blind in one eye is a jumping off point for Paul's thorn in the flesh. Leighann Reimer, a pro basketball player, talks about finding her focus at the free throw line, then uses it as a springboard to "fixing our eyes on Jesus." An excellent meditation on names reveals how, just as Iron Mike or The Mailman or The Next One are nicknames that refer to an athlete's unique abilities, so people in the Bible were bestowed with monikers that held significant meanings. These aren't "fluffy'' or glib readings. Each one is infused with a richness and knowledge of Scripture that feeds the hungry soul.

DEVOTIONAL BOOK

POWER UP! By the Sports Spectrum staff Discovery House Publishers Order this book at www.sportsspectrum.com

There's something for sports aficionados of aU stripes in Power Up! "Daily sports devotionals from Sports Spectrum magazine." In 365 days, readers will have gained not only tons of sports trivia knowledge-but more important -layer upon layer of eternal truths. Unlike Singletary's football-only devos, Power Up! features just about every sport you can think of, including the biggies such as basketball, football, baseball and hockey, and triathlon, volleyball, bull riding, and speed skating. Pro athletes such as Shane Doan, Danny Wuerffel.

DEVOTIONAL BOOK

MIKE SINGLETARY ONE-ON-ONE By Mike Singletary and Jay Carty

strap. For Chicago Bears devotees, No. 55 hovers above mere mortals as one of the aU-time greats. Despite his mythic persona, Singletary is refreshingly human in his newest book, Mike Singletary One-on·One: The Determination That Inspired Him to Give God His Very Best.

In 60 story-driven devotions, readers "get a glimpse of the rock-solid character that those of us close to Mike have always appreciated," says equally iconic former Bears coach Mike Ditka. They also sneak a peek at the lighter side of the beefy Bear. In one reading, called "The Funniest Thing," Singletary tells readers how his teammates at the Pro Bowl got a good howl out of pulling the old "red-hotin-the-jock" prank on him, "''d been initiated," he writes. "Welcome to the Pro Bowl." What does this funny little slice·of-life teach us about the Christian life? It's a bit of a stretch, but the take-home tip is about finding humor and joy in life. Co-author Jay Carty, writer of the practical applications that follow each of Singletary's football stories, manages to dig deeper and pull out a somewhat meaty devotion about humor in the Bible. Other topics include commitment. teamwork, leadership, and focus, which one hopes will spur readers on to greater performances on the field of the Christian life. Every devotional article is wrapped in pigskin, providing the die-hard football fan with terrific stories, insider anecdotes, and inspiration from one of the fabled stars of our time. 0

Regal Books Order this book at www.jaycarty.com

For football fans, Mike Singletary is about as legendary as any linebacker who ever donned a chin-

Lorilee Craker is a mother of three and the author of seven books, including The Wide-Eyed Wonder Years. She and her family live in Grand Rapids, MI.

SPOR TS SPECTR UM -J ANUARY - FEBRUARY 20 0 6

'13

Training Table • Bij Mike Sandlin Getciag . . . ht Oat

------------------------------------------

IFAT FACTS ABOUT YOUR DIET hree major sources of energy in our diet include the following: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Many of us are familiar with the need for carbohydrates in our diets; however, fats are often thought of as "bad." Fats, however, are an important part of a healthy diet.

are also in palm and coconut oils, which are often used in commercial baked goods (the kind you buy at the store). Eating too much saturated fat can raise blood cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease. Saturated fats are the biggest dietary cause of high levels of

Note that your body makes all the saturated fats it needs. You do not need to eat saturated fats. Yet, your body does need to consume unsaturated fats which is why they are often referred to as essential fatty acids.

Here are some of the reasons we need fat in our diets. Fats provide energy. Gram for gram, fats are the most efficient source of food energy. Each gram of fat provides nine kilocalories of energy for the body, compared with four kilocalories per gram of carbohydrates and proteins.

The best way to ensure appropriate consumption of fats would include the following recommendations:

Fats build healthy cells. Fats are a vital part of the membrane that surrounds each cell of the body. Without a healthy cell membrane, the rest of the cell could not function.

Choose lean, protein-rich foods such as soy, fish, skinless chicken, very lean meat, and fat free or 1% dairy products. 0

8 Eat foods that are naturally low in fat such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Fats build brains. Fat provides the structural components not only of cell membranes in the brain, but also myelin, the fatty insulating sheath that surrounds each nerve fiber, enabling it to carry messages faster. Fats help the body use vitamins. Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that the fat in foods helps the intestines absorb these vitamins into the body. Fat provides healthier skin. One of the obvious signs of fatty acid deficiency is dry, flaky skin. In addition to giving the skin its rounded appeal, the layer of fat just beneath the skin acts as the body's own insulation to help regulate body temperature. Fat forms a protective cushion for your organs. Many of the vital organs, especially the kidneys, heart, and intestines, are 1 4

store or in a restaurant, such as snack foods, baked goods, and fried foods. When you see "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" oils on an ingredient list, the food contains trans fats. Like saturated fats, eating too much can raise cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.

0 Limit your consumption of fried foods, processed foods and commercially baked goods (donuts, cookies, and crackers).

cushioned by fat, which helps protect them from injury and hold them in place.

low density lipoproteins we call "bad cholesterol."

Eating too much of the wrong kind of fat can also be dangerous to the young athlete's health, causing conditions such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. What makes a fat good or bad is its level of saturation, which refers to the number of hydrogen molecules a fat can accept.

Unsaturated fats are found in plant foods and fish. These may be good for heart health. The best of the unsaturated fats are found in olive oil, peanut oil, canota oil, tuna, and salmon. Unsaturated fats actually help to lower blood cholesterol if used in place of saturated fats. However, unsaturated fats have a lot of calories, so you still need to limit them.

Saturated fats are found in meat and other animal products, such as butter, cheese, and all milk except skim. Saturated fats

Trans fats are found in margarine, especially the sticks. Trans fats are also found in certain foods that you buy at the

SPORTS SP ECTRUM - JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2006

0 Limit animal products like egg yolks, cheeses, whole milk, cream, ice cream, and fatty meats. 9 Look at food labels, especially for the level of saturated fat. Avoid or limit foods high in saturated fat (more than 20% on the label).

Liquid vegetable oil, soft margarine, and trans fatty acidfree margarine are preferable to butter, stick margarine, or shortening. 0

Mike Sandlin is an associate professor in the health sciences and kinesiology department at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He has a Ph.D. in kinesiology from Texas A& M.

TO SU BSCR I BE TO SP ORTS SP EC TRU M : CAL L 1· 866 · 821 ·297

BY M A RY EDM O N DS

ompetitive, driven, and hard-working female athletes are at an increased risk for developing the "female athlete triad." Many times an athlete may try to hide her symptoms, and coaches may overlook them because changes in performance are not necessarily overt. Addressing and fixing the problem are crucial, and as a result, the athlete's level of competition will not suffer but instead will advance. The aim of this article is to introduce what the female athlete triad is, what the warning signs are, and how to beat it. What is the Female Athlete Triad? Female athletes are susceptible to one, two, or aU three components of the female athlete triad: disordered eating, osteoporosis, and amenorrhea. Cross-country runners, figure skaters, and dancers are three types of athletes who are likely to experience symptoms of the female athlete triad. These athletes are more at risk because their sports are lower impact and have an "appearance" factor; in many cases, this appearance factor is reenforced by the media and by a lack of awareness on the trainer and coach's behalf. As a result, many female athletes obsess about their weight from a young age and are constantly trying to shed a few pounds, with the false assumption that the weight loss will give them a competitive edge and make them look better. As coaches,

trainers, parents, and strength and conditioning specialists we need to make sure our athletes maintain a healthy weight through proper nutrition, training, and support. Disordered eating is the part of the triangle that sets everything else in motion- amenorrhea and osteoporosis are both byproducts of disordered eating. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are the two most common eating disorders and are characterized by starving the body or hinging and purging, respectively. Individuals who suffer from an eating disorder do not receive the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals. Over time, this lack will lead to a decrease in bone mineral content and density. These changes in content and density are often manifested through the development of stress fractures in the lower extremities and vertebra that will force the athlete to stop training. Another factor that weakens bone strength and additionally raises the potential for cardiac complications is the lack of a

CHART ONE

EXAMPLE: • Weight: .12.U pounds or ~ kilograms {120 pounds ;. 2.2) NOTE: 4 grams of protein or carbohydrates are in one calorie

CARBOHYDRATES: • 8 grams x WEIGHT: ID kilograms = 432 grams of carbohydrates/day • ill grams x 4 grams = 1ill calories or tess of carbohydrates need to beconsumed daily PROTEIN:

•u grams x WEIGHT: 5Y. kilograms =65A grams of protein/day • .5_M grams X 4 grams = Z§l.6 calories or Slightly more

'lilt-...,.,

menstrual cycle (amenorrhea). Amenorrhea is defined by the absence of a menstrual cycle for three consecutive months or if a female has reached age 16 and has yet to experience her first menstrual cycle.

On average, women between the ages of 18 and 50 ingest only 500-800 mg of calcium daily when the recommended is 1300 mg daily. Consuming the appropriate amount of calcium by eating such foods as beans, small fish, milk products, and legumes can help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Elite athletes also need to monitor the number of calories they consume compared to the number they expel and make sure they are similar. In an athlete's diet, carbohydrates need to constitute CHART TWO

Toavoidovertraining, long slowdislance {LSD) runs should have 2-3 days of rest between lhem. lnlerval trainingand high inlensityworkouts should also have2-3days of rest between each session. One dayaweek should be totallyfree of training and another shouldbeconsidered alight day.

Recognizing the Triad Because an athlete is often not aware of or is in denial about the female athlete triad and its associated dangers, it is crucial that trainers and coaches closely observe the athletes' behavior on and off the field. A few behavioral signs to be aware of are the following: • use of laxatives • frequently eating alone • an obsession with exercise and the scale • a preoccupation with food and weight. Some physical signs are face and extremity edema, stress fractures, lightheadedness, constant fatigue, and bradycardia. Also, because uncommon stress fractures indicate possible osteoporotic bone, those injuries should serve as an immediate red flag. These stress fractures most often occur in places such as the femur, pelvis, and vertebra.

