Christian Athlete of the Week: Jason Witten

Although I am not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys, I am a fan of Jason Witten and what he does off the field. The 32-year-old tight end has had a spectacular career in the NFL and is one of the most reliable players on the Cowboys’ offense. Witten is not only a good player on the field, but a good person off of it. The Cowboys’ all-time receptions leader launched the SCORE Foundation to provide support and assistance for families and individuals affected by domestic violence. His Christian faith is a strong part of his life and he shares more about it in this video:

Witten started out as a young man from Vienna, Virginia who loved football. He played at the University of Tennessee and became a prolific pass catcher after starting out as defensive end his freshman year. Witten was drafted in the third round of the 2003 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, but didn’t start until 2004 where he caught 87 passes for 980 yards and six touchdowns. It was clear afterwards that Witten was going to be a special player.

He has had four 1,000 yard seasons and holds the NFL-record for most catches by a tight end in a single season when he caught 110 back in 2012. Witten currently has 879 receptions for 9,799 yards and 52 touchdowns. After 11 years in the league, Witten feels like he can still produce.

Witten’s story and background is also something worth mentioning. His father was an alcoholic and Witten’s mom decided to move herself and her three sons out of the house and into her parents’ house in Elizabethton, Tennessee. Through his grandparents, Witten learned about Christ and during a Fellowship of Christian Athletes retreat in Nashville, Witten ended up giving his life to Christ.

“That’s when I understood what life is all about,” Witten said. (Credit: FCA.org)

David Shivers, the Dallas Cowboys’ chaplain and pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, talked about Witten’s demeanor when he’s not playing football.

“Jason is a solid, well-grounded, godly man,” said Shivers. “He loves people and loves the Lord and has the desire to honor Jesus with his skills on and off the field.”

Although Witten is not very public with his faith as well as other athletes, he lets his actions do the talking for him. He has put up great numbers and continues to serve his local community with great love and passion for those around him. I respect this man very much and that’s hard for me to say about a Cowboys’ player. 

 

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Christian Athlete of the Week: James Jones

James Jones is another one of those great rags-to-riches stories. Throughout his childhood, Jones had to rely on homeless shelters in San Jose, California for food and clothing. When he was seven years old, he met his father for the first time. Unfortunately, Jones’ father was a drug addict and refused to pay child support. From the age of eight to fourteen, Jones grew up in homeless shelters with his mother and sister. He was also surrounded by people who abused drugs and stole money. His future was very limited and not very assuring. At the age of 13, Jones and his mother were evicted from their one-bedroom apartment. All Jones had was a backpack and a basketball. Luckily, Jones’ mother was a beacon of hope for this young man’s life.

 

Jones’ mother, Janet, took her two children, Desiree and James, to a shelter when she couldn’t stay at a friend’s or relative’s house. The Jones family lived in shelters four times, sometimes for five months at a time. Jones moved so much as a child he went to seven different elementary schools. He sometimes took special education courses to keep up academically. While Jones was at school, his mother would take the bus to work and they would meet back at the homeless shelter every night. This went on for what seemed like an eternity.

“I saw how strong my mother was just to keep on,” Jones said. “She worked so hard with nothing. She tried to get a job here, a job there. I saw how hard she worked. I would never let my mother down. I would do anything to make her happy, and what made her happy was me going to school and staying out of trouble.” (Credit: JSOnline.com)

As a young boy, Jones was tempted to do things he knew God wouldn’t want him to do. Living in a bad neighborhood, Jones made friends with thugs, drug dealers and burglars. Somehow someway, Jones held strong to his mother’s beliefs and he stuck close to her rather than falling prey to the ways of the world.

After Jones went to go live with his grandmother during high school, his athletic talents were presented on display. He was one of the best players on the Gunderson High School basketball team, but his play at wide receiver, quarterback and safety on the football team was what the college prospects were really impressed with. The athletic high school superstar went to San Jose State University where he caught 125 passes for 1,488 yards and 12 touchdowns in 35 games.

From there, Jones was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the third round of the 2007 NFL Draft.  He was a part of the Packer’s Super Bowl winning team and back on March 17, he signed a three-year deal with the Oakland Raiders. His past did not determine his future as he held strong to his faith and believed in the hope of God through seeing his mother and what she accomplished.

