Full Transcript for Episode 399 - Why NFL Locker Rooms Pray More Than Boardrooms | Matt Hasselbeck

that. 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.919 And his football situation at BC wasn't going that way. 00:03:14.159 --> 00:03:17.919 Even in college, I remember being the backup to the backup. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:21.360 Like it was it was not a it was not a smooth road at all. 00:03:21.520 --> 00:03:22.639 I remember the failures. 00:03:22.719 --> 00:03:23.759 I remember the lows. 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:25.280 I remember the dark places. 00:03:25.439 --> 00:03:31.520 Like there's a reason that, you know, to this day, Tom Brady, like he hears the number 199. 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:32.719 He knows what that means. 00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:35.120 He was the 199th draft pack. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:36.719 Like he was the guy that was passed over. 00:03:36.879 --> 00:03:37.919 I was 187. 00:03:38.000 --> 00:03:38.560 Like I get it. 00:03:38.639 --> 00:03:40.400 And here's Brett scrambling away to the left. 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:44.479 I went to the Green Bay Packers team backing up Brett Favre for three years. 00:03:44.560 --> 00:03:45.919 I've been having a little fun today. 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:48.479 I traded to the uh Seattle Seahawks. 00:03:51.199 --> 00:03:52.400 He had a great run there. 00:03:52.639 --> 00:03:54.879 Matthew all right now he starts through the quarterback. 00:03:58.879 --> 00:04:00.719 And I became a father with the senior. 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:02.479 I became a starting quarterback. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:09.759 I took the team to the Super Bowl, went to multiple Pro Bowls, conducted into their Ring of Honor recently. 00:04:12.879 --> 00:04:19.120 Then finished out my career with the Tennessee Titans, and then ended my career with three years with the uh Indianapolis Colts. 00:04:19.519 --> 00:04:23.759 Doing a similar thing, mentoring as a backup to Andrew Locke. 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:30.000 You know, so that was an 18-year NFL career for someone who really wasn't expected to have an NFL career. 00:04:35.199 --> 00:04:38.319 So much of what we do as NFL players is we get trained. 00:04:38.399 --> 00:04:46.399 Like you walk into a weight room, there's a workout on the board that five coaches stayed up all night thinking about, okay, how are we gonna train this guy to be his best? 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:49.759 There's really nothing for like your soul. 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:58.560 And a great athlete today will have several coaches as part of like a whole team of coaches that they need for different areas of their life. 00:04:58.639 --> 00:05:02.079 And that's the same thing is needed in our spiritual journeys and at PAO. 00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:02.720 We want to do that. 00:05:02.879 --> 00:05:12.240 Mission statement says that we exist to unite a community of pros and couples to do two things grow as disciples of Jesus and make a positive kingdom impact on our potential spiritual science. 00:05:12.480 --> 00:05:16.639 People are coming to a table together to solve some of the world's great problems. 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:33.680

But I think today we are seeing a resurgence of builders and investors and givers and entrepreneurs and pastors and also athletes saying, How do I find the authentic thing that I want to be about solving together with others? 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:38.079 What more could we do together than we might otherwise do apart? 00:05:38.720 --> 00:05:43.519 I think that athletes for a long time struggled getting involved. 00:05:43.759 --> 00:05:55.600 I do think that one of the great things that PAO has done and the Increased Conference has done is it's really unselfishly opened players' eyes to the world around us. 00:05:56.160 --> 00:06:02.319 Issues or organizations or charities that are solving problems that break God's heart. 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:06.000 And they're doing it through a biblical perspective. 00:06:06.319 --> 00:06:11.199 As our men and women are formed and shaped in the image of God, and he begins to deploy his people out. 00:06:11.360 --> 00:06:19.759 Well, that's going to require lots of opportunities all over the place and lots of others who share those same passions and have unique giftings. 00:06:19.920 --> 00:06:34.800 And so we need to find collaborative environments where that makes sense and come around a table together and say, okay, let's just consider what God might be doing by bringing us together here to accomplish something much bigger than either one of us could. 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:42.639 Seeds were probably watered in terms of financial giving when we got to Seattle. 00:06:42.800 --> 00:06:45.360 First of all, I had way more money than I had ever had. 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:51.920 And so I was very, very good at tithing when you know a percentage of a not a big number was like, sure, whatever. 00:06:52.160 --> 00:07:01.600 But that that percentage of a way bigger number, ironically, was a test in like, okay, how faithful are you gonna be in this area of your life? 00:07:01.839 --> 00:07:06.959 And I and I just sort of remember many really godly people speaking into my life. 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.279 Are you willing to see it as his, not yours? 00:07:09.439 --> 00:07:10.879 Are you gonna hold on to it like this? 00:07:10.959 --> 00:07:13.600 Or are you gonna be like, God, your will be done? 00:07:15.279 --> 00:07:19.279 So doing like missions trips was pretty normal for me. 00:07:19.360 --> 00:07:20.800 It started in college. 00:07:20.959 --> 00:07:23.439 You know, even for my wife, the same thing. 00:07:23.600 --> 00:07:26.079 But we never really took our kids with us. 00:07:26.240 --> 00:07:28.399 That is not something that we felt safe to do. 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:34.000 And I think, like, in a similar way, early on that we like held tight to our finances. 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:38.720 I think there was a part where we held really tight to our kids. 00:07:38.879 --> 00:07:41.279 Like we were so protective of our kids. 00:07:41.439 --> 00:07:43.920 Like, oh, nothing can be nothing bad can happen to our kids.