5-8g/kg of body weight, and protein needs to constitute 1.2- 1.4g/ kg of body weight (SEE CHART ONE). Finally, amenorrhea can be avoided through proper nutrition and monitoring training volume. The body becomes stronger and able to perform more efficiently when training is periodically varied, and includes days of rest (SEECHART TWO). 0

Beating the Triad With proper nutrition, a balanced training plan, and emotional support the triad can be beat. The following are a few guidelines to follow if you suspect that one of your athletes needs help.

Mary Edmonds is a Sports Performance Specialist at "The Epicenter" for Sports Perfonnance in Charlotte, NC, and is a certified strength and conditioning specialist through the NSCA. To contact her with any questions or comments please call {704) 945-7750. E-mail: mary.edmonds@orthocarolina.com

Type of Training Sun. Rest Mon. Interval Tues. LSD Wed. Race Thur. Interval pace Fri. Light cross trainingpace Sat. LSD

Duration Intensity (min) •;.0 -

-120 60

9~5

J _,

70 Competitive pace 90-95

45-60

-120

SPORTS SPECTRUM - JANUAR Y-FEBRUARY 2006

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The colleges included on the following pages are also listed in our online College Roster. If you would like additional information from any of the schools featured here, please visit us online at:

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Baptist Bible College is fully accredited and offers 26 programs, including sports ministries, health & physical education, and camping ministries. BBC athletics maintains a strong tradition of winning and excellence. Whether on the course, field, or court, our students strive todo theirbest andare uniquelymotivated not onlytowin but to glorify God. The Defenders compete in 7 women's sports and 7 men's sports. athletics@bbc.edu 800.451 .7664 www.bbcdefenders.com

seattle pacific . university Seattle Pacific is a premier Christian university that equips people to engage the culture and change the world.lts high-quality academic program serves nearly 3,800 undergraduate and graduate students. l ocated in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, SPU is committed to graduating people of competence and character who bring about positive change in the communities they serve. The SPU Falcons compete in M[W basketball, M(W cross country/track, M(W soccer, M!W rowing, and women's gymnastics and volleyball.

For more information ca/11·800•947·7474 or visit us at www.charlestonsouthern.edu Promotinq Academic Excellence In a Christian Environment

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A PLAYER. A COACH. A CHAPLAIN. THREE DIVERSE MEN WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SUPER BOWL UP CLOSE TALK here he is, performing sit-ups, shirtless, with a throng of ABOUT HOW ·reporters surrounding him and lapping up his every move. There he is, in self-imposed preseason exile shooting baskets in his THE BIGGEST driveway in a grainy piece of neverland-ranch-esque paparazzi SPECTACLE IN footage. There he is with uber-slickster Drew Rosenhaus on AMERICAN SportsCenter; on the hal ftime show insinuating that his five-time Pro Bowl teammate dogged it; on Good Morning America; on an antiperspirant commercial. SPORTS He, of course, is Terrell Owens. 11 This article is not about him. 11 This article TOUCHED is about the Super Bowl-a spectacle of such epic proportions that it can almost THEM be blamed for maKing T.O. the way he is, a poster child for the American Athlete PERSONALLY Gone Wild. Every year has its story, its nanative thread. 11 Last year it was T.O., • BY TED KLUCK

Donovan, and the broken leg. In years past it has been Eugene Robinson and the undercover cop, the Fridge scoring instead of Payton, the Broncos losing, or the Broncos winning one for John. Whatever it is, the Super Bowl brings a nation of voyeurs to their television sets like nothing else. 11 These are the stories of three of the players in this drama-a player, a chaplain, and a coach who for one day plied their trades on the world's biggest stage.

The Player: JEREMIAH TROTTER, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

• Flash back to Week I of the 2005 season. Jeremiah Trotter is in the face of Falcons cornerback Kevin Mathis during pregame warmups. They preen, they bounce. Trotter is 265 pounds of raw, jiggling, angry adrenaline. A punch is thrown. Words are exchanged. The teams get involved in a scene that spirals downward into what now looks like a Miami-Florida State pregame. Michael Vick can be seen bouncing around the melee, waving a towel in the air. We are reminded that the NFL, with its bigger, faster, stronger athletes, is one small step

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TO SU BSCRIB E TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 1 ·866·811·1971

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~ XXXIX mania. • Pregame fireworks light up the Jacksonville sky. • MVP Deion Branch makes one of 11 catches for the Patriots. • A lot of cameras were focused on Terrell Owens before SB XXX IX. • Center Hank Fraley of the Eagles prepares to get the ball to Donovan McNabb. • Former Beatie Paul McCartney rocks on. • Linebacker Jeremiah Trotter celebrates on the big stage. • In the end, it was Tom Brady and the Patriots who were No. 1 again.

away from complete chaos. Jeremiah Trotter is ejected. He will watch the game in street clothes, and I will call my editor wondering if he wants to go in a different direction for this piece. Maybe run another interview wi th Kurt Warner. No, he says, stick with Trotter, a spiritual leader of the Philadelphia Eagles. Trotter plays in an era where we laud athletes for simply being reasonably decent human beings. I ask him, of course, about the fight, and about his WEB SITE: www.S po rt sS p ectrum . com

most violent sport. "I've been a Christian all my life, and I really got serious about it 7 years ago toward the end of my rookie year when I was thinking about my career, my future," he says. "But it's two different worlds when I' m playing. When I' m on the field, I' m just taking care of business." With 80 tackles, including a teamleading 10 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, Trotter was named to his third Pro Bowl appearance as his return

as the starting middle linebacker helped to solidify the run defense. He was rewarded for his eff011s with a 5-year contract in the offseason. A 3-year starter at strongside linebacker for Stephen F. Austin State University, Trotter finished his collegiate career with 265 tackles, including 25 behind the line of scrimmage, 7.5 sacks, and three interceptions. He was a consensus first-team AllAmelica and All-Southland Conference selection as a junior after leading the Lumbe1jacks with 85 stops, including four sacks. There are linebackers who are flashy and fast, with tinted visors and UnderArmor flying in every direction, and then there is Troller. Big, steady, dependable, and ready to give you a beating. SPORTS SPECTRUM • JANUARY·FEBRUARY 2006

T On to the big show! Jeremiah Trotter helped the Philadelphia Eagles' defense contain the Atlanta Falcons 27-14 in the NFC championship game. The Eagles held the Falcons to just 202 total yards, including just 99 yards on the ground. That win on January 23, 2005, sent the Eagles to the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

The term "Woodshed" comes to mind. "! love the competitiveness and the contact," says Trotter. " ! love pretty much everything about the game, so it isn't hard to stay focused during Super Bowl week." Trotter learned the value of hard work-while also developing his massive upper body- by chopping wood for the family business run by his late father, Myra. After a big play, Trotter honors the work ethic he was taught by his father by motioning as if he was chopping wood with an ax. Said Trotter on the Eagles Web site: "Football really wasn't that hard. Running and lifting, that was easy compared to the work I did

at home .... I did anything I could do to make money, anything I could to help the family. It was hard work. I didn't play a lot of games. I worked. Looking back, I don't think I'd want it any other way." "It was a long two weeks," Trotter says of the weeks leading up to Super Bowl XXXIX. "There were no big spiritual challenges for me. When I wasn't practicing or game planning, I was with my famil y." "I just really enjoyed spending the time with my teammates- practicing, doing media stuff, and taking lots of videotape." I end with the inevitable question about T.O. and team chemistry, digging for any evidence of conflicts leading up to the game. "This team has much better chemistry than people think. I mean, I think people know that it's good, but it's really better than anywhere else I've played. I don't dread coming to work for the Eagles every morning. I really enjoy it and look forward to it."

The Chaplain: WALT DAY, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

• Working with the New England Patriots is not unlike working with the CIA, in that there are certain things you just aren't at liberty to discuss. Those certain things include, well, pretty much everything. This is readily apparent after a few moments on the phone with

Patriots team chaplain ("really I'm an Athletes in Action" employee) Walt Day. Day has been with the Patriots since 1993 and has seen the team through both lean years and Super Bowl glory. And while he can't talk about individual players, his weekly schedule, or anything directly related to the Patriots' performance, I asked Day about the demands on NFL players that he's seen firsthand during Super Bowl week, demands that the average viewer may not see. "These jobs-particularly during Super Bowl week-are very demanding mentally, physically, and emotionallY,' he says. "It's not as glamorous as it looks. These guys take a beating, physically. The average career is really short, and there's no gum·anteed money, so the pressure is tremendous." These pressures, plus the visibility of athletes and their abil ities to impact others, were the reasons Day pursued the chance to become a team chaplain. "I came to Christ as a freshman in college and worked for the Pawtucket Red Sox all through school as a front-office intern," he says. "I loved sports and really had a burden for the people of New England and the N01theast, because there really isn't an emphasis on God up here at all. And I thought that athletes had the unique ability to impact others." Forming relationships with athletes is what keeps Day comi ng back, and those relationships are the backdrop of his favorite Super Bowl memories-even

--------------------------------------------------------------- - -~·---TO SU BSCRIBE TO SPORTS SPECTRUM: CALL 1 · 866 · 821 -297 1

GREATEST SHOW ON TURF

though Day has to take in the Super Bowl in the stands. "I remember sitting behind Adam Yinat ieri 's parents at the Super Bowl in New Orleans against the Rams when Adam kicked the game-winning field goal. It was interesting to watch them go through the gamut of emotions during the game. I have a great picture of me hugging Adam's dad after the kick." Cue falling confetti. Cue Dick Vermeil crying. Cue Disneyland. Is the Super Bowl too big? Has the NFL spectacle gotten out of control ? "The NFL is a world of flesh and the devil," says Day. "There is so much worldly applause and so many resources available to these guys at a young age. I think they have a hard time relying on the Lord because they feel like they don't need to."

week. I was able to go through my notes and find some peace. I actually got to rest, which is a change." Ted Williams is in his lith season with the Eagles and his ninth in the role of IUrming backs coach. His first 2 years with the club were spent working with the club's tight ends. He earned praise in 2004 for his work with the multitalented back Brian Westbrook, who was the only NFL player to accumulate 700 yards in