Now, Jones has decided to help out the ones who used to be in his position. He partners with a homeless shelter in Green Bay called Freedom House. For the past four years, Jones has donated to this shelter and has provided for those in need. He also helps out disadvantaged children through his other foundation “Love Jones for Kids.”

Jones’ story proves that everyone can make it. No matter where you come from and no matter what kind of environment you grew up in, you can escape it through the power of Jesus Christ. Jones knows that God doesn’t put any obstacle in his path that he can’t handle. Jones was able to escape poverty and is now making millions in the NFL. It just goes to show that as long as you put your faith in God, He will bless you in due time.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Patrick Willis

Patrick Willis may be one of the hardest-hitting linebackers in football, but he also has a soft heart. The 29-year-old is entering his eighth season in the NFL and throughout the past seven years, he’s had quite a journey, both on and off the field. His walk with God has been a crucial part of his life ever since he was a little boy.

“My grandmother, she always just you know, told us about faith and always put us in church,” Willis said. “I’ll never forget my Uncle Arthur who was a professional boxer. He would always tell me, ‘Just always remember to give God all the praise, glory, and honor.'” (Credit: CBN.com)

The Ole Miss product has 20.5 sacks in his illustrious career and has had at least 104 tackles in six of the seven seasons he has played in his career. He is the backbone of the San Francisco 49ers’ defense and has been a perennial Pro Bowler ever since his fantastic rookie season in 2007 where he logged in 174 tackles and 4 sacks. However, his love for the game of football is nothing in comparison to the love he has for Christ. Check out this video clip below:

Born in Bruceton, Tennessee, Willis grew up poor and never knew what it was like to live in luxury. He had to work at the age of 10 in cotton fields in order to provide for his younger siblings. Without a mother and an alcoholic and abusive father, Willis moved his two brothers and sister out of their trailer park and moved in with his high school basketball coach at the age of 17.

Now, Willis gives back to his surrounding community, working with kids who have cancer. He is part of a foundation, Childhood Cancer Charity, that raises money and awareness for these kids who have an uphill battle ahead of him. Willis also runs off-season football camps and teaches kids how to play the game that basically saved his life.

Today, Willis looks to bring his 49ers a Super Bowl and will have to lead this defense to postseason glory. He will do this while also bringing attention to God at the same time.

“I just go out there and I always pray, I say, ‘Lord, I don’t know what today’s game is going to be like, but I just pray,” Willis said. “‘I pray that you bless me to go out here and play for you. Be a soldier for your army, go out here and lead this team the way you want me to lead it.’ So each time I play, I don’t want to go out there and say, tell people, ‘I’m playing for the Lord today.’ I just want them to see it and know that when I, whether good, or bad, or indifferent, you know I’m playing for the Lord.”

 

 

Christian Athlete of the Week: Larry Fitzgerald

Like Aaron Rodgers in the last article, Larry Fitzgerald is also very mild-mannered and does not spend much time in the media spotlight. He tries his best to humble himself before God and others. The All-Pro wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals is one of the greatest players in franchise history. He currently has caught 846 receptions for 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns and he is only 30 years old! Fitzgerald was drafted third overall by the Cardinals in 2004 and really made an impact in 2005 when he put up 103 catches for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. Since then, he has had six 1,000-yard seasons and has had double-digit receiving touchdowns in five of them.

Fitzgerald was a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings and watched Cris Carter how to play the position up close and personal. He went on to play for the University of Pittsburgh where in 2003 he was named the best receiver of the year and 1st-Team All-American, putting up monster numbers. Now, the veteran has been to 8 Pro Bowls and holds seven franchise records for the Cardinals. He also holds the NFL record for the most catches, yards and touchdowns in the postseason when Arizona went on that Super Bowl run in 2008. This guy is definitely a superstar and still one of the best receivers in the league. However, he lets God decide his fate on how great he is.