00:07:44.000 --> 00:07:47.759 We're gonna like, you know, wrap them in bubble wrap kind of vibe. 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:54.160 Just through our church in Seattle, church really took initiatives and was, you know, raising money and doing events to build wells. 00:07:54.399 --> 00:07:59.759 So it was just us kind of from afar watching and trusting and then giving. 00:08:00.079 --> 00:08:02.720 Sir Scott called Matthew and asked him to go. 00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:12.160 And we would never have done it, would never have thought of going, was not on our radar, wasn't something we were gonna do, we weren't gonna go on a mission strip. 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:22.480 But being obedient to what you feel like God is really calling you to do, you can kind of feel that tug on your heart where you I should be saying yes to this. 00:08:22.720 --> 00:08:26.079 Okay, we are gonna invite our family in. 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:29.920 We thought that was important, but we were a little bit afraid. 00:08:30.160 --> 00:08:39.600 An NFL wife had told me, as soon as your kids can close their mouth and their eyes in the shower, so they don't drink the water, that they could swallow a big pill, you can take them and don't worry about it. 00:08:39.840 --> 00:08:40.639 I just trusted them. 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:42.799 This is like the community that we were talking about. 00:08:42.960 --> 00:08:44.159 I trusted my community. 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:47.840 They said it's gonna be okay, and so we went for it. 00:08:48.080 --> 00:08:50.000 And yeah, we got to go to Malawi. 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:51.360 It was an incredible opportunity. 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:56.159 When my parents are like, we're gonna take you out of school for, you know, at least a week to do this. 00:08:56.320 --> 00:08:58.559 It was cool to see my teacher have such an easy reaction. 00:08:58.639 --> 00:09:06.240 She was like, Okay, I want you to go and make this, you know, video, this iMovie, instead of doing, you know, the American history test that you have to prepare for. 00:09:06.320 --> 00:09:08.720 I want you to just make a video for me on your time. 00:09:08.960 --> 00:09:19.440 Did uh did a week going through Africa um and seeing uh the work building and bringing clean water to people who had never had clean water. 00:09:19.759 --> 00:09:24.879 Some of the greatest moments in my entire life, just thinking back to stepping on the soil of Africa. 00:09:25.039 --> 00:09:33.279 That experience was so incredible because I will point back to that so many times in my life that nothing that we have is truly ours. 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:35.840 And what are you going to do with what you've been given? 00:09:35.919 --> 00:09:37.759 I just feel like that teacher, Mrs. 00:09:37.840 --> 00:09:53.759 Simmons, allowing me to fully embrace the opportunity to have a new life experience and to just open my eyes to something that I had never experienced, to people that I had never experienced, to crises, like crises that I've never experienced. 00:09:53.919 --> 00:09:54.799 That's a huge thing. 00:09:55.039 --> 00:10:08.480 One of the encouraging trends in the church over the last 20, 30 years has been this idea of living our journey out in front of our children and sharing with them early what we go through, the high highs, the low lows, and all the steps in between. 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:28.000 And when I look at the Hasselback story, I see somebody that's saying, hey, let's bring our kids along from the very beginning to know that these opportunities are the chances for God to speak most clearly, not only into our lives, but to their lives as well, and to find that mission that we can be on together as a family. 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:34.639 We came back and Annabelle shows this video that she made and it was it was really amazing. 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:37.120 And it changed their hearts completely. 00:10:37.200 --> 00:10:39.919 And they were like, we have to do something. 00:10:40.159 --> 00:10:44.240 They this school, this middle school decided to like, they did a whole water week. 00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:58.480 We're gonna do like, we're gonna shut off the drinking fountains here, and we're gonna, we're gonna only like all the bathrooms are closed, you can only use the bathroom that's like on the other side of campus, like to get a feeling for like what it was like for these young girls who had to go walk hours for water. 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.720 That school went on to build two water projects in Ethiopia. 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:14.480 So the ripple effects of Rachel Beckwith's life, and then what we were able to create halfway across the country in Indianapolis, with the ripple effect in their school at Park Tudor. 00:11:14.639 --> 00:11:18.799 It just makes you think like you don't know the depths and the riches of God, right? 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:20.080 And what he can do. 00:11:20.320 --> 00:11:24.320 It connects and explodes everything in your own heart for God and his power. 00:11:24.559 --> 00:11:26.559 And just being a little bit available. 00:11:26.720 --> 00:11:31.919 Like that eight-year-old girl was just a little bit available to him without her even knowing but what he did. 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:36.320 For Matthew and I, sometimes we just look at each other and like, what are we all about? 00:11:36.399 --> 00:11:37.759 What like what's the goal here? 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:39.120 What's the goal here? 00:11:39.360 --> 00:11:44.080 And we'll say the goal is to love others and to to do what God cares about. 00:11:44.480 --> 00:11:52.960 And our our relationship and our partnership and our giving of our resources, time, and treasures has linked all of that. 00:11:53.120 --> 00:12:06.159 And the way God's weaved the story, through just being in Seattle at the right time, at the right moment, it's us being a little bit available and God honoring our prayer show us how to how to do your work. 00:12:06.320 --> 00:12:09.440 A lot of times

people ask me, like, oh, what's like playing quarterback in the NFL? 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:19.360 And I'll say usually the same stuff, like, it's so fun to throw a touch of axe in an NFL stadium, at home, sometimes even better on the road. 00:12:19.519 --> 00:12:20.799 Like, it's so fun. 00:12:21.120 --> 00:12:30.799 But I would I would say that there are things outside the football that can equal that kind of a of a high, of a feeling. 00:12:31.039 --> 00:12:36.720 Like I would and I would just say giving, like giving generously can feel that way. 00:12:36.879 --> 00:12:39.519 That's I mean, almost better. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:42.240 Like, really, almost better. 00:12:46.639 --> 00:12:48.240 Matt, what a story. 00:12:48.399 --> 00:12:51.600 It's just amazing to see what God has been doing. 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:53.600 An arc of what seven 17 years? 00:12:53.840 --> 00:12:54.240 18 years. 00:12:54.559 --> 00:12:54.879 18 years. 00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:58.720 Sometimes sometimes the internet will say 17 years, but it's 18 years. 00:12:58.879 --> 00:12:59.039 Okay. 00:12:59.200 --> 00:13:01.519 The internet will also say that I've been struck by lightning twice. 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:02.000 Not true. 00:13:02.080 --> 00:13:02.799 Just just one time. 00:13:02.960 --> 00:13:03.519 Wait, wait, wait. 00:13:04.559 --> 00:13:06.480 Facetiously or we or was there a near death? 