Los Angeles Times

Former USC assistant gives up NFL career to pursue path in ministry

A metallic growl _ low-pitched and frantic _ came from somewhere above him.

Rocky Seto was taking his morning run, jogging around a quiet lagoon, when he looked up to see a small plane tumble out of the sky and smash into the water not 50 yards away.

"Three people killed instantly," he recalls. "That got into my mind."

It wasn't the only time Seto figured God was sending him a message.

There were other, subtler instances to help explain his walking away from a career as a big-time NFL assistant coach, leaving behind a salary of almost seven figures and the adrenaline rush of 70,000 screaming fans.

"Rocky and I talked about this for years and years," says Pete Carroll, the head coach Seto followed from USC to the Seattle Seahawks. "He had an enormous decision to make."

The 41-year-old Seto now spends his Sundays far from the spotlight, standing in the pulpit of a San Gabriel Valley church, preaching to a hushed congregation of several hundred.

Though the work pays a fraction of the money and offers none

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times1 min read
Netflix Beefs Up Film Ranks, Hiring ‘Bad Boys For Life’ Producer
“Bad Boys for Life” producer Doug Belgrad will join Netflix as its vice president of film as the streaming giant continues to beef up its movie ranks following a major shakeup. A longtime Sony Pictures executive, Belgrad was involved in nearly all th
Los Angeles Times4 min readAmerican Government
Doyle McManus: A Lesson From Presidents Biden And Trump — The New Normal Is Nonstop Crises
A poll published by the Economist this month included a finding that was striking yet unsurprising: Almost 7 in 10 Americans believe things in the country have spun out of control. That's a problem for President Joe Biden, who campaigned in 2020 offe
Los Angeles Times4 min read
Commentary: Has American Support For Palestinians Reached A Turning Point?
In psychology, there is a phenomenon we refer to as “psychic numbing.” It occurs during times of staggering catastrophe, when it seems however we try, we cannot prevent a tragedy. Indifference and defeat set in. Systems of oppression rely enormously

Related Books & Audiobooks