Faith & Football: A Look At Life Through A Facemask

By Josh Steed

Do you love football? Have you ever wondered if God even cares about the game? Well, the Bible often parallels sports with life. In this book Josh Steed, a former player, and lover of the game, makes a comparison between the sport and the Christian faith. He also tackles some of the biggest objections to Christianity. You will be challenged and find answers to many questions that people often wonder but rarely ask. You will hear exclusive interviews with NFL defensive lineman, Corey Williams, former Razorback/Cowboy quarterback, Clint Stoerner, former NFL player, Matt Jones, former OSU All-American/ NFL player, Joe Brown, head football coaches, Steve Roberts of Arkansas State, Mark Richt of the Georgia Bulldogs, and more.You are invited to suit up and join us on a journey of faith and football as we take a look at life through a facemask.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Aug 6, 2009
• ISBN: 9781481705172

Josh Steed

Josh Steed (WWW.READ4GOD.COM), with a Doctorate Degree in International Theology from North Tennesse Bible Institute and Seminary, has a passion to reach out to sports fans and athletes with a clear message of hope. He is a business owner, a teacher, a speaker for high school and college students, sports teams, and churches abroad. His testimony has been featured on worldwide television. He and his wife Aubrey and their children and reside in Camden, Arkansas.

Book preview

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

Thank you so much for sharing your story with others. I am so delighted that you have dedicated your life to helping others find life more abundantly through a relationship with Jesus Christ. Using sports, more specifically, football, as a parallel will open the door for many who would not think of reading the Bible or attending a traditional church. May God continue to bless you and your ministry. I appreciate my copy!

Mike Huckabee,

Former Governor of Arkansas,

Fox News host of Huckabee

"Faith and Football communicates clearly the gospel through an athletes’ perspective. It encourages as well as challenges us to put our faith into action while also teaching us how to push through adversity."

Jason McLeod,

Actor/Representative of Sherwood Pictures makers of,

Facing the Giants, Fireproof, and Courageous the movies.

I am excited about Josh’s vision to use football to communicate the gospel message. Whenever you combine football and faith you will have an impact. Josh’s book is having an impact and it is packed with great information from current NFL players and the testimonies of incredible college coaches. This book will be a valuable tool for any coach, athlete, or sports fan looking for a closer relationship with God.

Dan Britton,

Sr. Vice President of Ministry Programs FCA

Fellowship of Christian Athletes World Headquarters

"I just finished reading Faith & Football and it is awesome! I have read several books in my life such as Tony Dungy’s books and others but none as helpful, motivational, inspirational, and helping with my daily walk of life as this one. Until now it is the best book I have ever read, other than the Holy Bible. Thanks for writing it and for helping in my life."

Tommy Poole,

Head Football Coach

Athletic Director, Spring Hill High School, AR

"I am glad I could help out with (Faith & Football) and I hope it is a best-seller!"

Mark Richt,

Head Football Coach of the Georgia Bulldogs

[Faith and Football] is an unique evangelical tool.

Clear, straightforward, and well edited.

Foreword Clarion reviews

FAITH & FOOTBALL

A LOOK AT LIFE THROUGH A FACEMASK

JOSH STEED

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AuthorHouse™

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Phone: [phone]

© 2013 Josh Steed. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  04/16/2024

ISBN: 978-1-4490-0365-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4490-1369-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4817-0517-2 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2009907860

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible,

New Living Translation, copyright © 1996.

Used by permissions of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189

All rights reserved.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

DEDICATION

T his book is dedicated to my older brother and sister, Matt and Gena. I would not have played football if I did not look up to Matt so much. Matt and Gena have taught me so much about life and how to overcome adversity. When our mother died when I was only nine years old, he was there for me and she was right by our mother’s side during her battle with cancer. The two of them have been an ever-present wall of support and security in my life. I would not be the man I am today without their influence and love. Thank you both.

INTERVIEW DISCLAIMER

The views of the author presented in the following literary work are not necessarily the views of the persons who are featured in this book as guests. The author makes no claims to such. These interviews were conducted for the sole purpose of gathering information regarding each person’s career, life experiences, and professional opinions. All quotations and information used from said interviews were taken by the author and are presented in the context in which they were given to the author. The author does not necessarily endorse the special guests’ views, lifestyles, and/or comments as being morally right or wrong. Likewise, the people who were interviewed do not necessarily agree with the author on any or all of the substance in this book apart from the things on which they commented.

FAITH & FOOTBALL

(A LOOK AT LIFE THROUGH A FACEMASK)

By: Dr. Josh Steed PhD

Contents

Foreword (BY JENNY SIMMONS OF ADDISON ROAD)

Pre-game (FROM COACH MARK RICHT TO YOU)

Introduction (THE KICKOFF)

Section 1

Chapter 1. The Ultimate Playbook (WHY TRUST THE BIBLE?)