00:13:07.440 --> 00:13:07.679 Literally. 00:13:08.240 --> 00:13:09.039 Yeah, lightning bolt. 00:13:09.279 --> 00:13:09.919 Let's walk into that. 00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:10.559 What what happened? 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:22.159 Oh, it I mean, it's probably a story for another time, but uh my girlfriend and I were at a wedding reception for uh friend, and um yeah, we got 16 of us got struck by lightning. 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:22.879 Oh my gosh. 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:27.840 And uh this was my girlfriend, I ended up it's now my wife, we ended up getting married. 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:35.840 My first phone call to my future father-in-law was uh, hey, um your daughter just got struck by lightning, and so did I. 00:13:36.000 --> 00:13:46.480 It was a tough um, but what's what's really wild about that story is uh so the couple that got married, uh he was a hockey player, he was marrying a girl I grew up with. 00:13:46.960 --> 00:14:01.120 Years later, our oldest daughter is at college, playing lacrosse at Boston College, and she's in her freshman dorm and they're playing this kind of this icebreaker game, and it's uh two truths and a lie. 00:14:01.519 --> 00:14:07.440 And my daughter's truth, one of her truths, was um my parents were struck by lightning at a wedding reception. 00:14:07.759 --> 00:14:16.480 Well, one of the girls on the floor, a softball player at Boston College, was like, wait a second, some people got struck by lightning at my parents' wedding. 00:14:16.639 --> 00:14:18.879 Oh no, who are your parents? 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:20.639 And so there it is. 00:14:20.720 -->

00:14:33.519 Um Peter Laviolette, the famous hockey coach for you know the New York Rangers and National Predators and other teams, Carolina hurricanes, it was their wedding, and so um what a what a small world. 00:14:34.240 --> 00:14:36.000 I'm happy to have survived, obviously. 00:14:36.159 --> 00:14:44.159 Yeah, so let's push into a little bit just in terms vocationally, first and just the work is 18 years quarterback position. 00:14:44.799 --> 00:14:48.000 Like everybody sees it from the outside. 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:49.759 What did you see from the inside? 00:14:49.840 --> 00:14:52.799 When you look back and all the dust is now settled, yeah. 00:14:52.879 --> 00:14:53.759 They just see the end of it. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.720 They see 18 years, three Pro Bowls, Ring of Honor, Super Bowl quarterback, they see all that stuff. 00:14:58.799 --> 00:14:59.840 I'll tell you the truth of it. 00:14:59.919 --> 00:15:01.840 I was telling my wife about this this morning. 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:04.559 Uh, more interceptions than touchdowns in college. 00:15:04.960 --> 00:15:09.279 I rushed for negative 280 yards in college in my college career. 00:15:09.440 --> 00:15:12.000 I saw that on the back of a football card this week. 00:15:12.399 --> 00:15:14.240 Uh was not invited to the combine. 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:17.440 I had a pro day, invited all 32 teams. 00:15:17.600 --> 00:15:19.039 Only one team even showed up. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:22.000 That was the quarterback coach for the Green Bay Packers, Andy Reid. 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:23.679 He was the only guy that even showed up. 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:27.679 He shows up at Boston College in a blizzard, in a snowstorm. 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:29.840 We have no indoor facility at BC. 00:15:30.159 --> 00:15:33.120 Andy Reid says to me, Hey, you want to go outside and throw in the snow? 00:15:33.200 --> 00:15:34.480 And I'm like, Yeah, coach, let's go. 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.120 He's like, I'm not going out there in the snow. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:38.559 But I coach in Green Bay. 00:15:38.639 --> 00:15:41.120 I needed to know that you would have been willing to throw in the snow. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:41.679 Oh, that's good. 00:15:41.919 --> 00:15:42.720 And that was the start. 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:43.919 Like, that's how it started. 00:15:44.000 --> 00:15:46.320 Even when I got to Green Bay, I got cut. 00:15:46.559 --> 00:15:53.759 I spent 17 days, 17 games on the practice squad, uh, most of that year playing tight end, just a service practice. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:56.080 Uh I was just kind of allowed to be there. 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.000 And so it was a struggle. 00:15:58.320 --> 00:15:59.039 It was a struggle. 00:15:59.200 --> 00:16:04.399 And so, you know, part of my motivation was to last, just to make it. 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:18.080 Um, you know, but by the end of my career, I mean, I retired after 18 years the day after Peyton Manning and Charles Woodson retired, because one of my goals became I want to outlast every single player in my draft class. 00:16:18.399 --> 00:16:20.799 So the day after those guys retired, I retired. 00:16:20.960 --> 00:16:24.000 I mean it it's um so the journey wasn't easy. 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:25.039 It certainly was hard. 00:16:25.120 --> 00:16:27.679 There was a lot of hard work and a lot of answer prayers along the way. 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:28.000 Yeah. 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:29.279 What's the identity? 00:16:29.600 --> 00:16:35.440 Like when you think about sports, it's like one of the very first places identity is it feels like it's placed on us. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:42.720 Like, oh, you play point guard, you must be fast, oh you play this, you must be that, you play quarterback, you must be a leader. 00:16:43.279 --> 00:16:49.279 Like, what's the what's the perception that comes with it, and what's the what's the real thing underneath it? 00:16:49.840 --> 00:16:50.639 It can be anything. 00:16:50.720 --> 00:16:52.639 I I don't think it's necessarily only sports. 00:16:52.960 --> 00:16:59.919 You know, I think for for me, sports was certainly something that was uh uh I saw myself as something a little bit. 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:05.759 Like I saw myself as an athlete, as a as a catcher in baseball, as a quarterback in football. 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:10.319 Uh the danger is when those things get ripped away from you, now what? 00:17:10.400 --> 00:17:14.400 Yeah, you know, and as a quarterback, the just the reality is one guy plays. 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.000 So I was like Mr. 00:17:16.240 --> 00:17:23.519 Whatever high school quarterback, recruited by everybody, and I go to college, and for four years, I'm not even the backup. 00:17:23.599 --> 00:17:25.359 I'm like the backup to the backup. 00:17:25.839 --> 00:17:27.359 And it was uh it was hard. 00:17:27.599 --> 00:17:32.880 And ironically, at the same time, I met my wife in uh college as a f we were both freshmen. 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:36.480 She was an all-American basically right away. 00:17:36.559 --> 00:17:39.279 She was, you know, the best athlete in the school. 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:41.759 You know, she had this amazing college career. 00:17:42.160 --> 00:17:44.160 And I I had like no college career. 00:17:44.559 --> 00:17:50.000 You know, I I mentioned I I really didn't become the starting quarterback until the second game of my senior year. 00:17:50.400 --> 00:17:59.519 So the identity piece was a real struggle for me, and I needed to pour into other things to find I guess just purpose. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:13.359 You know, and um but what I what I found was uh once I found my purpose, the identity it's almost like football got better in a weird way, but it wasn't about football anymore. 00:18:13.519 --> 00:18:20.000 It was about making the most with my God-given abilities in everything that I did, whether it was football or anything else. 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:26.640 And uh I don't know, I just was more free,