The Coach: TED WILLIAMS, PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

â&#x20AC;˘ I dialTed Williams exactly 48 hours after his club's 33- 10 drubbing at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys- a loss that wasn't as close as the score indicated. Timing, of course, is everything, and mine couldn't be worse. "Super Bowl week was a blessing," says Williams, who is chattier and friend! ier than I expected after a loss. "The week in Jacksonville actually slowed down a great deal, because we did most of our game planning and serious prep work in Philly on the bye

both the rushing and recervmg categories. He also likes to talk. The reporter breathes a huge sigh of relief. "The players struggle with all the attention during Super Bowl week," he says. "It's probably 3 or 4 times more intense in the hotel lobby than it is during a normal road trip. You have fans aski ng for autographs and onlookers just staring at you. You really have to

ask yourself, 'Do I really need to go "There is so through the lobby right now?' But much worldly Jacksonville was a more quiet, rural place than where we usually stay, and applause Andy [Reid] didn't tell (the players] and so many what to do or what not to do." Our talk turns to coaching and what resources he appreciated most about the Eagles available to 2004 Super Bowl squad. "The best thing about work ing for [NFL players] the Eagles is that the players are all at a young basically good people-they're talented-but they're sti ll good people. They age. I think make coming to work a joy because they have a they check their egos at the door. I tell hard time them we're all in this together-we're all trying to rob the same train." relying on the He expresses some hesitation over Lord because leaving in the last quote, and I express how cool it is, and that I will most def- they feel like ini tely be leaving it in. Interviewing they don't coaches always provides exposure to choice phrases to weave into one's need to." - WALT DAY repertoire. "I' m a talker," Williams says. "The players call me the storyteller because I'm always telling them stories about how I grew up. I don't preach to them, but I do remind them what the Bible says and what it calls us to. My dad taught me respect. If I get your respect, that's what I' m after-your love is just a bonus. And he always told me, when I walked out the door of the house, to remember the One I represent when I leave." 0

Ted Kluck is a freelan ce wriler living in Lansing, Michigan. His firs/ book, Facing Tyson, will be published by Jhe Lyons Press in 2006. ..,. Eagle eyes. Head coach Andy Reid and running backs mentor Ted Williams keep a close watch on things as players work on blocking drills. Williams has been with the Eagles for 11 seasons. He has a master's degree in zoological science from Cal StateLos Angeles.

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_,..

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·-

-... , PHOENIX COYOTE CAPTAIN SHANE DOAN LOVES TO PLAY HOCKEY, BUT DURING THE SEASON OFF FROM THE NHL, HE WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER THINGS THAT REJUVENATED HIM FOR THE 2005-2006 SEASON • BY w. TERRY WHALIN

f \

ast season, the clashing sound of competing National Hockey League teams chasing a puck was suddenly silenced. The grim determination between combatants on the ice screeched to a halt, and the arenas stood empty during a I0-month lockout. From the time he was 3 years old, Shane Doan, now the captain of the Phoenix Coyotes, had donned his skates and taken to the ice every season. His lifelong dream had been to play professional hockey, following the footsteps of his father, Bernie Doan, who was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1971. So when the league shut down in 2004, it could be said that for the first time in Shane's life he did not have hockey to play when the season rolled around. . Throughout his I0-year professional career with the Coyotes and their predecessors, the • Winnipeg Jets, Shane has played with a single team. During the 2003-2004 season, Doan

earned his first spot in the NHL AllStar Game. Playing his usual right wing position, he scored the wi nning goal for Team Canada at the 2004 World Cup. Doan's hockey had never been better- then the loc.kout hit the players and fans of hockey. When NHL owners canceled the season, Doan felt bad for hockey fans around the world. "As a lifelong hockey fan, I believe hockey is a sport of integri ty and character, which is passed along to others," Doan explains. "Players take pride in being approachable to our fans." At the same time, Doan understands the business aspects of the sport, sayi ng, "The owners wanted to reset the eco-

WEB SIT E: www.S p ortsSpec trum . co m

nomics of the game, so they canceled the season." While Doan loves to skate, excels at scoring, and thrives on playing hockey, the lockout brought something unexpected- the gift of time off. Professional hockey mounts a grueling, basketball-like schedule. During

the regular season between October and April, Doan can count on spending at least I00 nights on the road and away from his fami ly. Combine that with an intense ail-day schedule when he's home, and it's easy to see that the family can suffer. In addition, with Doan's active faith and solid relationship with Jesus Christ, the hockey travel schedule makes it difficult to get to church- much less to attend a Bible study wi th any regularity. That changed during the lockout. Shane and his family consistently attended church services at McDowell Mountain Communi ty Chu rch in Scottsdale, Arizona. "It was unusual for me to miss a Sunday," he says. Also, for

..,. Glad to be back. Even fans at the NCAA basketball tournament came equipped to express their displeasure with last year's hockey lockout. But now the NHL Is back and better than ever-which puts fans and players alike In a much better mood.

SPORTS SP ECTRUM - JANUAR Y-FE BRU ARY 2006

2 7

SEASON Of GROWTH

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.A Love boat. Andrea and Shane Doan used some of their extra time away from hockey to spend quality time on the water.

.,.. Representing. It wasn't the NHL, but for Shane it was plenty important to represent Canada in the World Championships held in lnnsbruck in May 2005. 2 8

the first time Doan attended a men's Bible study at church on Friday momings. "It was a small group of eight to ten guys including Pastor Don Doe, and we studied John Eldredge's Waki11g the Dead: The Gl01y ofa Heart Fully Alive;' Shane says. "l really enjoyed the time with other Christian men." While Doan missed the competitive nature of hockey, the lockout also gave him time for his young family. "Josh [now 3] hasn't known a time that I wasn't home," Shane says. Also he's been a constant presence for the Doan's youngest child, Karys, now 16 months old and actively talking, and he's been around for Gracie, who is in first grade. "Plus my wife, Andrea, has been amazing to be around during this period." With Phoenix Coyote hockey back in full force, Doan feels invigorated about the game and what's ahead for his team. "It's exciting to be playing hockey again with a good team," he says enthusiastically. During the preseason, Wayne Gretzky moved from pm1 of the general management team to take over as the Phoenix Coyotes' coach. "It's a unique oppot1unity to get to work with Coach Gretzky," Doan says. "He gives the various players a lot of freedom to make good decisions with the puck. You can see on the bench that he's a fiery guy who wants to win, and as a player it's good to see that fiety side and know the coach is on your side." The addition ofThe Great One as the coach has elevated the presence of the Phoenix Coyotes in NHL circles. "If you are not Canadian, it's hard to understand," Doan explains, "Wayne Gretzky is the most famous Canadian on the planet, yet he has the ability to make you feel comfm1able. It's his unique gift

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ JANUARYÂˇFEBRUAR Y 2006

as a person and as a player." As a young boy in Canada, Doan grew up south of Edmonton, Alberta, and the Edmonton Oilers, Gretzky's team, were constantly a part of his life. "It was the team we cheered for as they won four Stanley Cup championships, and I knew all of his statistics forwards and backwards," Doan says. "l had every sticker book and every souvenir for the team." At age 15, Doan left home to play with the Kamloops Blazers until he was l8 when the Win nipeg Jets drafted him. The 2005-2006 season marks Doan's second as team captain after serving as assistant captain for two sea ons-and now he's the captain for his childhood hero. Coach Gretzky also touched the life of Andrea Doan, Shane's wife and a former professional model, whom he married in 1997. When she was 8 years old, Andrea Cunliffe's father took her and her brother to watch their

first NHL game. The Vancouver Canucks were playing the Edmonton Oilers early in Gretzky's career. The Cunliffe family stayed at the same hotel as the Oilers, and Gretzky posed with Andrea and her brother for a photo. The next year, Andrea's dad and brother returned for another Oilers' game agai nst Vancouver. "My brother had Wayne Gretzky sign my photo. It was a pivotal age for us, and the experience only increased our love of hockey," Andrea recalls. Gretzky's move behind the bench has elevated the interest of Canadian television in the Phoenix Coyotes' games. "Canadian TV covered eve1y one of our preseason games, and I expect they will be at eve1y one of our regular season games," Doan says. "The difference is the presence of Coach Gretzky. There is no way to downplay his imp011ance in Canada, and it's great for our team." Those extra cameras might be able to

SEASON OF GROWTH

foc us on something unique Doan does wi th his hockey stick. Before he goes out onto the ice, he has been known to write PTL (Praise the Lord) or his wife's or chi ldren's initials on his hockey stick. Also, he writes Romans 8:28, "In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" on it. He says he writes the verse "because l need to know the verse. But I don't write it all the time. I want to make sure it means something when I do it and that I' m not just doing it to be doing it." Some people may wonder how Doan mixes his solid faith in Christ with the rough-and-tumble world of hockey. To Doan, it's no mystery at all. "My father was a hockey player, and he's one of the most godly Christian men I know," Doan says. Then he turns to the life of King David, whom the Bible calls "a man af1er God's own heart." Out of David's devotion for God, Doan says, he wanted to build the temple in Jerusalem. "God told David that he couldn 't build the temple because he had too much blood on his hands," Doan says. "I do what I have to do out on the ice, and if anyone has a question with that about my Christianity, then that's between them and God." With intensity, Shane says, "I understand the more time I spend with God, then I become more Christlike. At the same time when I read the Bible, I tend to identi fy with Peter because he was a man full of passion and full of life." When it comes to life and hockey, "l insist on not settling for a life which is a bunch of rules, because then life becomes boring, dull, and no fun . Instead, I get the idea that God's real plan for our life is amazing!" During one NHL season, Shane fought on the ice with Jason Strudwick, yet he says, "He and I are good friends. I did what I had to do," Doan said. "A key part of the game is to hit and take hits and protect your teammates. Defending my teammate and that player knowing that he can count on me shows my character. It's probably the strongest possible witness that I can have for Christ." "Every person has a passion for their li fe and for me, it's Christ, hockey, and my family," Doan says. This passion is evident each time Shane puts on a Coyote jersey with the C marking his role as the team captain. He underWEB SITE: www.SportsSpect r um.com