“I believe in God,” Fitzgerald said. “God controls my fate. Whatever God’s plan is, I will follow.” (Credit: Athletes4Christ)

Fitzgerald has come a long way since being a ball boy in Minnesota. He never knew that God would cut out a path like this for him. Fitzgerald understands that God holds the future in His hands and He decides whether or not things work out our way. All that matters is that He gets the glory and Fitzgerald does that through his play in football.

“Faith in God, a positive mind-set, and hard work will take you a long way,” Fitzgerald plainly puts it.

Fitzgerald established the “Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund” to help kids and their families by funding positive activities for kids during the summer and throughout the year, supporting kids and families in crisis and supporting health-related organizations that work with families. Each summer, Arizona and Minnesota holds youth football camps through Fitzgerald’s charity. He also partners with other companies to provide children with technology, new football helmets and new recreation equipment. In the past, Fitzgerald has made trips to places like Africa, India, Thailand and the Philippines to support economic growth in the underprivileged communities.

Fitzgerald does a lot on and off the field. Most importantly, he gives thanks and credits God in everything that he does. He serves as a good role model in the NFL community and establishes his faith in the One who controls his life for His glory.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Aaron Rodgers

Some people may not be aware of this, but Aaron Rodgers is in fact a Christian. He hasn’t been very exuberant of his faith and proclaiming it as much as guys like Tim Tebow have in the past. Rodgers tends to stay away from the media in general as much as he can. He doesn’t want to put himself in the spotlight and let the focus be on him.

Rodgers’ faith started with his parents. He always looked up to them as Godly examples and it was from them that he knew more about Christ.

“I grew up knowing what a stable relationship was by my parents’ example and how it centered on Christ,” Rodgers said, “When our family had its ups and downs, I knew my parents relied on God for everything and He always got us through those rough spots.” (Credit: Beyond the Ultimate)

There was a time early in his life when Rodgers had drifted away from his faith. Luckily for him, he had two mentors that put him on the right path: Andrew Burchett, his youth pastor and Matt Hock the leader of his old youth group “Young Life.” God always puts other people in our life to help us follow Him. He works through these role models so that we can have a better understanding of who God really is. Because of these two men, Aaron Rodgers dedicated his life to Christ when he was 16 years old.

Since then, Rodgers has been a phenomenal quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. I loved this guy before I knew he was a Christian because he had to replace a legend in Brett Favre and he did it well. He had to wait three years to get his chance to start, but when he did, Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards  and 28 touchdowns in his first season as a starter and had a 93.8 passer rating. Then in 2010, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl and Rodgers took home the Super Bowl MVP. The very next season, he won the NFL MVP award after putting up 4,643 passing yards and 45 passing touchdowns, while only throwing six picks. It’s still a NFL record of a 3.62 touchdown to interception ratio. Rodgers also holds the record for the best career passer rating in NFL history with 104.9. He is also the only quarterback in NFL history to have a passer rating over 100 in both the regular season and the postseason. As of right now, the 30-year-old veteran has 188 touchdown passes and has thrown for over 24,000 yards in his career. In other words, he’s pretty good.

Even with all of these great things happening to him, Rodgers stays quiet during the off season and never brings any attention to himself. When given the opportunity, he always gives the glory to God.

“I feel like my stance and my desire has always been to follow a quote from St. Francis of Assisi, who said, ‘Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.’ So basically, I’m not an over-the-top, or an in-your-face kind of guy with my faith,” Rodgers said. “I would rather people have questions about why I act the way I act, whether they view it as positive or not, and ask questions, and then given an opportunity at some point, then you can talk about your faith a little bit.”

Rodgers is the kind of man whose actions speak louder than words. He never talks down to anyone or makes himself known in the media. He has always remained honest and true to his heart. Rodgers also understands that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.

“I try to build relationships,” Rodgers said. “I feel if you are not personally invested in the people you spend every day with, then you are missing out on building a relationship and wonderful life experiences. That is what I like about Jesus: Jesus is about relationships.”

Rodgers is also a big contributor to charities and humanitarian efforts around the world. He is the founder of his own charity called itsAaron, which raises awareness for organizations and people who are changing the world. Once again, he shows through his actions that the focus is not on him, but the people who physically help others everywhere they go. He is also a big supporter of the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) and RAISE Hope for Congo. Rodgers is a great role model to young athletes and kids everywhere. He shows them that life is more than just football and putting up big numbers on the field, it’s about Jesus Christ and serving Him and Him alone. Rodgers’ favorite Bible verse is John 10:10 which says,

“I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” Rodgers summarizes, “The Lord is my Rock. He has always been there, always present at good times and bad; and to me when I feel His presence, my life is full.”