worried less, tried harder, did better. 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:29.599 Uh doesn't mean it was a smooth road, it was not a smooth road. 00:18:29.759 --> 00:18:33.119 I mean, that was the opposite of a smooth road. 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:34.960 But uh but it was definitely better. 00:18:35.920 --> 00:18:38.319 Take us into like what we've seen happen in football. 00:18:38.480 --> 00:18:46.480 I know that you're a leader in this professional athlete's outreach ministry that our viewers are becoming more and more familiar with, but something's happened in football. 00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:52.160 And it's not just something that's been an overnight thing, there's been a long history of something that's been growing. 00:18:52.319 --> 00:18:56.319 Just take us what we've seen of how faith is intersected into the locker room. 00:18:56.799 --> 00:19:02.960 Well, speaking specifically of Pro Athletes Outreach, that's an organization that was started 55 years ago in the 70s. 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:22.160 A group of NFL players and their spouses decided, hey, we are going to pour into this people group, this professional football player world, and we're gonna pray for them, we're gonna financially sacrifice for them, and we're gonna plant seeds, and hopefully plant seeds in fertile soil. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:32.319 And then throughout the years, um those seeds have been watered, and those seeds have gotten sunshine, and those seeds have have grown and and and and blossomed and bloomed and and all the stuff. 00:19:32.400 --> 00:19:38.880 And and so I just feel like kind of a almost a second generation um beneficiary of that. 00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:45.920 I mean, my parents sort of surrendered their lives to Jesus fully after a PAO conference in 1981. 00:19:46.079 --> 00:19:46.319 Wow. 00:19:46.400 --> 00:19:50.880 Uh so I only know the version of my parents that had been fully surrendered to God. 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:52.559 I don't know the version before that. 00:19:52.720 --> 00:19:53.519 I just I don't. 00:19:54.000 --> 00:19:57.519 Uh so I I I personally have a strong attachment to it. 00:19:57.759 --> 00:20:05.119 But I think that uh for me, just being in the locker room for almost two decades, it's an incredible place to be. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:08.240 People sometimes say to me, like, oh, how did you how did you do that? 00:20:08.319 --> 00:20:09.599 It's it's a great place to be. 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:11.119 It's harder to be on the outside. 00:20:11.200 --> 00:20:16.160 Yeah, inside the locker room, um you're plugged in. 00:20:16.400 --> 00:20:22.240 Yeah, you're plugged into community, bible study, couple study, chapel, uh all the all the stuff. 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:24.319 And it's uh 24-7. 00:20:24.559 --> 00:20:25.680 You can't fake it with people. 00:20:25.839 --> 00:20:26.000 Yeah. 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:28.720 Like you you can there's there's there is no hiding. 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:30.160 Yeah, there's no hiding. 00:20:30.559 --> 00:20:39.200 And so I don't know, when you're when you step out of the game, you can be isolated, you can hide, you can sort of uh it's different. 00:20:39.440 --> 00:20:43.279 So I just think it's it's a great place for fertile soil for seeds to grow. 00:20:43.519 --> 00:20:55.599 And it feels like God has just done something, the the megaphone's gotten bigger, the stage time has gotten more, people have become more accepting to people bringing their full self to the post-game interview and everything in between. 00:20:55.920 --> 00:21:00.400 Like, what what did it take to break some of that damn, some of that penta? 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:03.599 I think the media is just everywhere now. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:07.119 So players have their own voice with their own social media channels. 00:21:07.440 --> 00:21:09.839 There's a gazillion channels, you know. 00:21:09.920 --> 00:21:13.519 There's uh like when I grew up, yeah, I don't know if I even had a remote control. 00:21:13.599 --> 00:21:14.319 We had like three channels. 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.720 We had to get up and turn the knob. 00:21:16.960 --> 00:21:19.839 And then there was, I think the other channels, there may be three more channels. 00:21:20.079 --> 00:21:21.119 There were like six channels. 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:28.720 You know, and now there's you could watch sports all day long, and you could listen to podcasts all you could find out what's really motivating a player. 00:21:28.799 --> 00:21:31.359 You can find out, let's just say I tear my ACL. 00:21:31.839 --> 00:21:40.079 There's a there's a a I mean endless amount of athletes that I could go listen to their ACL rehab story, yeah, and I can hear, hey, what got you through? 00:21:40.160 --> 00:21:41.599 What did you learn through your injury? 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:43.119 What did you learn on the mountaintop? 00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:44.400 What did you learn in the valley? 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.920 And uh this the fact people are just real, they're authentic. 00:21:48.079 --> 00:21:49.200 And I'll tell you what I learned. 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:50.559 I learned I couldn't do it on my own. 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:54.240 I learned when my sport was ripped away from me, like that's not what it's all about. 00:21:54.400 --> 00:21:57.920 I I learned when I w hoisted a Lombardi, there was more to life. 00:21:58.160 --> 00:21:59.680 You know, like there's things like that. 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:01.359 I was just telling somebody today. 00:22:01.519 --> 00:22:06.640 They're asking me, like, what's it like throwing a touchdown pass in the NFL and a playoff game and a huge Super Bowl, whatever. 00:22:06.799 --> 00:22:07.920 I'm like, yeah, it's great. 00:22:08.079 --> 00:22:08.559 It's great. 00:22:08.720 --> 00:22:13.920 But I'll I'll just tell you, it's it's it's on the podium of things that I've done that are amazing in my life. 00:22:14.079 --> 00:22:18.000 Being generous and being able to, I don't know, do that. 00:22:18.480