stands the extra responsibility for such a role. "I set the tone for the entire team, and I'm part of the public face of the Phoeni x Coyotes," he says. As the 2005-2006 season progresses, the public is seeing a number of exciting rule changes in the NHL. While there are some technical rule changes, Shane says one of the most exciting additions for the fans is the shootout. "There will be no more tied hockey games," Doan explains. After a scoreless, five-minute ove11ime, the coach selects three players from each team and the coach also decides the order they will shoot. Each team takes three shots and whoever scores the most goals after those six shots is the winner. "If the score is still tied," he explains, "there is a suddendeath type of shootout." Also, Doan says hockey fans are noticing greater vigilance from the referees regarding hooking and holding. In addition, greater limits have been put on the goalies. "They can't play the puck in the center area," Doan says. ''There are many other minor changes, but they are not something the fans wi ll take much notice of." Before the season began, Doan was one of35 NHL players selected to attend the Canadian Olympic Training Camp. He's keenly aware of the honor of such a selection. "There are 700 NHL players <1nd 67 percent of them are Canadian or 469 players," Doan explains. "It was an honor to be one of the 35 guys to possibly play on Team Canada." The team of 24 players will be selected in January, and Doan would love to be one of the 24. "If I get a chance to play on Team Canada, I will be there." Doan owns a photo from the 1972 World Cup games. It depicts one of the most recognized scenes in Canadian spo11s history. With 34 seconds left in the World Cup finals between Team Canada and the Soviet Union, Paul Henderson scored the winning goal as Canada defeated Russia in what was dubbed the "Summit Series." Called ''The Goal of the Century," the Doan photo is signed by four players (Henderson, Yvan Cournoyer, Vladislav Tretiak, and Yuri Liapkin). For Doan, the photo is a constant reminder that he has the privilege of playing hockey for his country- and for the Phoenix Coyotes. After a break from hockey that led to some great times spiritually and some memorable times for the family, the return of the NHL couldn 't have

t~EANWHilE,

BACIC AITI1E RANCH

In the Doan family, there are two .4 The Doan Boys, ca 1995. primary choices fo r your life work: (left to right) Shane, his brother Brook on the horse hockey player or cowboy. Shane " Pal," grandfather Muff says, "My line is that I wasn't tough enough to be a real cowboy." Doan, (who once rode In the rodeo; he died In 1996), When the captain of the NHL and Bernie Doan looked the Phoenix Coyotes talks about his part of Canadian cowboys. dad, who is a hockey player turned cowboy, you can sense the passion. "My dad is the greatest Christian I've ever met," Doan says with certainty. "Any man can learn to be more like Christ from my dad." Drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1971, Bernie Doan gave up playing professional hockey. "He wasn't having fun and for him it wasn't worth it," Shane explains. Bernie Doan returned to Canada and attended the Full Gospel Bible Institute. That's where he met Bernice (Shane's mother). About the time of Bernie's graduation, his father gave 360 acres of prairie in Halkirk, Alberta, Canada, to 100 Huntley Street, a Canadian ministry. Asked to build the Circle Square Ranch on t hat land, Bernie Doan turned his life away fro m hockey and toward a different direction. Today the camp has 65 horses, and during the weeks of the summer it is a dude ranch for children. In a summer 1,500 kids go through the camp and many of them give their lives to Christ while they are there. During the weekends, adults come to th e camp. Today Bernie Doan is the Regional Director for all of the ranches across Canada. "He loves it," Shane says. "And I know Dad wo uldn't have changed his life for anything ." -W. TERRY WHA LIN

come soon enough for Shane Doan. He was eager to return to the ice and play hockey. It's where he feels God's pleasure with every move on the ice. It's his pure joy and love. 0

W Teny \Vhalin is an editor and writer in Scol/sda/e, Arizona. Ten y has wrillen for more than 50 magazines and published more than 60 books including Running On Ice: The Overcoming Faith of Vonetta Flowers by Vanella Flowers with \Vhalin (New Hope) and Book Proposals That Sell: 21 Secrets To Speed Your Success. SPORTS SPECTRUM - JANU ARY 路 FEBRUARY 2006

S LORENZO ROMAR

REFLECT5-as he looks back on a life that began in

a gang-filled neighborhood in Southem California and has reached the heights of NCAA basketball first as a player and now as a coach-he can't help but wonder "what if?" There have been so many choices along the way. So many life=====.~

changing decisions.

IT'S BEEN A LONG

JOURN E~

FOR LORENZO ROMAR TO REACH WASHINGTON AND THE UPPER ECHELONS OF COLLEGE TEACHING, BUT

From the day he stood as a frightened 15-year-old boy before a gun-waving gang member asking hi m, "Are you going to joi n us?" to the time as a lightly recruited, underachieving high school

HE HAS GONE ABOUT IT

basketball guard who enrolled in a Cali fornia jun ior college only to become academically ineligible,

THE RIGHTWAY

he wondered to himself, "Is it worth it?"

BY GAIL WOOD

Perhaps the most amazing thing about Romar's unlikely joumey is not what he's become-last year's

Pacific- 10 Coach of the Year as his Washington Huskies shocked the West with a 29-6 record, a conference championship, and a ride to the NCAA's third round of the playoffs. Perhaps it's what he has not become: a gangster with a rap sheet, a college dropout pumping gas. Romar's achievement isn't as much what he's clone, as what he's overcome. "What kept me out of the gangs were my parents," Romar says. " It was my fear of them. And it was also my fear that if I got messed up into this gang stuff, my basketball career was out the window. My love for sports kept me out of the gangs." When Romar was 14, a gang member pulled a pistol from under his shirt, pushed the barrel of the gun against Romar's temple, and snarled, "What if I pulled this trigger." "I was scared," Rornar says. That was life in Compton, California, home of the notorious Crips and Bloods gangs. When Romar was 15, he was playing touch football wi th his younger brother and two friends in the street in front of their Compton home. A gang member pedcllecl up on his bicycle and asked if the Romar brothers were going to join his gang. "I said, 'Sure,'" Romar says. "I wasn't going to, but I said that just so he'd go away. But my brother said, 'No. I'm not joining."' The gang member reached into a basket on his bike and pulled out a handgun from under a sweatshirt. "The kid then asked, 'What do you think now?' " Romar says. "I'm looking at my brother and he's got tears in his eyes and he reluctantly says, 'Yeah, I'll do it.' We were both scared." The gang member rode off and the Romar brothers raced home, vowing never to join that

gang. The brothers, who would spend their summer days playing basketball or throwing the football, always had the safety of home to escape to. Romar's parents, Dennis and Dorothy, provided a loving home, one their son remembers as bei ng filled with laughter and music. Dennis, a welder, and Dorothy, a thermostat company supervisor, instilled a strong work ethic in their two sons. "My parents believed in God," Romar says. "But I wouldn't say we were a regular churchgoing family. We'd occasionally go to church on Sunday." That changed when Romar bumped into a lifechanging realization at age 25. Thmugh some friends, he found that being a "good guy" wasn't

the entrance requi rement for heaven. "After read ing the Scriptures, I realized that wasn' t how you had a relationship with the Lord," Romar says. "When I real ized that it took asking Christ to take over my life, to ask for forgiveness of my sins, my life changed." Romar remembers the elate he made that decision as if it were his birthday. " It was September I0, 1983," he says. At that time, Romar, a seventh-round draft pick of the Golden State Warriors in 1980, was in his third year of an unexpected 5-year NBA career, playing for three teams and averaging 5.9 points and 3.5 assists over that period. He followed his NBA career with playing guard for the

ministry team Athletes in Action for 7 years, the last 4 as a player-coach. It was his time as player-coach that turned his focus from going into youth sports ministry to college coaching. But basketball seemed like a dead-end early in Romar's life. As a sophomore in high school, he was cut from the varsity and junior varsity basketball teams. "I was a late bloomer," Romar says. Disheartened, Romar transferTed to Pius X Matthias High School, closer to his Compton home. By his senior year, he had scored a season-high 27 points, but no college scholarships came his way. He enrol led at Cerritos Community College, which was just 7 miles from home. After surviving the cut, beating out several allleague players, Romar moved into the starting

lineup. However, he had a setback when he tlunked a history class and became academical ly ineligible for the second half of the season. It was a hard lesson. Cerritos would lose in a championship game and Romar would watch from the sideline. Later, Romar learned that his coach refused a request to change the history grade to make his point guard eligible. "If he had fi xed my grade, I would have just gone on and tried to beat the system," Romar says. "But I learned from that experience. I never had a problem wi th eligibili ty again." It's also why Romar is such a stickler today on his athletes staying up on their studies. After a strong sophomore year at CCC, Romar was recruited by UNLY, Montana, San Diego State, and Washington. He'd become a Husky in 1978, star1ing for 2 years. He would eventually be just the second former Husky player to return to Washington to become the basketball coach. But Romar wasn't Washington's first choice as coach. He was the fourth choice of then-athletic director Barbara Hedges to replace a fired Bob

At each stop, Romar applied discipline equally, ensuring that his rules applied to everyone from starter to bench warmer. That rule was tested in the 2003-04 season when Washington faced Alabama Birmingham in the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Romar benched starters Will Conroy and Bobby Jones for the first four minutes of that game because of minor curfew violations. The Huskies started slowly and lost 102- 100. Yet Romar doesn't regret his decision to punish the two starters. 'There is a certain way to build a program," Romar says. "Your discipline must be consistent. Players are not dummies. You can't kid a kid. They' ll figure out what's important to you and what isn't." Romar said rules always have to be enforced consistently, no matter what the cost. "If it comes to the game being on the line and a player thinks he can do whatever he wants and get away with it, you're in trouble," Romar says. "Then there is slippage. Then you're at the

â&#x20AC;˘ Lead dog. Whether giving Bobby Jones some personal attention, contemplating his next move, or instructing the team during a time out, Lorenzo Romar has demonstrated true leadership for his team of Huskies.

mercy of your guys." To avoid that tug-of-war, rules have to be enforced no matter what the circumstances. "Most people take the path of least resistance," Romar says. "Everyone has to understand that from here on, we'd better do things right." Romar did that when he first arrived, curbing Doug Wrenn 's offensive role and forcing the all-conference guard into a reduced role offensively. Team, not individuals, would be Romar's emphasis. It had a progressive impact. Washington started 15-25 under Romar and then went 43-9. The turnaround was kick-started by the Huskies' remarkable comeback win 2 years

Bender in the spring of 2002. But pecking order didn't deter Romar, who would later say, "Once I knew they wanted me, if I was the lOth choice or the 12th choice didn' t matter to me." Romar came to Washington with a reputation for being a disciplinarian. In 3-year stints at Pepperdine ( 1997-99) and Saint Louis (20002002), Romar was a hard-working coach, turning a 6-21 record at Pepperdine his first year into 19-13 his last year there.