Chapter 2. The One True Coach (MEETING THE REAL JESUS)

Chapter 3. Making the Team (GOD’S REQUIREMENTS)

Section 2

Chapter 4. Equipment Issued (THE ARMOR OF GOD)

Chapter 5. Consistent Practice (THE TRUE PURPOSE OF CHURCH)

Chapter 6. The Athlete’s Body (YOUR BODY, HIS TEMPLE)

Chapter 7. Penalties (WHAT IF I MESS UP?)

Chapter 8. Game Time (EVERYDAY LIFE)

Conclusion (COUNTING THE COST)

Coaches’ Life Stories and Testimonies

Acknowledgments

Suggested Resources

About the Author

FOREWORD

J osh has taken two of my favorite things in the world—my faith in Jesus Christ and my love for football—and uniquely weaved them together to show how the journey of the modern athlete and Christ follower mirror each other. With a rich knowledge of scripture, exclusive interviews with both college and NFL players and coaches, and a firsthand insight into the emotions, sacrifice, and dedication behind the sport, Josh creates a one-of-a-kind, spot-on parallel between faith and football. If you understand the sport but have never understood faith in God, this book will take your hand and guide you down familiar terrain, showing you that the commitment and journey of an athlete is almost identical to that of a follower of Christ. This book will be appreciated by all athletes! It is an amazing resource for in-depth devotions and study of the scriptures and would be a great asset to any Christian athlete longing to dig deeper.

Jenny Simmons

Lead vocalist for the hit Christian band

Addison Road

www.addisonroad.com

PRE-GAME

from Mark Richt

Head Football Coach of the Georgia Bulldogs

to the readers of

FAITH & FOOTBALL

A LOOK AT LIFE THROUGH A FACEMASK

W e all need to be ve that what we do is not who we are. We sometimes get too caught up in our sports or in our job and we become in essence what we do. This is a very dangerous place to be, because if all you care about is football and then you have an injury that doesn’t allow you to play for the rest of your life, or like in my case where someone beat me out and was playing the sport I loved the best right before my eyes, your world can crumble. This can happen to you in a hurry if your world is too wrapped up in what you do. So it is important to know who you are, and hopefully who you are is a child of God, a follower of Christ, and that is where our worth should come from: knowing that God loves us and that he allowed his Son to die in order to take on the wrath of our sins. Once we understand this, then I think we can have the right perspective in our sports or anything else we may do in life. We just cannot allow what we do to dominate how we feel about ourselves and our self-worth.

INTRODUCTION

(THE KICKOFF)

I will never forget the feeling of sitting down on the cold concrete floor of our weight room, getting our first talk from the head coach. I remember the smell of my helmet and watching the sun break out across the treetops early in the morning as we walked up the hill to the field for the first half of our two-a-day practices. Football cleats make a distinct sound when they clatter across concrete, and I recall how the freshly cut grass would stick to our calf muscles from the dew on the field. The metal facemask I had would occasionally make sounds, reminding me that I was at least partly protected inside my equipment. It was not long before the sounds of whistles and the coach’s voice echoed out across the open field, directing us through our stretching routines. I remember one time I just stopped everything for a moment to survey my teammates and thought to myself, what in the world am I doing out here? It did not take long for this daydreaming to stop and the sounds of the passing train near the school seemed to disappear as the battles ensued on the practice field. Life seemed to fade away into the deepest part of my mind as the action on the field consumed more and more of my heart. I had found a place to block out the pain of real life and the scars of everything that takes place off the field. This was it; life was good. With a sudden mixture of fear and anxiety came the powerful bonds of a team and the pride of power. We had been given permission to hit each other and were learning how to do it more effectively. We were rewarded with praise when we were aggressive and executed plays well. At the end of all this, we would line up on the goal line and run sprints down the field for conditioning. Just when we were to the point of quitting, and sometimes vomiting, the coach would call us in to grab a knee and he would give us an evaluation of the practice from his point of view. After this, we would go back down the hill to the locker room—much slower than we had come up the hill—and return to the realm of reality. I loved every moment of this barbaric game. Much of my life soon began to revolve around putting on that jersey and stepping back out onto that hundred-yard battlefield.

I found my life to be much like most of my peers’, and I was considered by many to be a nice kid. I made good grades, kept my appearance up, and went to church regularly with my parents. Most people would have considered me a normal kid and maybe even a Christian. After all, I did walk an aisle at a local church and ask Jesus into my heart when I was about ten years old. I was also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and a local youth group. I could tell you many things about the Bible and repeat some quotes or stories I had been taught. I went to church and heard youth speakers frequently, but I did not really seem to relate to the languages that I heard spoken to me in the church atmosphere. Religious terms like sanctification, justification, repentance, born-again, and many more, did not make much sense to me. I soon learned how to tune out all this church talk and tune in sports talk. I do not think that Billy Graham himself could have spoken to me and made a dent in that thick helmet-like head of mine.

I just lived my life the best way I understood how to, for the time being. Consequently, I did make it through high school, but not without many life-changing mistakes and failures. I paved myself a road that still has consequences today that affect my family and me. I ran from God for years and blamed Him for my parents’ divorce, my mother’s death from cancer when I was nine years old, and my inability to find true joy in life. I tried to replace God with sports, physical pleasures, and alcohol, only to find myself kicked off the team my senior year, miserable, lonely, and with a baby on the way.