--> 00:22:20.000 It's on the podium too. 00:22:20.079 --> 00:22:20.319 Yeah. 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:23.359 Um is that hard to say, or is that weird to say the first time you say it? 00:22:23.519 --> 00:22:27.039 Because I love that part of the story where you equate that. 00:22:27.359 --> 00:22:34.799 And for whatever reason, the magnification of sports, the the viewer has put that trophy on such a pedestal. 00:22:34.880 --> 00:22:39.440 That career accomplishment, that getting to a Super Bowl, like that, that's a big, big thing. 00:22:39.599 --> 00:22:47.519 But you just equated something that we're familiar with, and sometimes we take for granted of generosity to that level to even exceed it. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:53.839 I don't want to take anything away from throwing a touchdown pass in a playoff game in front of like at Lumen Field in Seattle. 00:22:54.000 --> 00:22:55.119 Like, no, it's awesome. 00:22:55.200 --> 00:22:56.480 Yeah, it's incredible. 00:22:56.559 --> 00:22:57.759 Yeah, it's a rush. 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:01.839 It is like as good as it's worth, makes all the hard work worth it. 00:23:01.920 --> 00:23:02.160 Yeah. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:03.359 It's there. 00:23:03.599 --> 00:23:07.519 But I'm just saying, right up there, it might be that might be a silver medal. 00:23:07.839 --> 00:23:11.039 I'm saying right up there, like gold, bronze, somewhere in there. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:26.240 I mean, I remember our two young quarterbacks were at a PAO conference, uh, and their our two young quarterbacks and their pregnant wives came up to me near the end of the conference and they said, Hey, um we're gonna have the chaplain baptize us. 00:23:26.480 --> 00:23:27.839 Will you get in the water with us? 00:23:28.079 --> 00:23:29.440 That's on the podium for me. 00:23:29.599 --> 00:23:34.400 Like that is better than any touchdown pass, and not to diminish the touchdown pass. 00:23:34.640 --> 00:23:34.799 Yeah. 00:23:34.960 --> 00:23:43.359 Or being generous, going with my family to do, you know, share the resources that we've earned and share with others. 00:23:43.440 --> 00:23:50.400 Like, God, this isn't, you know, work through us, work through what you've blessed us, help us bless others for your glory, not for ours. 00:23:50.480 --> 00:23:54.400 Like, that's that's that's a probably that's up there. 00:23:54.720 --> 00:23:58.160 It's it's it's um it's a rush, it's great. 00:23:58.400 --> 00:24:05.359 And it's I think what's so powerful about that stuff is it's not something I could have done on my own. 00:24:05.680 --> 00:24:09.200 Like it's like above anything I could ever do. 00:24:09.359 --> 00:24:09.680 Yeah. 00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:10.559 I don't know. 00:24:10.720 --> 00:24:10.880 Yeah. 00:24:11.119 --> 00:24:20.079 So when you push into that idea, because like I what I loved about the story and is is is you guys told it as a family, like just like there's never a good time. 00:24:20.400 --> 00:24:21.680 And many of the people that we see. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:22.799 I mean going on a service trip. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.279 Getting outside your box, there's never a good time. 00:24:25.440 --> 00:24:34.000 And I could put a list there, either service trip, that big moment of generosity, whatever it is, the entrepreneur community that we spend a lot of time serving. 00:24:34.240 --> 00:24:36.559 We're the business leader that always makes excuse. 00:24:36.640 --> 00:24:42.160 Oh, I'll get to it when we scale, I'll get to it when we have time, I'll get to it when business is quieter. 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:44.640 But that's no different from what you guys experience. 00:24:44.799 --> 00:24:45.039 Yeah. 00:24:45.200 --> 00:24:47.519 And then there was something that said, nah, you know what? 00:24:47.680 --> 00:24:51.680 Amidst of this career, amidst things going on, this is the time. 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:57.759 Well, with being generous, I remember uh it was actually easier for me to be generous when I wasn't making a lot of money. 00:24:58.319 --> 00:25:00.000 I was like, that tithe was simple. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:00.319 Yeah. 00:25:00.480 --> 00:25:01.599 Like, sure, there you go. 00:25:01.680 --> 00:25:02.000 Yeah. 00:25:02.160 --> 00:25:06.160 And then it actually became harder when the contracts got bigger. 00:25:06.480 --> 00:25:10.559 And when the contracts got bigger, it was like, well, wait a second, do you know how much money this is? 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:15.039 You know, and like I I don't give that much, there's I don't give that much money to anything. 00:25:15.200 --> 00:25:17.759 Like my family, my parents, my parent, you know, what nobody. 00:25:17.839 --> 00:25:18.160 Yeah. 00:25:18.319 --> 00:25:23.200 Um, but then I think it just kind of went back to it's not really mine anyway. 00:25:23.759 --> 00:25:40.960 Like, look, this is this isn't this isn't, you know, so I do think that um exercising generosity when I didn't have much made it a lot easier to let go when I was making more money and I was more successful, but that doesn't mean it was easy. 00:25:41.200 --> 00:25:47.279 And I would say that I got a lot of confidence by seeing others in their generosity. 00:25:47.519 --> 00:26:02.079 Some of my teammates that were the cheapest guys I knew, uh, when they were um obedient in their generosity, and then even um cheerful about it, that gave me confidence and strength. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:05.759 And then I think when we started giving, it almost just became like fun. 00:26:05.839 --> 00:26:06.160 Yeah. 00:26:06.319 --> 00:26:15.599 You know, it stopped becoming about a percentage and uh, you know, it's almost sort of like I don't want to say I want to outgive God, but like I was just like give, give, give, give. 00:26:15.680 --> 00:26:17.839 It was like more the more the mentality. 00:26:18.000 --> 00:26:18.319 Yeah. 00:26:18.559 --> 00:26:28.400 And um and you talked about the challenges of like, because I think this happens, whether

it's that big signing bonus, that big contract, or the entrepreneur that has the liquidity event. 00:26:28.640 --> 00:26:31.680 We face those moments and it's a big sum. 00:26:32.079 --> 00:26:36.799 And it's probably, if we're honest, more than a particular ministry could or should handle. 00:26:36.880 --> 00:26:41.599 And there's pressure of like, oh, this should all go here or to this church or to that. 00:26:41.839 --> 00:26:47.759 But there's that moment where we have to say, okay, like, what does it look like to really get good at giving? 00:26:48.480 --> 00:26:48.799 For sure. 00:26:49.200 --> 00:26:49.920 And that's overwhelming. 00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:56.640 I mean, because we were talking about it in the conference the other day, is like there's um, you know, there's 1.8 million nonprofits. 00:26:56.880 --> 00:27:00.480 There's 4,000 publicly traded companies in the US. 00:27:00.640 --> 00:27:03.119 There's 450 times as many nonprofits. 00:27:03.359 --> 00:27:08.240 Like, how did you guys kind of go through that thing to find the fight you guys felt called to? 00:27:08.480 --> 00:27:13.119 Well, I think that quite honestly, I think that was almost a built-in excuse that I was making. 00:27:13.519 --> 00:27:18.079 Like, hey, I would give to kingdom purposes, but you know, what am I really giving to? 00:27:18.160 --> 00:27:19.440 I want to be a good steward. 00:27:20.160 --> 00:27:24.319 And, you know, um, Judas was in charge of the money. 00:27:24.880 --> 00:27:27.759 And Jesus was like, he knew Judas was crooked. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:28.079 Yeah. 00:27:28.240 --> 00:27:30.240 And he was like, hey, give the money to Judas. 00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:33.680 I I don't care what the money I care about your heart. 00:27:33.839 --> 00:27:34.000 Yeah. 00:27:34.240 --> 00:27:43.440 So even if I'm giving to things and somebody else is doing something not great with the money, I'll leave that to I'll be I'll leave that between them and God. 00:27:43.599 --> 00:27:49.359 Like for me, my heart posture is a surrender, open-handed, you know. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:53.119 So it's it's I'm not you do want to be a good steward and you want the money. 00:27:53.200 --> 00:27:54.400 But but I hear the tension. 00:27:54.480 --> 00:28:04.640 And I I think that, you know, we had this conversation with uh Andy Crouch, who was talking about this idea of like any good thing can sometimes be twisted, flipped. 00:28:04.720 --> 00:28:12.559 And we think of like vehicles like donor advise funds where it's like, hey, we'll delay the tax consequences, preserve some more, maybe a moral go to impact. 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:12.960 Yeah. 00:28:13.200 --> 00:28:16.480 And while it sounds good in the moment, it can be a trap. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:24.559 And I think that's what you're saying is is like the excuse of overanalyzing, maybe, was and could be and was identified. 00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:26.400 This could be a barrier for me, really being generous. 00:28:26.720 -->