SPORTS SP ECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2006

NORTHWEST PASSAGE

says. "The perspective I have is that the more publicity, the more highAs a kid, Lorenzo Romar loved basketball, and he profile the better, beoccasionally attended church. cause God is going to get That, in his mind, qualified him to play on Athletes the glory." in Action, a touring Christian basketball team . Romar isn't intimidat"In California, they were on TV a lot," Roma r ed by success. Instead, says. 'Td watch them. And since I went to church once in a while, I thought that made me eligible to he sees it as an opportuplay for them." nity to put the light not As a senior guard at the University of Washington on him but on God. in 1979, he sent Athletes in Action some game "My background in video, inadvertently mailing one of "my worst Athletes in Action helped games," Romar recalls. Later, he tried out for the me understand that God team . Each time he didn't make the cut. can use anyone," Romar In 1983, Romar realized that church-going didn't says. "But at the same make him a Christian. He understood and accepted time, people like to be Jesus' work on the cross. The next year, Athletes in associated with a winner. Action invited Romar to join the team. "Isn't that something," Romar says. "I had tried That's why with Athletes all those times. This time they called me. That's the in Action we always tried work of God." to put the best athletes - GAIL WOOD out on the floor." A successful Athletes in Action team would challenge the ago at Oregon State, a game during premise that Christians are "soft and which Washington rallied from 16 points down in the final 7 minutes. It can't compete," Romar says. "So the better we are, the more I can was Washington's first conference win give glory to God," Romar says. in six games that season. In the 3 years prior to Romar's Romar is open about his Christian faith. He closes his answering machine arrival, Washington went I0-20, I0-20, greeting with, "God bless." He openly and 11-18. "Hard work, that's the topic of our shares his faith, comparing it to the pride a newlywed husband feels. discussions," Huskies guard Brandon "A wedding is a celebration," Romar Roy says. "The only thing we really says. "It's not something the groom get in trouble about is lack of effort. wants to be quiet about. He wants You can miss shots. You can dribble the ball off your foot. But effort. everyone to know. He's constantly talking about this lady he loves. So, That's a given." with the Lord, why does it have to be Romar uses his past, his faith in Christ, and a determination to succeed so secretive?" He's a sharer of the goodnews, but as a compass. He doesn't allow his players to wear their hair in braids or cornrows. Players who show up late to a meeting aren't allowed in. If a player isn't fitting into the offense and is playing one-on-one, he's benched. His teams don 't curse, usually. They don't wear headbands. Romar's coaching is shaped by his Christian faith and built on discipline, commitment, and trust. Discipline is a priority. The word Bible doesn't come up. But the principles are used. "I don't think you can win consistently with bad people in your program," Romar says. Romar hasn't allowed the success, the fame, and the wealth to become a distraction to his Chri stian faith. He's got other priorities. "I'm convinced that I'm only in this position because God has placed me here to bring glory to Him," Romar

A Higher CalliDg

COURTESY: ATH,_ETES IN ACTION

.A. There goes Lo. While with Athletes in Action, Romar played in 244 games as AlA toured the country playing college teams and witnessing about Jesus Christ. In a game against Michigan's Fab Five in 1992, the former NBA player scored 45 points. He is the . second-leading scorer In AlA history with 4,244 points.

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SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ JANUARYÂˇFEBRUARY 200 6

he's not a Bible thumper. "I don't think I' m going to paint my car with Scriptures," Romar says. "Or I'm not going to stand on the corner with a megaphone, yelling, "You're going to burn in hell." But at the same time, I'm proud of the fact that I have a relationship with the Lord." Romar said hi s greatest challenge in his Christian walk is maintaining a balance. He said the concerns of a coach about recruiting, about how his players are doing in the classroom and personally, about how the team is doing on the court, and about that clay's practice schedule can all push in on his clay. "There's so much going on," Romar says. "You're like a CEO. And it preoccupies my thoughts so much it takes time away from spending time with the Lord like I need to. You get focusing on what's next. That's my biggest struggle." But Romar said his own devotions are his best preparation for life's demands and challenges. "The biggest mentor for me has been the Scriptures and the Lord," Romar says. "That has allowed me to mature more than anything. It has taught me discipline, about dealing with people." And even how to turn a perennial loser into a national power at Washington. 0

Gail Wood is an mvard-winning sportswriter fo r The Olympian in Oly111pia, Wa shington. He has covered and written abolll the NBA Finals, the NCAA Final Foru; the ALCS, and the NFL playoffs.

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ophia Young is relatively new

to this basketball thing. From the hard-scrabble life growing up with eight siblings in St. Vincent, West Indies, to the awkward culture shock of Shreveport, Louisiana, and on to reaching the pinnacle of women's college basketball stardom, the 6-1 Baylor senior forward has rather quickly honed her natural ability into a skill that will assuredly make her one of the top picks in the next WNBA draft. Young was the ultimate go-to girl and leader of the Lady Bears' rise to their first NCAA Final Four appearance and national championship last year. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four and a Kodak/WBCA All-American. This season she is a Wooden Award Finalist. Given the fact that she is only in her sixth year of playing organized basketball, the heights Young could reach may have yet to be scaled. Throughout her meteoric rise to stardom, Young has managed to be faithful to God's leadings-fully aware that He has always been out in front guiding her into a sport she really didn' t care for at first. And she has no intention of getting ahead of Him. "God has just always been a big part of my life in everything that I do, especially in basketball," Young says. "I guess that's one reason why I play basketball. I didn't really like basketball when I was little, so once I came here it was pretty much just God telling me what to do. "Without Him, I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing." Young's stardom is understated and unassuming. Her leadership inspires confidence with her cool, calm demeanor. Her spiritual life is worshipful and intense, but not meant as a showpiece. Her life overall is about living out her favorite Scripture passagePh ilippians 4:6-7, in which the apostle Paul exhorts believers, "do not be anxious about anything," so that "the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Kim Mul ke¥-Robertson, Baylor's women's basketball coach, has watched all of these aspects of Young's life blossom since she discovered this raw talent 5 years ago at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport. "What I've recognized off the floor is that her maturity level has grown, and she's a confident young lady," says Mulkey-Robertson. "She's very soft-spoken, but she carries herself with a lot of confidence now. She's not afraid to speak up. I think that's carried both on the floor and off the floor. She's very comfortable with who she is and what her talents are, and it has been fun to watch her grow up.

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SPORTS SPECTRUM - JANUARY· FEBRUARY 2006

WHEN SOPHIA YOUNG LEFT THE ISLAND NATION OF ST. VINCENT, NO ONE COULD HAVE GUESSED THAT SHE WOULD DEVELOP INTO A TOP PLAYER ON A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP BASKETBALL TEAM •

BY TIM WA ITS

--------------------------------------, ..,. The semi-final. Baylor fans got it right on April 3 against LSU. The Lady Bears would soon be No. 1. T The final. Sophia Young looks for help against the Michigan State Spartans two days later. Baylor won 84-62. T The spoils. Victoria Jones, head coach Kim Mulkey-Robertson, and the Lady Bears celebrate their 2005 NCAA national championship trophy.

"She's a very spiritual person," continues Mulkey-Robertson. "She's in church every Sunday, she's in Bible study, and she doesn't do it in a way that she cares if you know about it. She doesn't flaunt it. She makes it a pat1 of her life." Sports were enmeshed in Young's family life back in St. Vincent. Sophia was active in track, soccer, and volleyball, and she played on St. Vincent's under-16 national netball team, a popular Caribbean sport that has a vague resemblance to basketball. Young grew up in a Christian fami ly, accepted Christ as a youngster, and points to her baptism on August I I, 1999, as the time when the guidance of the Lord quickly became tangible. Only 9 days later, she left the West Indies and ventured to the United States as a 16-year-old on a scholarship to Evangel Academy. "I know it's reall y what God wanted me to do," she says. "I didn't know what I was getting into, and I didn't know anybody. It was tru ly a leap of fait h." Moving from the West Indies to northwest Louisiana and later to Waco, Texas, was a WEB SIT E: www . SportsSpec trum . com

challenge. She had to learn to speak differently. Though she spoke English, she didn't speak as a southerner and people had a hard time understanding her rapid speech. Changes in climate and food were also issues, and she was often homesick for her family. It was through basketball, a sport she had put little stock in prior to leavi ng the West Indies, that God's plan for her life began to take shape. Her abilities got the attention of the father of one of Baylor's assistant coaches and eventually Mulkey-Robertson's. The coach wrapped up a commitment from Young based on her rich athleticism and nice touch on her shot despite only a rudimentary knowledge of the game. Plus, in an era where college basketball scouts track the ends of the earth, finding a gem like Young without a tussle is a rarity. "I've never been around a player who had never played and then played at the level we play- and be such an impact player," says Mulkey-Robertson, an All-American and an Olympic gold medalist from her days with

Louisiana Tech in the 1980s. "This is a first for me, and to see how good she's gotten each year is pretty remarkable." As a freshman, Young worked her way into the starting lineup and averaged 14.2 points and 10 rebounds per game, helping the Lady Bears to the WNIT title game. The followi ng season, Young, who takes advantage of exceptional quickness to blow by defenders and outmaneuver opponents to the boards, led her team in scoring ( 16.7), rebounding (8.6), steals (87), and field-goal percentage (55 percent) as Baylor reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. Young, who turned 22 in December, became a national figure during last year's glorious run to a national championship and the title game victory over Michigan State. She averaged 23 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the Lady Bears' six NCAA victories. ESPN commentators constantly gushed about her, and she used a Final Four pre-game promo to tell the viewers that she was "playing for God." Her mother, Annie Christopher, made a rare and emotional trip to the United States to see her daughter play basketball for the first time. "It was very encouragi ng to me to have her here and for her to see all the stuff that I was telling her about," says Young, who sponsors a 9-year-old African boy named Ted through the Christian agency Compassion International. "I guess it encouraged me to play harder. I'm excited about [a WNBA career] to help my fam ily out a lot." Although Young and Baylor rose to the top in a relatively sho11 time, she understands that the game isn't as simple as she has made it look. She looks at the title and awards as the fruits of some hard labor over the last few years. "I wouldn't say it was easy, but I guess because we had so much fun doing it and we actually worked so hard that it just seemed that all of our hard work paid off. "Faith plays a really important role for me in sports and everythi ng. Havi ng a relationship with God, [I' m) able to take things one at a time and not to worry about so much. "I'm extremely blessed," she says softly. "Blessed and then some." 0 Veteran sportswriter Tt111 Waits lives in Temple, TX. He's won aii'Ordsfor several articles, including one on Astms owner Drayton McLane. SPORTS SP ECTRUM 路J AN UARY-FEBRUARY l006