 

Christian Athlete of the Week: Adrian Peterson

The Minnesota Vikings’ running back has been carrying his team since he first got drafted in 2007. Adrian Peterson has over 10,000 career rushing yards and 86 touchdowns. His average yards per carry is 5.0 in his career, which is really good. This guy has been the most dominant running back in the NFL since 2008 and although he missed two games last year, Peterson still ran for over 1,200 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He has not gone a single season where he scored single-digit rushing touchdowns. Not only that, but he’s also the Vikings’ all-time leading rusher after spending just seven seasons with the team. He is a great athlete and an even greater person. Peterson has always been outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ. The 29-year-old from Texas has grown in the faith since his rookie season and he continues to be a Christian ambassador in the NFL.

“Jesus Christ means the world to me,” Peterson said. “I’ve been through so many different situations through my childhood and now my adulthood. God just helped me get through them and made me stronger at a young age. Through all the adversity and hard times I’ve been through, God has always been present. I’ve always prayed to Him and asked Him to give me the strength to endure and to help others and to better understand whatever situation I deal with in my personal life. And He has always showed up! It brings hope and peace of mind knowing that God gave His only begotten Son for us.”

For more on Adrian Peterson’s relationship with Jesus Christ, check out this video below:

Adrian Peterson is also a big fan of helping out his local community. He started the All Day Foundation to raise awareness and funds for programs that inspire hope and build a better future for at-risk children, with a special focus on girls’ empowerment. He has been a great role model to the young women and has taught them how to live good, healthy lives so that they can have a better future. Peterson’s work on and off the field have inspired many and he is personally one of my favorite NFL players.

Peterson has also been through a lot of tough times in his life. He watched his older brother get run over by a car when he was just seven years old and then in 2011, he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Washington Redskins. Through all the trials and the pain, Peterson has always placed his faith in God to get him through the tough situations. When he went through the rehab on his torn ACL, Peterson had a positive attitude throughout the whole process.

“So many different times through the rehab where you know I was down, just spiritually, just my body, mentally, things that I had to do – whether it was different exercises, as far as strengthening my leg that was painful, that I just didn’t want to endure at the time,” Peterson said. “You know but you know you have those thoughts that go through your head. You got the devil – he’s out. He’s got those darts. So you can choose to bite on those or you can choose to block them out. Just listen to the thoughts that God put in there. But without Him during this recovery, I had no chance.” (Credit: CNS News)

Adrian Peterson will keep producing for his Minnesota Vikings team during the upcoming training camp and he will try to help lead his team to victory this year in the tough NFC North division.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Drew Brees

Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints are expected to win the NFC South this year with a great roster and a great coaching staff. Brees has always been a consistently good quarterback in the NFL and one of the elite players at his position. The 35-year-old from Austin, Texas has had quite a prolific career with 51,081 yards and 363 touchdowns and he still has a couple of seasons left in him. He is obviously the leader of the Saints, with a Super Bowl win under his belt and breaking the passing yards record in 2011 and also broke Johnny Unitas’ record of throwing a touchdown pass in 48 consecutive games the very next season. His last three seasons have been terrific as he has thrown for at least 5,100 yards and 39 touchdowns every year. Brees’ stats are amazing, but what’s even more amazing is his faithfulness to God. Here’s a video clip of Brees sharing his testimony with a reporter:

Having Brees come from San Diego to New Orleans was a huge blessing for that city. Brees even said it himself that he was being “called” to go there. The quarterback has always tried to be a good example to his teammates and to the people of New Orleans. He is known to volunteer to help rebuild the city after hurricanes have come through over and over again. He is seen as a great man that has a heart and passion for the Lord for his work off the field in New Orleans.

At first, Brees did not want to get released by the Chargers, but he realized afterwards that it was God’s plan all along to have him serve at New Orleans.