00:28:28.400 I think it was a barrier for me early on. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:34.559 Because, you know, like just even talking about like let's say we go to like a little small church and be like, Well, are they gonna handle that? 00:28:34.640 --> 00:28:35.839 Is that gonna throw off there? 00:28:35.920 --> 00:28:37.200 You know, what are they gonna do with it? 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:44.720 And um, I I just think that my immaturity early on was I was that was something I was holding on to. 00:28:44.880 --> 00:28:52.079 But I think like the donor-advised funds and things like that to give better, if that's the right way to say that. 00:28:52.240 --> 00:28:54.400 Um, there's nothing wrong with a process. 00:28:54.559 --> 00:29:00.559 Like, as a quarterback, you have a process, uh, and you have your process leads you to a goal. 00:29:00.880 --> 00:29:07.839 And so, like for a quarterback, when you're playing a game on Sunday, you set it up Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 00:29:07.920 --> 00:29:16.799 Like first and second down is on is on Wednesday, third down short yardage goal line on Thursday, Friday is red zone, Saturday is mock game, all for Sunday. 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:17.119 Yeah. 00:29:17.279 --> 00:29:25.519 And so I I have no issue with sort of the the the planning, just knowing that there is a game day on Sunday, yeah, yeah, yeah. 00:29:25.680 --> 00:29:28.640 And that you we're doing all this for the game day. 00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:28.960 Yeah. 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:38.559 But I think I do I do think that um, you know, there's a balance there between maximizing your giving. 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:51.039 You know, if you're giving just like if I'm giving a dollar and they're just basically turning into it turning it into a dollar versus I'm giving a dollar and they're turning it into three dollars, maybe this is a smarter thing I should be efforting towards. 00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:58.960 But for me, really, I think for my personal journey, it was a hard issue, and I just had to let go of the dollar in the first place. 00:30:03.119 --> 00:30:07.839 Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey, the weight of leadership heavy. 00:30:08.079 --> 00:30:16.160 You've been called to create impact through your business, but here's the truth: isolation kills vision, comfort destroys calling. 00:30:16.319 --> 00:30:19.920 That's why Faith-Driven Entrepreneur created our foundation groups. 00:30:20.640 --> 00:30:28.799 Join 10 fellow entrepreneurs who truly understand your path just for one hour a week for eight weeks, online or in person. 00:30:29.119 --> 00:30:35.359 Together you'll explore God's purpose for your business through practical, purposeful discussions with others who really get it. 00:30:35.599 --> 00:30:37.039 Don't journey alone. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:39.200 Your calling is too important. 00:30:39.680 --> 00:30:44.880 Visit faithdriven entrepreneur.org and join a group today. 00:30:45.119 --> 00:30:48.240 That's faithdrivenentrepreneur.org. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:55.759 When you look at that experience, the trip that you guys took, kind of getting in this thing. 00:30:55.839 --> 00:30:59.039 I mean, we we saw it in the story, like it from the class project. 00:30:59.440 --> 00:31:00.720 The Malawi trip, the charity trip trip. 00:31:00.799 --> 00:31:02.480 Yeah, the charity water, the charity water trip. 00:31:02.640 --> 00:31:05.759 When you guys got into that, it became a family thing. 00:31:05.920 --> 00:31:10.240 And even I love the class project when you brought it back, and it like it became a school thing. 00:31:10.400 --> 00:31:19.680 Can you just for the entrepreneur that's out there that's saying like, uh, there's a better time, talk about what it did for your family years and years later. 00:31:19.920 --> 00:31:34.480 I really think for us personally, it was a little bit of a God thing where there there was no doubt it was a God thing because we had been invited to do various things, like trips as a family, and my answer was no, no, no, no, no. 00:31:34.799 --> 00:31:45.200 And then I remember saying no to one, and I and I kind of in like this whisper in my mind kind of said, sort of like, okay, God, if you ask one more time, I promise not to say no. 00:31:45.599 --> 00:31:49.039 And it was the most outlandish ask ever. 00:31:49.279 --> 00:31:52.160 Like it was the the dumbest thing to say yes to. 00:31:52.319 --> 00:32:01.200 It was no person in their right mind advising me with my career or my family for their schooling, for like there was nothing that made sense. 00:32:01.839 --> 00:32:04.720 Um, and I was like, all right, I'm gonna be obedient. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:09.279 I said, if you open one more door, even a crack, yeah, I'll say yes. 00:32:09.440 --> 00:32:10.720 And so we said yes. 00:32:10.960 --> 00:32:22.240 And, you know, I think like the only thing that my wife would probably say that we really clung to was that our youngest child was old enough to know not to put his hands in his mouth. 00:32:22.720 --> 00:32:29.680 And I think that was like maybe like the one sort of like okay, like that was the bottom rung of the ladder, so to speak. 00:32:29.839 --> 00:32:32.079 If we can get to that, yeah, we're in. 00:32:32.559 --> 00:32:33.440 And so we did that. 00:32:33.519 --> 00:32:36.319 And we we did we went on basically a blind date with another family. 00:32:36.400 --> 00:32:37.920 We didn't know that also we had three kids. 00:32:38.000 --> 00:32:50.079 We met in um South Africa and had a 17-hour layover and broke the ice, and then we did eight days in Malawi going through the country, and quite honestly, I we didn't help, we didn't do anything to help. 00:32:50.240 --> 00:32:51.039 We just learned. 00:32:51.599 --> 00:33:02.799 And we just we just watched and we saw what an impact that clean drinking water uh could have, yeah uh and or did have, and and just saw it, could touch it. 00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:04.640 Yeah, and we