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im Miller walked into his office to lind a piece of Baklava

-a Greek pastry-on his desk and a note encouraging him in his study of Greek, the final class needed to fini sh hi s Masters of Divinity. Could it be that his mom had slipped into the office of the Sevier Heights Baptist Church college pastor, or maybe a mentor or fellow student? None of the above. It was one of his students, a sparkly-eyed young lady with an international flair and a personality to match: Sidney Spencer. Spencer is 6-3, beautiful, a dean's list Silldent, personable, and a basketball player at the University of Tennessee. With her status and looks, she could be a taker instead of a giver, a self-serving, demanding egotist who believes "gifted" means gelling all the gifts. But not only would that not sell in the down-to-earth, onefor-all-and-all-for-one program of Pat Summitt, it wouldn't match the faith that is the source of strength for the multifaceted Spencer. She is an athlete, a student, a witness, a friend, a humorist. Spencer is unlikely to get caught off guard, even though she often drops hers. "She's crazy," Miller says. "Her sense of humor is hard to descri be. She's off-the-cuff. lt's childish humor, but in a healthy way. We were in Brazil on a mission trip, and there was a complete stranger, a Brazilian man, watching the NBA playoffs. He speaks no English, but Sid wants to talk basketball and let hi m know she plays, so she goes up to him and starts talking." Somebody forgot to tell Sidney a language barrier existed. With facial and hand gyrations aiding her communication, Sidney refused to be not underst0od. "It's awkward, everybody's kind of embarrassed-except Sid," Tim says. And perhaps the Brazilian man, who may still be telling the story about the tall American lady who approached him one day. Spencer's approaches may be funny, but while many use humor as a substitute for being real , Spencer's humor only taps the surface of a deep, giving spirit, one empowered by the Holy Spirit. "I live to glorify Him, and to bring people to know Him," she says, quite seriously. "That's why I've been given any abilities or talents I have. It's because of basketball that I have the 3 6

SPORTS SPECTRUM â&#x20AC;˘ JANUAR Y-FEBRU ARY 2006

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(

Sidney Spencer plays in one of the most intense basl<etball programs in women's college hoops, yet she l<nows how to let her hair down and provide some light moments- while still getting the job done •

• super sub. Averaging nearly 16 minutes a game during the first month of the season In 2005-2006, Spencer came off the bench to score nearly 8 points a game.

sy v 1cro R LEE

ond-team All-SEC in 2004-05). They drive platform to speak at churches or the oppOitunity to influence kids or to have girls come to each other on the court and off. "Sidney-! don't know how to describe know the Lord because of something I say or her- we're sisters with different names," do. He's using evety aspect of my life to influence people. Personality, humor, and my interest Shanna says. "It's unusual how close we are. Our 3 years together seems like a lifetime. in missions are all imp011ant, but if I didn't have "We offer each other friendship and basketball, people wouldn't be so apt to listen." Pat Summitt is glad Sidney has basketball. accountability. We're each other's ears and shoulders to cry on. She gives to me and hopeShe is the type of person Summitt wants. fully I give to her. It's a great, Christ-centered "She's obviously a person of great character and faith," the winningest coach in friendship. Every facet of life, we talk about. Boyfriends, basketball, school-everything. women's college basketball history says. She's a great accountability partner." "She also has quite the sense of humor. She manages to balance Zolman and Spencer's parther life in such a way that she nership extends to the mission can bring humor into most any field, where trips to Brazil and situation. She's always comthe Dominican Republic have ing up with something to whetted their appetite for taking make everyone smile or laugh. "She's a good teammate the gospel to hurting people. "It's like my faith just comes because of her personality and alive even more when I'm on a mischaracter, so she's so good for the sions trip," Spencer says. "Even though young players." She's good on the court too, but she SUMMITT I know playing basketball is a platfotm for sharing my faith, I'm still surp1ised hasn't had as much opportunity to by how well people respond to me show it as she or Summitt planned. on a trip. The opp011unity is just A torn ACL on February 23 last there, and it's easy, and the peoseason ended her sophomore ple are easy to love." campaign. She had been averMiller says, "When we go aging 5.2 points and 4 on a missions trips, she's a firerebounds in just under 20 minutes per game, playing ball. People are attracted to her, and she's bold with the gospel." both forward positions. Rigorous People are attracted to Spencer rehab put her in position to be fullstrength by the time this season because it's hard not to Jove someone ZOLMAN who is giving so much. Of all the adjecopened, and expectations were high. tives of Sidney's life, "encourager" is "I expect more this year than a year ago," Summitt says. "One thing she has to do is ~ the one you're most likely to hear when peodevelop the courage and confidence to take on ~ ple speak of her. "She's constantly in my ear with encoura bigger role. She's a very gifted, skilled play- ~ er. Combine that with her character and person- ~ agement," Zolman says. "I don't know what it ality traits, and she has more to give this team ~ would have been like to be on the team withthan she [already] has. And I'm sure she will." ~ out her as a friend. We're there for each other Being unable to play for almost half a sea- ~~ in good times and bad. We're there to keep each other strong [against] the pressures of son has made Spencer appreciate and thi rst more for the game. "I still feel like I'm a soph- ~ the world." omore because I never closed that season, and a How does Sidney Spencer stay so strong losing in the final four [to Michigan State] ~ that she can constantly encourage others? "It's Christ in me- it's hard to express in makes me hungry," she says. "I'm ready to i play whatever role coach is going to give me, B words how I feel about Christ and God," she but I definitely look forward to contributing j says. "I' m so excited and happy always more than I ever have." • because I can feel Him come over me; I can One of her fellow contributors is best friend ~ feel His sense of peace and calm, and I want and star guard Shanna Zolman ( 12 ppg, sec- ~ to share that with others." 0 S PORTS SPECT RUM- JAN U ARY· FE BRUA RY 2006

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FOR SHELTON QUARLES, MICHAEL BOULWARE, AND RENALDO WYNN, PLAYING ON THE DEFENSIVE SIDE OF THE BALL ALLOWS THEM TO DEMONSTRATE THE TOUGHNESS OF MEN OF FAITH

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SHELTON QUARLES: A Treasure in Tampa Bay BY BoB BELLo N E • Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Shelton Quarles thought his pro football career was finished before it began. A huddle of faith watTiors altered his game plan. Quarles was unshaken after being ignored during the 1994 NFL draft, despite four solid years in a starting role at Vanderbilt University. The next snub, however, nearly drove the Nashville native home for good. The Miami Dolphins signed Quarles as a free agent, then cut him loose during training camp. Cut him deep. "I had actually given up on football, but I had a couple of strong Christians that I had stnTounded myself with," he says. "They were good friends, and they helped me get back to the point where I could play football." Quarles toiled 2 years with the British Columbia Lions in the Canadian Football League before landing with the Buccaneers as a backup to future Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks in 1997. In nine seasons together, Brooks and Quarles melded into the heart and soul of one of the premier defensive units in the NFL, and they share a friendship rooted in Christian faith. "We try to live it, breathe it, be that example," Brooks says. Quarles became such a model on and off the field that his teammates honored him as their unsung hero during a league gala in 2003. Coach Jon Gruden still considers him one of the best-kept secrets at his position. "He's a very under-publicized middle linebacker. He plays hurt, he practices hurt, and he' ll be in the office tomorrow at 5 am, I promise you, looking at the tape," Gruden said after

SPORTS SPECT RU M • JANUARY· FEBRUAR Y 2 0 0 6

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the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder played through nagging injuries in a victory against the Dolphins in October. Quarles spent some time in the limelight during the 2002 season, earning his first trip to the Pro Bowl on the heels of a lopsided Super Bowl triumph againstthe Oakland Raiders. He since has moved quietly near the top of the franchi se chart in career tackles. Quietly and humbly. "Evetything that we're able to do and all the things that we accomplish as individuals, it only comes about be-

cause of our team," he says. "For me, it's not about self. It's about the team." Quarles cherishes his memories of the ultimate group achievement in Super Bowl XX XVII, in which he made seven of his club-best 21 tackles that postseason. "It was definitely a gift from God because so many people have been in this league and not had the opportunity to go, let alone win," he says. " It was huge." Nonetheless, he doesn't fi nd lasting pleasure in bragging rights, trophies, and diamond-encrusted championship rings. "There's always a bigger picture than those things that happen, materi al

MICHAEL BOULWARE: The Last Line of Defense BY JIM c RosBY â&#x20AC;˘ Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck said it was the best catch he had ever seen. Rookie safety Michael Boulware had come from nowhere to make a startling interception in the 2004 training camp scrimmage. This was Boul ware's first statement that would prove the Seahawks made a wise decision in selecting the Florida State All-American in the second round of the NFL draft. It was a bit of a gamble. Boulware had not played defensive back since elementary school when his older brothers, Peter and Raleigh Jr., always wanted to be the receivers in pick-up games. But in his rookie season Boulware further authenticated Seattle's choice by making 65 tackles (49 solo) and intercepting five passes in 16 games.

J. Group hug. Whether he Is wrapping up Warrick Dunn (28) of the Atlanta Falcons or Michael Boulware's teammate Matt Hasselbeck of the Seattle Seahawks, Shelton Quarles relies on two things God gave him: skill and faith.

things and th ings that will tarnish," he says. "It's about etern ity, and that's what I' m about." Quarles, the oldest starting middle linebacker in the league, doesn't perform as if he has endured a relative eternity in a brutal profession. "He's 34, playing li ke he's 24," Bucs defensive coordi nator Monte Kiffin says. "He's a treasure. He helps all the young guys." Such devotion has impressed the top brass, who spent the 36th overall draft pick in 2005 on former Nebraska AllAmerican Barrett Ruud as the likely successor to Quarles. "He's our spiritual leader," Gruden says of the veteran. "If there's any you ng guy that needed a role model, that's the guy that I'd consider choosing first." WEB SITÂŁ : www.Spo rt sSpec tru m.com

Among his other peak moments, Quarles set up two touchdowns with fumble recoveries against Atlanta as a rookie on special teams. In 200 I, he produced the longest play in club history with a 98-yard interception return for a score against Green Bay. There also have been valleys. Quarles was sidelined for the fi rst five games in 2003 with a fractured foreann and dislocated elbow as Tampa Bay began to suffer through back-toback losing seasons. Quarles strives to handle the highs and lows with grace. God's grace. "It's hard to play the game of football without faith," he says. "You go through a lot. Your body goes through a lot, and someti mes you have to rely on your faith to get you through the tough times."