Oh, how I wish I had known then what I do now. I cannot go back and change my past. However, I can help others find what I have found and put it into words that they can understand. That is the whole purpose of writing this book. I want to put what has changed my life and the lives of countless others into words that can communicate clearly to the athletes and sports fans of today. I have interviewed some of the best athletes and coaches, who have lived the life that many of us dream of, to share with you in this book. Drawing from my own experiences with football, the Bible’s frequent use of athletic parallels, and the hit movie Facing the Giants, I felt compelled to write this book. I also think back to a local band in Camden, Arkansas, named Jacob’s ladder (www.myspace.com/jacob39sladder), who wrote and performed a song entitled Break, which parallels life with a football game. The song starts with the line, I find that life reminds me of a ball game, and continues with, you find yourself on the one-yard line, with two seconds left, you know you’re running out of time. It’s fourth and life, there’s no time for debate, sometimes you gotta take … A LEAP OF FAITH! I remember the first time I heard the lyrics to this song, and it really made a lot of sense to me as a former football player and lover of the game. My desire for this book is for every reader to understand the choices that we all must make. I have set out to write what I believe to be the purpose of life, according to Jesus, in a way that makes good sense to those who love sports and especially football. I will explain why the Bible is different from all other books and why its message to all of us is one not to ignore. My hope is that you, the reader, will understand things that are sometimes confusing to people in church. You will meet some of the most incredible players and coaches in the world along the way and hear from them about what it means to leave it all on the field. We will explore some of the principles and teachings of the Bible that will simplify the message of the cross and hopefully move many from the bleachers and sidelines to the action out on the game field of everyday life. This battle is very real and the Christian who wants to win a victory will need to know his playbook well, practice hard, have a close relationship with his teammates, and trust his head coach with his very life. If this sounds like something you would like to know more about, join me and the rest of the players and coaches featured in this book on a journey of faith and football. We will take a close look at life through a facemask and focus on what all athletes long for, a victory that will never be forgotten. May God bless you as you suit up and move through this book, headed for the end zone that we all hope for so much.

In Christ,

Josh Steed

Football_Bible.jpg

CHAPTER 1

THE ULTIMATE PLAYBOOK

(WHY TRUST THE BIBLE?)

You have to know the playbook in order to play.

NFL defensive lineman Corey Williams

If you are really dedicated to the game of football, if you really love the sport, then learning the playbook will be your top priority.

NFL defensive lineman Corey Williams

You have to know the playbook inside and out in order for things to work out correctly in a game.

Former ASU head football coach Steve Roberts

For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us for what we really are. Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done.

Hebrews 4:12–13

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right.

Second Timothy 3:16

I have hidden your word in my heart,

that I might not sin against you.

Psalms 119:11

He replied, But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.

Luke 11:28

But those who obey God’s word really do love him. That is the way to know whether or not we live in him.

First John 2:5

F ive sheets of notebook paper stapled together with circles, squares, crooked lines, Xs and Os, were handed out to the entire team. I sat on the torn, leather-covered weight bench that connected the locker room and the weight room. These memories go back to when I was in the seventh grade at Harmony Grove Jr. High School in Camden, Arkansas. The year was 1992 and I had never played football before. We did not have the sophisticated gaming systems like Playstations and Xbox 360s with Madden ‘09 back then, so I had never seen football plays written out before. I swear those five sheets of plays made no sense to me, and I thought I was looking at Egyptian hieroglyphics. I wondered how in the world anyone could ever figure out what to do on the game field if all we have to go on is some Xs and Os and five pages of scribble!

I quickly learned what each symbol on the paper was, and that bunch of nonsense that the coaches were handing out was actually the entire playbook for week one of Harmony Grove Hornet football. I went home and started studying as if my life depended on it. My dad would give me a hard time, because instead of exercising outside I was spending much of the summer indoors with my playbook. I laugh now as I look back and remember arguing with him about how it did not matter if you were in good shape or not if you did not know the plays. Well, I do not know that I fully understood the premise of my statement, and it is very important for an athlete to be in top physical shape, but knowing the playbook is very critical for any athlete’s football career.

As I grew up, I played mostly on the offensive line, knowing my blocking responsibilities were crucial to my success. I remember how frustrating it was when the defense changed and I was looking across the line of scrimmage at some big corn-fed defensive lineman who was not penciled in quite that large on our shabby playbook in practice. Offensive linemen have to make decisions that affect the entire offense on certain plays when the defense lines up differently. And by the way, we did not have audibles either. If we called a dive and the linebacker walked up in the hole where we were planning to run, we just ran the play as called and hoped for the best. Knowing our playbook exactly how we had been taught that week was simple for some of us but many times ineffective because it was very basic and did not allow for unexpected problems with the defense.

Our playbook in 1992 was nothing like