were the honored guests. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:08.079 Yeah, like it wasn't like we were coming down to give or do anything like that. 00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:09.279 They gave to us. 00:33:09.519 --> 00:33:17.200 And it just was an incredible and I think the language there is important because sometimes again, maybe that's throwing us off mission trip or this, that. 00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:19.519 And I love the language where you're saying, like, I went to learn. 00:33:19.599 --> 00:33:26.720 I mean, we just went there last year and just uh saw what the the country's going through, like you know, 20% hooked up to electricity. 00:33:26.799 --> 00:33:40.720 Like you're talking about just a very different world that it's not until you get into it and you spend time there that you see like what the work is being done, and seeing our role is like so much of it to bring awareness, yeah, both in others in our family. 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:42.960 I we refer to it as a vision trip. 00:33:43.279 --> 00:33:46.000 Like we went to see what is life like. 00:33:46.400 --> 00:33:50.160 We went with our kids and we would we would do the walk. 00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:54.480 Here's what the walk is like to go get water, dirty water at that. 00:33:54.960 --> 00:34:00.319 And so it was literally just like walking days in your shoes a little bit. 00:34:00.799 --> 00:34:11.679 Uh, but I also learned as a parent because sometimes like we can hold on so closely to our kids and maybe underestimate how resilient they are or what they can handle. 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:17.840 And uh, you know, this is at a time when like we're probably cutting the crust off of their peanut butter and jelly. 00:34:17.920 --> 00:34:20.719 Yeah, you know, we're probably cutting their steak for them. 00:34:20.880 --> 00:34:27.280 Yeah, and then we walk, we come into this village and they're singing us a song and they're gifting us a chicken. 00:34:27.599 --> 00:34:30.159 And now my kids are holding a chicken. 00:34:30.480 --> 00:34:35.119 And then we get in the van and we're driving seven hours and they're holding the chicken the whole time. 00:34:35.280 --> 00:34:37.440 Like, okay, they can handle it. 00:34:37.679 --> 00:34:40.239 And as a parent, I think I learned more. 00:34:40.480 --> 00:34:43.280 I think I learned you know, some stuff about my kids. 00:34:43.360 --> 00:34:50.480 Like, you need to let them experience things that you're not letting them experience or things that you didn't experience. 00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:52.880 Yeah, I took a train to high school every day, you know. 00:34:52.960 --> 00:34:55.760 So I didn't grow up around livestock. 00:34:55.920 --> 00:34:57.920 It that doesn't mean my kids can't handle it. 00:34:58.079 --> 00:34:59.679 It just was a yeah, I don't know. 00:34:59.760 --> 00:35:14.960 I think I saw some blind spots in my own parenting, which was just uh an unintended consequence of the trip, but there were just so many great things, and even for our kids, you know, kids at that age can be like, oh man, I gotta go to school. 00:35:15.280 --> 00:35:20.719 It was an incredible privilege to get to go to school, is what we saw. 00:35:20.880 --> 00:35:21.039 Yeah. 00:35:21.199 --> 00:35:30.639 You know, we saw that girls, and my two oldest are girls, we saw that girls there typically don't get to go to school if they have to fetch water for their family. 00:35:30.800 --> 00:35:31.119 Yeah. 00:35:31.360 --> 00:35:35.199 So I think it was just really, yeah, really powerful in a lot of different ways. 00:35:35.440 --> 00:35:45.199 When you look at, if we're switching gears a little bit, when you look at what God's done, I think in the the the football community, there's been awakening for people using their platform. 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:45.599 Yeah. 00:35:45.840 --> 00:35:56.960 I think that there's also been this idea of like, yes, finances and stewardship were called to, but there's just a moment of platform that like the world is watching, the world is listening. 00:35:57.280 --> 00:36:15.199 And even as we extend that to other sports and think about like the evangelistic potential of like, man, if that if that happened in something like soccer, you know, not taking anything away from our American football game, but like the reach of you know, eight individual soccer players, you know, what is it? 00:36:15.360 --> 00:36:17.519 Ronaldo has close to a billion followers. 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:20.800 Messi is like 600 million followers. 00:36:21.280 --> 00:36:28.159 Like, can we just imagine for a moment what the potential is if that same thing happens from one football to another football? 00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:40.880 Yeah, and I I would just I would just say that um for football players, the opportunity to tell your authentic story is there like it's never been before. 00:36:41.039 --> 00:36:41.199 Yeah. 00:36:41.360 --> 00:36:45.119 On podcasts, you're you know, you don't have to say the man upstairs. 00:36:45.199 --> 00:36:45.360 Yeah. 00:36:45.599 --> 00:36:57.199 You can say like, yeah, no, I I surrendered this season to Jesus and I said, I said to him, I'm gonna do everything that I can do to the best of my ability for you because of what you've done for me. 00:36:57.360 --> 00:37:05.599 Like I can authentically tell you that's my motivation every single day when I put on my helmet and strap up my chin strap. 00:37:06.000 --> 00:37:06.559 When did that change? 00:37:06.639 --> 00:37:09.119 When do you think it we got to the point where it's no longer the main upstream? 00:37:09.280 --> 00:37:10.559 I think there's strength in numbers. 00:37:10.719 --> 00:37:10.880 Yeah. 00:37:11.039 --> 00:37:13.280 It's for me, I think it started with Ohio State. 00:37:13.679 --> 00:37:17.760 Ohio State lost a game to the I mean, I I I remember a moment. 00:37:17.840 --> 00:37:25.519 Um, my daughter has a podcast called the What's Up Sport Spectrum Podcast, and she went to Ohio State right after they had lost

to Michigan. 00:37:25.679 --> 00:37:30.320 Just like the darkest time you could possibly go interview somebody at Ohio State. 00:37:30.480 --> 00:37:34.400 And she was on that campus and she was like, This campus is on fire. 00:37:34.719 --> 00:37:36.880 These guys are on fire right now. 00:37:37.039 --> 00:37:39.280 They you can't explain it. 00:37:39.440 --> 00:37:52.320 And when I saw that podcast come out, when I saw the way that they spoke boldly about their faith and their why and how they were sharing the gospel and how they were baptizing teammates and other students, I think it emboldened a lot of people. 00:37:52.400 --> 00:37:56.400 Now, ironically, Ohio State ends up winning the national championship that year. 00:37:56.559 --> 00:38:01.440 And it it's not because of that, it's not like you know, make Jesus your choice, drive a roll's voice. 00:38:01.599 --> 00:38:02.400 It's not that. 00:38:02.639 --> 00:38:04.239 Promise you, it's the opposite of that. 00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:11.599 Yeah, but there was something undeniable about the the spirit being there with those young guys. 00:38:12.159 --> 00:38:14.480 And I think it emboldened that team. 00:38:14.639 --> 00:38:22.159 I think later on in the Super Bowl, I believe it was the Chiefs and the Eagles that year, and I'm hearing Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts for the very first time. 00:38:22.320 --> 00:38:26.079 Yeah, it was Jesus, it wasn't God, it wasn't, you know, the big man. 00:38:26.159 --> 00:38:27.760 It was it was tone change. 00:38:28.000 --> 00:38:28.639 We're getting there. 00:38:28.719 --> 00:38:36.480 And coaches, yeah, you're hearing head coaches, and you see there's an uncomfortableness to it because you grow up, everyone says, Oh, don't talk about religion, you know. 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:40.960 But I think being authentic, like what is your true motivation? 00:38:41.440 --> 00:38:44.400 Um I think that's real. 00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:46.159 And I know it plays in the locker room. 00:38:46.239 --> 00:38:56.960 Yeah, you know, I think the comfortable nature of it is something like, yes, we're getting comfortable, but I think that obviously with comfort and more reps, I think people are struck by the depth. 00:38:57.119 --> 00:38:59.039 Yeah, and that's also the tone change, right? 00:38:59.119 --> 00:39:04.880 It was used to be like John 3:16 or thank you, God, and even if you said Jesus, it was the same sentence everybody was saying. 00:39:05.119 --> 00:39:05.920 And it's tangible. 00:39:06.000 --> 00:39:09.199 I I do think it's in how does it show up tangibly? 00:39:09.360 --> 00:39:12.159 I believe on a team, you are unselfish. 00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:13.840 It's a servant leadership. 00:39:13.920 --> 00:39:15.679 I'm doing it for the person next to me. 00:39:15.760 --> 00:39:18.639 Yeah, this is not about me and my personal accolades. 00:39:18.960 --> 00:39:23.039 I'm putting surrendering my body for the good of others. 00:39:23.199 --> 00:39:30.559 Like it's it's