TH E DEFE ND ERS

A Rough landing. When a 225-pound Seahawk like Michael Boulware takes down a 215-pound Ram like Marc Bulger, the Qwest Field crowd In Seattle can feel the rumble.

.,. Bringing down an Eagle. Renaldo Wynn goes after the big prize for all defenders - the quarterback. In this case, It's Philadelphia Eagles' QB Donovan McNabb. In Renaldo's best game of 2004, he had nine tackles against the Eagles and sacked McNabb for a two-yard loss. 1/

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In 2005, he became even more comfortable at strong safety, recording 52 tackles and three interceptions through 11 games. On November 27, his interception of Eli Manning aided a 24-2 1 victory over the Giants and improved Seattle's record to 9-2. Raised in a strong Christian environment, Boulware says his faith has sustained him whenever faced with difficulties that threaten his confidence. In adjusting to the NFL he frequently turned to a special Bible verse. Michael says, "My favorite Scripture is I Corinthians 10:13. ' God is faithful ; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But, when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.' " Moving from receiver in high school to linebacker in college to strong safety in the pros has been a difficult transition. He's had to learn new angles in getting to the ball carrier, how to back-pedal, and to realize he is the last line of defense. Boulware explains, "At linebacker when I made a mistake I knew my safeties and corners were going to back me up. Now if I mess up, the only person who is going to help me is the ref." It was apparent he had all the tools and as his brother Peter, Pro Bowl linebacker of the Baltimore Ravens, says, "I think the move from linebacker to safety is one of the best moves Michael ever made. He is just so fast and athletic." Michael, in his humble, self-effacing manner, contends he is just an average safety. Some opponents would disagree. Last year against Miami, Boulware read QB A. J. Feeley's eyes and got a good break on the ball. He intercepted Feeley's pass and outgunned everyone for a 63-yard touchdown in a 24- 17 win. Afterwards Coach Mike Holmgren said, "Thank goodness for Michael Boulware. He made a wonderful play there and got us out of a jam." Three weeks later Boulware showed he had learned not to get overanxious

SP ORT S SP ECT RUM- JA NUARY -FE BRUARY 200 6

and be fooled by trickery. He saw the Vikings' Randy Moss take the ball on a reverse that seemed to be a run. He stayed home and picked off the pass in the end zone, preserving a 27-23 lead. On October 9, 2005, Boulware experienced a scary time. After a helmet-to-helmet collision in the game against the Rams, Michael lay motionless on the field. Then he was carted off to a waiting ambulance. After being released from the hospital he said, "I was really concerned about being able to walk again and even the possibility of having to retire." But he knew that the prayers of his mom, Melva, who was his first Sunday school teacher, wife Jessica, and the rest of his family and friends were being offered up for him. The next week when the Seahawks played the Texans, Boulware was back in the action. As Boulware continues to improve as a pro football player and grow as a Christian, he says, "God is kind of locking me into a new season of faith." Influenced by his faith and performance, the Seahawks are thankful Michael Boulware has his back to the goal as their last line of defense.

RENALDO WYNN: One Tough Guy BY JOSH UA COOLEY

• Renaldo Wynn has heard the stories of his grandfather countless times. There's the one when Whit Wynn, a West Virginia coal miner, got his hand caught in a conveyer belt and had to cut off two fingers so the rest of his hand wouldn't get mangled. Or the time when part of Whit's leg got severed by other machinery, causing a nearby coworker to faint from all the blood, while Whit made a makeshift tourniquet until help an·ived. "I just hear stories- my dad talking about him," Wynn says. "He said he was a tough guy, man." It runs in the family. When the Washington Redskins signed Wynn as a free agent in 2002, they got one of the most hard-working, blue-collar defensive ends in the NFL. That's not a polite way of saying Wynn is oven·ated either. Ask anyone in the Redskins organization, and they'll tell you the former first-round draft pick is the real deal, even if he doesn't always produce the glitzy statistics. "He's a guy that has been in this league a long time," Redskins defensive

THE DEFENDERS

i--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------coordinator Greg Blache says, "and when you're around him for a few clays, you understand why, because he's what this game is about. He is what the NFL is about. He is what football is about. He's not flashy, but he is the motor that drives us." Wynn's calling cards are steadiness and dependability. Through four games this season, the 6-foot-3, 292-pound cornerstone hadn't missed a start since the 2000 season, when he was with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He helped Washington's defense rank third in the league last season, and this year was averaging 2.7 tackles per game for a defense that is again one of the league's best. In his nine-year career, he has 287 tackles and 21 sacks through December 3. "The most important thing with me is there aren't any surprises," he says. "You know what you're going to get. I pride myself on being accountable. My teammates depend on me, and I think you can take that back to Christian principles-being accountable to your brother." There was a ti me, though, when Wynn didn't feel like he could depend on anything. In 1995, his life was spiraling out of control. He was, as he says now, "this close to being kicked out" of Notre Dame for academic reasons, and he wasn't playing pm1icularly well. But God intervened by providing Wynn with a wife, LaTanya, whom he met at Mardi Gras in New Orleans, of all places. The two wandering souls hit it off immediately and were married 3 months later. Refocused, Wynn gradu-

ated with honors and had a spectacular senior year, getting drafted 21st overall in 1997. Shortly before the draft, he and LaTanya gave their lives to Christ and prayed that God would lead them to the right team. They landed in Jacksonville, where quarterback Mark Brunell- now Wynn's teammate in Washington-was leading a thriving team ministry. Wynn even got baptized in Brunell's pool. "Wal king with men of God wa so

of young guys in the league," says Brett Fuller, one of the Reclskins' chaplains and the senior pastor of Metro Morningstar Church in Sterling, Virginia, where the Wynns attend. "He is a man of integrity." It is a role Wynn takes vety seriously, just like anchoring the Redskins' defensive line. So what if he doesn't always make the Sunday highlight reels? "For whatever reason, I've always been that guy who has had to defeat the ..,. Thinking man. Renaldo Wynn has the respect of his teammates-so much so that they chose him as the team's player representative to the NFL Players Association.

powerful for my wife and myself and just having a true relationship with Jesus Christ," Wynn says. Now he ilnd LaTilnyil have sta1ted a foundation called Family of Faith, which will focus on reaching out to needy people of illl ages. As a 31-yearold NFL veteran, Wynn also mentors younger players. "He has been an anchor to a number

odds," he says. "I've always had to prove somebody wrong, and for me, it has worked out great because it has kept me humble. I don't put my faith in man; I put my faith in God." 0

Bob Bellone writes for the Tampa Tribune. Jim CJVsby does radio playby-play for Florida Swte. Joshua Cooley writes for The Gazette in D. C.

THE FIRE IN TONY DUNGY'S SPIRIT DOESN'T COME OUT IN SCREAMING AND RANTING BUT IN DETERMINED, STRONG, INTELLIGENT LEADERSHIP- AND HIS METHOD SEEMS TO WORK â&#x20AC;˘

BY TED KLU CK

ONY DUNGY'S GIMMICK is not having a gimmick.

After a decade that made anti-heroes cliche (the 1990s), Dungy's single most rebellious act may be the fact that he flies under the radar and li ves quietly. While Jon Gruclen is the young screamer, Mike Martz is the tormented genius, Tom Coughlin is just tormented, and Denn is Green is the Black Head Coach, Tony Dungy is, well, just Tony Dungy. And thi s morning he's hard to track clown. It's 8:45 on a hot morning in Terre Haute, an Indiana city that's not much larger than Dungy's hometown of Jackson, Michigan, a community where the Republican party was born in 1854. Terre Haute is home to the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, summer residence of the Ind ianapolis Colts. In toclay's NFL, training camp has become a largely symbolic exercise. With mi nicamps, quarterback schools, "voluntary" workouts and OTA's (organized team activities), the team is on-site year-round and train ing camp has become an unnecessary relic. But the Colts are one of a handful of NFL teams who still pack it up and make the trek from their multi-million-dollar practice facility to a small college 30 miles away where players live and eat in dormitories designed not for 300-pound athletes but for 160-pouncl engineering students. My job is to shadow Dungy- follow him around the practice field and get a feel for how he conducts business. That would be great, if only I could find him.

DUNGY IS MOVING QUIETLY from practice group to practice group on a tielcl that is eerily quiet. There is very lit-

tle banter, no yelling, and an atmosphere that suggests that his team is all business. Dungy wields the master whistle, and on his chirp the team moves from station to station. There are no air-horns and no intricate on-field clocks. Even Edgerrin James, he of the long dreadlocks and training camp number changes, moves with an air of maturity. He does everything his coach asks of him, and he puts on a clinic in a one-on-one pass rush drill, stonewalling ever)' linebacker placed in front of him- the distinct pop of plastic on plastic the only sound filling the air. Starters are starters for a reason. On the other side of the ball, Gary Brackett, all 5 feet I0 of him, barrels into fullbacks and tight ends from his starting

QUIE T FIR E

J. More than a coach. To young players such as Gary Brackett, Dominic Rhodes, and Kelvin Hayden, playing for Tony Dungy has benefits beyond footballpersonal benefits that go to matters of concern and heart. Brackett rewarded Dungy's trust by making three interceptions against the Ravens on September 11 , 2005 in Baltimore. Rhodes has been with the Colts since 2001 . Hayden,a rookie, got his first NFL tackle in that . September 11 game against the Ravens.