“A year later, I thought, ‘God that was probably the best thing that happened to be,’ because otherwise I never would have had the opportunity to come here and be a part of this community and this rebuilding effort,” Brees said. (Credit: Christian Post)

Brees has done a lot in the New Orleans community and hopes to do more for them by winning some football games this upcoming year. It will be a tough division with the rise of the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right on their heels, but Brees is used to the pressure and has overcome many obstacles in his path before.

“Trust that He’s never going to put anything in front of you that’s too hard for you or He wouldn’t put it in front of you,” Brees said.

 

Christian Athlete of the Week: Alfred Morris

The Washington Redskins recently wrapped up their OTAs and are now getting ready for the upcoming training camp. Running back Alfred Morris is one of those Redskins looking to make an impact this season. In his rookie year, Morris carried the ball 335 times for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those yards were third-most by a rookie running back in NFL history! That year was also the best performance by a Redskins running back in the franchise history! Clinton Portis had 1,516 yards rushing back in 2005 for Washington. Morris has already established himself as an elite back with 1,275 yards and 7 touchdowns last season. With him and Robert Griffin III, the Redskins have one of the best rushing offenses in the NFL.

While Morris has done so many great things on the football field, he still stays humble and true to Jesus Christ. Here is a video below on why Morris is a believer:

Morris is so humble, that he still drives a 1991 Mazda. It shows that he knows where he came from and he’s not ashamed of it. As Christians, we should never be ashamed of who we came from, which is God. He has given us life and it is our duty to live it out how He wants us to.

Born in Pensacola, Florida, Morris grew up with almost nothing. His family was living in poverty and Morris had to endure a lot of hardships during his childhood.

“My family didn’t have much, but we had each other, and that was really all we needed,” Morris said. “My six brothers and I loved to be outside playing every sport imaginable, sometimes even inventing our own games. I can still remember playing football in the yard with my brothers and cousins, dreaming of one day playing in the NFL.” (Credit: crossmap.christianpost.com)

His bond with his family was all that Morris had. Fortunately, he was able to perform well enough in high school to get a full-ride scholarship to Florida Atlantic University. Morris was also a big supporter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in high school and immediately joined a college group as soon as school started. In his sophomore year in 2009, Morris had 1,392 yards and 11 touchdowns. That year put him on the radar for NFL scouts and he finished his collegiate career with 3,529 yards and 31 total touchdowns.

Morris fell all the way to the 6th round where he was drafted by Coach Mike Shanahan and the Washington Redskins. From there, things took off for Morris and his career has jumped to a great start. Not only that, but his work off the field has garnered positive attention as well. He’s been known to handing out free toys to kids before Christmas and hand out free coats to kids in local hospitals. His heart is truly supported by a passion for God.

“Anytime I get an opportunity to give back, I give back,” Morris said in an interview during the Marine toy giveaway. “My heart for giving was shaped by others who gave to my family. I saw how selfless they were. It is not always about receiving, but giving, so every time they have some type of event to give, I am always there.” (Credit: Washington Post)

Morris is truly a great role model to look up to. He has a servant’s heart for Christ and is very humble about how he lives his life.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Troy Polamalu

The return of football season is coming along with OTAs starting back up this week. That’s why we’re going to focus on a football player for Christian Athlete of the Week. This athlete is Troy Polamalu, the future Hall-of-Fame safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Polamalu is of American Samoan descent, in case you couldn’t notice by his last name and his long hair. Polamalu is actually his mother’s maiden name and he was raised by his mother’s brother in southern Oregon. Polamalu played at USC and was drafted 16th overall by the Steelers in the 2003 NFL Draft. He hardly saw the field his rookie year, but in 2004, he started every game and intercepted five passes, returning one of them for a touchdown.

The year 2005 was when Polamalu really came on the scene. He tied an NFL record with three sacks in a single game by a safety and finished with 91 total tackles. He was also part of the Super Bowl-winning team that beat Seattle 21-10 that year. 2008 was probably Polamalu’s most memorable year. He finished the regular season with 17 passes defended and seven interceptions. Not only that, but he helped guide the Steelers to another Super Bowl title when they beat the Arizona Cardinals that year. In 2010, Polamalu won Defensive Player of the Year Award for defending 11 passes, intercepting seven of them, returning one of them for a touchdown and recording a sack as well. That year didn’t work out for him and his team in postseason when they lost to Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl. As of right now, Polamalu has 32 career interceptions and 12 sacks. He has been the backbone of Pittsburgh’s defense for many years and still has some good years left in him at the age of 33.

In 2007, Polamalu and his wife dedicated their lives to Christ by converting to Orthodox Christianity. That same year, he took a pilgrimage to Orthodox Christian sites in Greece and Turkey. He seldom gives interviews, but when he does, he often speaks of the role his spirituality plays in his life. Polamalu has said that he tries to separate himself from his profession as much as possible, including not watching football games at home. He prays after each play and on the sidelines. Here is a video that better explains his spiritual walk with Christ:

A soft spoken man who has dealt with the issue of pride, Polamalu has tried his best to live his life for Christ on and off the football field. Some people say that Orthodox Christianity is not necessarily the same as the Christian faith theologically and Biblically, but Polamalu disagrees.

“Orthodoxy is like an abyss of beauty that’s just endless,” Polamalu said. “I have read the Bible many times. But after fasting, and being baptized Orthodox, it’s like reading a whole new Bible. You see the depth behind the words so much more clearly.” (Credit: Patheos.com)

As long as your lifestyle is pleasing to God, it does not matter what denomination you follow. Speaking of lifestyle, Polamalu does lead an interesting one. During his free time, he surfs, grows flowers, makes furniture and plays the piano. Talk about the most interesting man in the world! All jokes aside, Polamalu lives his life with a passion for Jesus Christ, which is something all young athletes can look up to.

 

The Washington Redskins Release Reed Doughty

Veteran safety Reed Doughty was released by the Washington Redskins on Wednesday. The safety position in Washington is the most crowded and competitive spot on the roster. Doughty could not make the cut with players like Brandon Meriweather, Ryan Clark, Tanard Jackson and Phillip Thomas competing for the starting spot.

Doughty was drafted by the Redskins in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft out of the University of Northern Colorado. He started out playing on special teams. Doughty made his first start against the Dallas Cowboys on Week 11 of the 2007 season and ended up starting the rest of the season after the passing of Sean Taylor. In 2009, he made his first career interception against the Cowboys in Week 16. The following season, he recorded a career-high 93 tackles as well as one sack and a forced fumble. He finished his eight-year career with the Redskins with 506 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and three forced fumbles.

Doughty has faced a lot of trials and tribulations throughout his NFL career. He has a severe hearing impairment that makes him almost deaf and his first son, Micah, was born prematurely and suffered kidney failure as a baby. Doughty also had the duty of replacing the late and great Sean Taylor during the 2007 season.

Throughout his eight-year career with Washington, Doughty has always played to the best of his abilities on every play. Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams called him an “overachiever” and “one of the smartest football players he has ever seen.” However, injuries had plagued Doughty for many years and has led him to his release by the team. He looks to continue his public work with supporting organ donation through his son’s story.

As a Christian, Doughty has always been a big help to the Northern Virginia community through his outreach with his wife Katie. This was his farewell address to the Washington Redskins via Instagram:

“Been a good 8-year run with the @redskins. Want to thank the Redskins organization, especially HOF coach Joe Gibbs. He valued character, hardwork and special teams. He believed in me enough to take a chance on me and draft me.”

“Thanks to my family, friends, coaches, teammates, fans, trainers, equipment managers, and all the people inside the redskins building who I have interacted with for 8 years. Thanks to the people at @VSI_spinemd and @thevtfc for getting me healthy after I thought my career was over prematurely. Most of all I am thankful for the relationships I have built over the last 8 years.”

“Thanks to my church @cfcwired and our small group bible study. This group has encouraged me and my family, prayed for us, and have become lifelong friends. God never ceases to amaze me. I pray that my life will be a living testimony of his faithfulness, mercy, grace and love. Whether I continue on my NFL journey or transition into a new career, I am thankful. I have my best friend, my wife Katie Deters Doughty, to share life with and raise our boys together. God Bless!” (Credit: The Washington Post)