MLB position- a job he played himself into last season- leapfrogging over former first-round pick Rob Morris. Brackett, who went undrafted after a college career at Rutgers, looks to Dungy as a father figure. "I lost my father, mother, and one brother all within my first 2 years in the league, so it's been a tough couple of years for me," he says. "Tony Dungy has been like a father figure. He's consistent. He played in the league so he knows how it is to be a player. He's a humble, no-nonsense kind of guy." Brackett is the kind of guy most teams try very hard to replace. He is the smallest player in his position group. Even his impeccably tailored NFL uniform hangs awkwardly off his short legs. But, as the cliche goes, he just makes plays. "Coach Dungy gave me an opportunity. Nobody gave me a chance to make this team, and I've just hung around and persevered. Every clay is a test of my faith because the NFL is full of spiritual challenges. But now I'm being rewarded for my hard work." The Colts re-signed Rob Morris and drafted two linebackers, Kenclyll Pope and Gilbert Gardner in last year's draft. Brackett's work is just beginning.

IN THE NFL each player is his own

franchise, as most of the roster players clear more revenue each year than a small to mid-sized business. Nobody knows this more than Dominic Rhodes. The diminutive RB (5' 9") from the diminutive school (Midwest State University, GA) is a training camp fan favorite. In the tme skill-position way he has modified his uniform for max imum ex posure- black eye shield, flowing sweat rags, and a crop-topped

jersey. He also wows the crowd with NFL moves and jackrabbit speed. After rushing for over 1,000 yards in relief of an injured Edgerrin James in 200 I, Rhodes could have gone somewhere else. He could have tested the waters of free agency in search of bigger dollars. Rhodes stayed, out of loyalty to his coach. "The Colts gave me an opportunity," he says after practice. "They didn't flinch. I'm loved here. The fans, the teammates, and the coaches all showed love to me. It's every man for himself in this league, so I travel light. Just bring my toothbrush, toothpaste, and pads so I can bang somebody up." Dominic Rhodes is the last man off the field. He stays along the railing for nearly 45 minutes after practice signing autographs for fans who are lined up three and four deep.

KELVIN HAYDEN is a rookie. And

unlike Brackett and Rhodes he represents the utmost in potential. A secondround pick out of Illinois, Hayden was drafted for two reasons: His blazing 4.3 speed and his success in shutting down all-everything receiver Braylon Edwards when his lllini faced Michigan in the 2004 season. It wasn't enough to win the game, but it was enough to put Hayden on Dungy's radar. When I find the coach he has his hands on Hayden's shoulder pads, quietly pulling him aside and teaching him techniques. "Coach Dungy is extremely down-toemth, and he approaches you as a man. The most surprising thing is that when you make a mistake you almost feel like you're letting him down personally."

HE HAS BEEN CALLED the most boring man in professional football. He is in charge of a supposedly passionless quarterback who throws for 40 touchdowns a season, and his team has no "identity" yet it scores 40 points a game. Dungy's six consecutive playoff appearances rank only behind Tom Landry, Chuck Noll, and Mike Holmgren. His teams have enjoyed back-to-back 12-4 records and Jon Gruden won a Super Bowl with the team Dungy built in Tampa Bay before joining the Colts in 2002. Tony Dungy spends a good deal of the practice alone, and when he finds me afterward he walks toward me by himself, not surrounded by the usual heel-nipping entourage that most Public Figures carry with them. I tell him about Brackett's father-figure comment. Dungy laughs. Humility is the ability to be a father figure and not know it. "I remember when I came into the league as a coach at age 25, I used to be a brother figure! The dynamic changes," he says, "when you are in charge of 53 guys instead of just a handful. But I still enjoy seeing guys improve on and off the field. "Gary Brackett has perseverance. He went from unheralded to a really good player. That seems to be his M.O. in this league." For a while, Tony Dungy was known only as the "black head coaching candidate." He was the guy the networks would cut to with a headset on in the booth, saying for years that he would be a suitable candidate for an NFL coaching job. But the offers never came and while legends like Rich Kotite, Joe Bugel, and Art Shell got their second chances, Dungy waited. The city of Indianapolis suits Dungy.

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4 4

SPORTS SPEC TRUM -JA NUARY -FEB RUARY 20 06

TO SUB SC RIBE TO SPORTS SP ECTRUM' CALL 1路866路8 21 路2971

QUIET FIRE

,... Taking care of business. Return man

and wide receiver says Dungy's deal Is to keep everyone on an even keel. With superstars such as Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison (88) around, Dungy understands that relationships help him get the best out of his players.

It is under the NFL radar, and its fans are Midwesterners in search of something to do rather than battery-andepithet throwing east-coasters. The Colts have embraced them, and the gamble seems 10 be working. The stands are full th is morning and there seems to be nary a fan without a blue and white piece of officially licensed NFL apparel. "Most of our guys are hard-working types," says Dungy. "We have a few stars but by and large we have a lot of role players." Comi ng from Jackson, Michigan, one can't help but be humble. It was once voted the worst city in the United States. Yet Dungy is proud to say that this is where he grew up in a fami ly that stressed educat ion. He excelled as a high school quarterback and found his way to the University of Minnesota. Dungy graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration and signed as a free agent with the Steelers in May of 1977. He was converted from quarterback to wide receiver to safety, and when he made the team, he was the first free agent to make the Steelers' fi nal roster in two seasons. After a brief NFL career, like most coaches, he hit the road, with stops at the University of Mi nnesota (defensive backs) and then Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Minnesota as a defensive coordinator. "God has expectations of you in this business. You're a lamp and how you carry yourself is very important in the midst of the spiritual challenges." What challenges? "Remaini ng humble when you do well , and keeping a decent attitude when you're losing. You get the sense in this league that not everyone can end up the big winner. At

the end of a season you have to evaluate the spiritual side of what you accomplish." These stories have a usual arc- journalist asks wife what's special about said player, she gushes, teammates gush, and we're left with a spiritual giant who not only out-earns and out-fames us but who seems spiritually untouchable. Dungy is refreshingly honest. "It's actually easier to stay lockedin spiritually during the seasons. You know it's going to be tough, and you prepare for it. You build in a little bit of extra time in the morn ing to read, and we have some neat Christian guys on our staff to stay accountable."

DUNGY HAS LEFT NOW to tend to other media responsibilities, and Troy Walters, the team's diminutive

return man and another Dungy reclamation project, is in front of me. He is talking about Dungy's reliability, how he is the same person on and off the field. Dungy picked Walters off the NFL's waiver wire after he was released by Minnesota in 2002. I ask Walters about the team's identity. "We don't really have one," he says after some thought. "We just don' t get too high or too low and take care of our business." The Colts, both Christians and otherw ise, keep a low profile, choosing instead to simply "bang somebody up" and take care of their business on the field. In a league of chest thumps and fingers pointed toward the sky where even fait h is a commodity, less is more on this team. As fa r as coach Tony Dungy is concerned, that's just fine. CJ

UNIFORM PATTERN· Before becoming an NFL head coach, Tony Dungy made a name for himself as a Big 10 standout at t he University of Minnesota, and later as a defe nsive back with t he Pittsburgh Steelers and the San Francisco 49ers. His accomplishments include t he following: • At Min nesota, school leader in pass attempts (576}, completions (274), passing yards (3,577) and TD passes (25} • Twice named team MVP. • Played in the East-West Shrine Ga me, t he Hula Bowl. and the Ja pan Bowl. • Ranked fo urth in Big Ten history in total offense at the end of his caree r, behind only Mike Phipps, Archie Griffi n, and Bob Griese. • Played fo r t he Golden Gophers basketball tea m in 1974, averaging 2.6 ppg. • Made the Pittsburgh Steelers as a safety in 1977, the fi rst rookie free agent to make the roster in two years. • Played as a defensive back fo r the Steelers in t heir 35-31 win over the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. - TED KLUCK

,... Tony-niner. Dungy played in 15 games for SF In 1979.

S PORT S SPEC TRUM - J ANU A RY- FEB RUAR Y 2006

Straight Talk With .. . -----------------------------

Hunte .. Sanlth PUNTER, INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

• Named to NFL All-Rookie team (1999) • Has averaged 43 yards per punt through his 7-year career • Played in all 96 games during his first 6 years in the NFL • I played college football at Notre Dame. When I first arrived on campus while being recruited, I knew God had ordained for me to go there. qr When I was 15 years old I had a dream I went to Notre Dame. In the dream I saw a newspaper article that said, "Smith commits to Notre Dame." After I committed, to Notre Dame, that same headline was on an article in my hometown newspaper! It was pretty amazing. qr Also when I was a boy, I used to go to a church camp in Oklahoma. At that church camp one night, one of my fellow campers presented the gospel to me. We were both 12 years old, but he was very mature for a 12-year-old. He sat on my bunk. It was the first time I heard the gospel explained where I could understand it. I received Jesus as my Lord that night, and I was baptized the next day. Once I got out of college, I was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts. I then met Dave Jamerson, who was once a firstround draft choice of the NBA's Miami Heat. He was a minister at that time, and he came to Indianapolis to do Bible studies with the team. He was like a big brother spiritually to me. Dave challenged me to let Jesus be the Lord of my life, not just my Savior. We were discussing Scripture one day-Acts 2:35. It was Peter's first sermon after Pentecost. He said, "Let all Israel be assured of this: That God has made this Jesus, whom you've crucified, both Lord and Christ." It was the first time I had really heard about the lordship of Christ. Jesus is our Savior and that gets us to heaven, but what enables us to live for God is making Jesus our Lord. That's the second side of my testi-

many. Prior to that, I was saved, but I was living a defeated life. I had no peace in my life, and I had no wisdom. When you're a child of God, you have a new nature-that of God. Not that you are a god, but you are a child of God. I believe Jesus came to save us from our sins and forgives us of the sins we have committed. However, He also empowers us to live a life that is progressively free of sin . Jesus has won that victory on the cross for us, and I am walking in that victory in my life. You can too. There is a holy God, and we are an imperfect people. Our flesh is dirty because we have original sin. There's a heaven, and God wants us to live there forever, but there's also a big space between Him and us. We needed His Son to die for us, rise again, and be that sacrifice for our sins. There is no forgiveness of sins without the shedding of His blood. If we believe in Him, then we will be saved. 0

Mike Sandrolini, who lives in Chicago and is exulting iry the results of the World Series, helped Hunter with this article.

So:aneone Wol'th Following Hunter Smith knows leaders. He has one at the helm of his team in Tony Dungy, but the leader Smith really follows is Jesus. Would you like to know more about following the only perfect person ever? Read about What Does It Take To Follow Christ? by going to www.rbc.org/ds/q0710.

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