really uh um you're fighting through adversity and you're relying on strength that is bigger than you. 00:39:31.039 --> 00:39:35.039 Um, I think it is tangible that way, but I also think it's just authentic. 00:39:35.119 --> 00:39:51.440 Like, if you like when I was out of football, I was working at ESPN and the Damar Hamlin situation happened where you know they lost his heartbeat, they brought him back, and everyone on the field was praying, and and I felt like, at least at ESPN, I felt like everyone was like, Oh my gosh, can you believe that everyone was praying? 00:39:51.599 --> 00:39:57.199 Both teams were praying, and it just kind of struck me a little bit like, well, you don't know what it's like in an NFL locker room. 00:39:57.280 --> 00:40:00.079 Yeah, we pray all the time, like the whole time. 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:05.920 You know, you pray at the hotel before the game, you pray when you get to the in inside the locker room, you pray in the tunnel. 00:40:06.000 --> 00:40:09.760 Yeah, you're you're you say a prayer right after the national anthem, probably. 00:40:10.079 --> 00:40:13.760 When the game's over, you take a knee with the opposing team at the 50. 00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:15.119 You guys pray together. 00:40:15.360 --> 00:40:23.920 You go back into the locker room, and after the head coach gives his talk to the team, win or lose, yeah, you guys corporately say a prayer as a team. 00:40:24.079 --> 00:40:26.000 That's just what it that's what it's really like. 00:40:26.239 --> 00:40:33.519 And it's wild because like the entrepreneur, like that's probably more corporate organized prayer than most faith-driven entrepreneurs might do in the week of their business. 00:40:33.760 --> 00:40:36.719 And that's sad, that's tough, but there's something there. 00:40:36.960 --> 00:40:44.480 But I would, I would, there's something about when you you know you can't do this on your own. 00:40:44.639 --> 00:40:51.760 Yeah, quite honestly, are there a lot of prayers uh when everything's going well in a locker room? 00:40:52.079 --> 00:40:56.000 I don't think there's as many prayers as like right before final cuts. 00:40:56.480 --> 00:41:04.960 Or while you're trying to play a football game with two broken ribs, like you are on your knees and you are saying, God, I cannot do this without you. 00:41:05.039 --> 00:41:05.280 Yeah. 00:41:05.440 --> 00:41:17.840 And I think that I would imagine that for an entrepreneur, as you go through some of like the the journey points, there's some moments where you are on your knees and like, like, God, I need a miracle. 00:41:17.920 --> 00:41:19.119 Like, I can't do this on my own. 00:41:19.199 --> 00:41:20.400 I need I need a break. 00:41:20.480 --> 00:41:22.400 I need a chance, I need an opportunity. 00:41:22.639 --> 00:41:26.000 Or, hey, if you help if you help me with this, I promise. 00:41:26.320 --> 00:41:27.519 There's a lot of deals trying to be made. 00:41:27.599 --> 00:41:27.840 Yeah. 00:41:28.239 --> 00:41:36.000 And and and that's not necessarily um, I don't necessarily love that, but when I think about the dependency. 00:41:36.239 --> 00:41:39.920 I think about the dependency and how I am with my kids. 00:41:40.000 --> 00:41:40.159 Yeah. 00:41:40.320 --> 00:41:44.800 When my kids come to me and like, dad, please, dad, please, I'll do anything. 00:41:45.199 --> 00:41:47.199 The posture is close. 00:41:47.679 --> 00:41:49.360 Dad, please, I need your help, please. 00:41:49.679 --> 00:41:51.039 Like, what can I do? 00:41:51.199 --> 00:41:52.800 You know, like, okay, follow me. 00:41:52.880 --> 00:41:53.840 Yeah, I'll show you. 00:41:53.920 --> 00:41:54.159 Yeah. 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:54.960 Trust me. 00:41:55.039 --> 00:41:55.199 Yeah. 00:41:55.360 --> 00:41:56.000 I got you. 00:41:56.159 --> 00:42:02.079 Like, some of that I think is uh there's some there's some good parallels. 00:42:02.239 --> 00:42:03.280 There's some good parallels. 00:42:03.360 --> 00:42:07.920 I we were talking about prayer the other day as a team, and we're just kind of riffing on this idea. 00:42:08.320 --> 00:42:11.599 You know, I coach my kiddos' little junior high girls basketball team. 00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:21.920 And when you're coaching little sixth grade girls that are trying to figure some things out from the first time, you wish that you had an unlimited number of timeouts. 00:42:22.400 --> 00:42:24.880 And it just kind of struck me as an entrepreneur. 00:42:24.960 --> 00:42:26.079 I was like, wait a second. 00:42:26.400 --> 00:42:30.159 I'm not limited to three timeouts, five timeouts, whatever it is a game. 00:42:30.239 --> 00:42:36.880 Like, I I I got unlimited 30-second, 60-minute kind of things throughout my day that I can break this up. 00:42:37.199 --> 00:42:46.880 And I think that if we keep that posture of dependency in a regular prayer rhythm of reminding of our dependency, man, it keeps the pride at bay. 00:42:47.039 --> 00:42:50.480 It it keeps the humility baked into the equation. 00:42:50.719 --> 00:42:52.559 And I think we're just, yeah. 00:42:52.719 --> 00:42:53.840 I I just think we missed. 00:42:54.159 --> 00:43:00.559 Yeah, I would say though, um, so in an NFL football game, you get three timeouts and a half. 00:43:00.880 --> 00:43:03.199 And you shouldn't need more than that. 00:43:03.519 --> 00:43:09.840 And so I think early in my career when I was a young quarterback, I would have needed more timeouts than that. 00:43:09.920 --> 00:43:10.159 Yeah. 00:43:10.320 --> 00:43:11.599 I needed some timeouts. 00:43:11.760 --> 00:43:13.039 Because I didn't know the playbook. 00:43:13.280 --> 00:43:14.159 I didn't have the answers. 00:43:14.320 --> 00:43:16.000 Like, hey coach, what should I do in this situation? 00:43:16.800 --> 00:43:25.199 And then when I really owned that playbook, when I knew the play caller's motivation, I knew his heart, I knew what he was really looking for. 00:43:25.360 --> 00:43:26.559 I didn't need the timeouts.

00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:28.079 Like it was on the tip of my tongue. 00:43:28.239 --> 00:43:28.480 That's good. 00:43:28.639 --> 00:43:30.320 Second and one, I know the play it's getting called. 00:43:30.400 --> 00:43:30.480 Yeah. 00:43:30.639 --> 00:43:32.000 Third and seven, I know what we're gonna do. 00:43:32.079 --> 00:43:33.440 First red zone call, I know what it is. 00:43:33.519 --> 00:43:35.440 First goal line play, we're gonna 17G lead. 00:43:35.519 --> 00:43:36.079 I know that. 00:43:36.480 --> 00:43:43.360 And so I think in a similar way, like the when you know the book, when you know God's heart, you know where he stands on things, like what should I do right here? 00:43:43.519 --> 00:43:44.320 I know what I should do. 00:43:44.559 --> 00:43:45.599 I know what I shouldn't do. 00:43:45.760 --> 00:43:47.360 I got some things I can hang my hat on. 00:43:47.599 --> 00:43:48.239 Am I gonna cheat? 00:43:48.320 --> 00:43:49.119 Am I gonna cut quarters? 00:43:49.199 --> 00:43:50.320 Am I gonna be a person of integrity? 00:43:50.400 --> 00:43:51.199 Yes, all the time. 00:43:51.360 --> 00:43:54.960 Am I even gonna give a a hint of like, no, I'm not not. 00:43:55.119 --> 00:43:56.320 That's not nope. 00:43:56.400 --> 00:43:58.480 I I don't need more than three timeouts. 00:43:58.639 --> 00:44:03.920 I can you roll through my day without there are gonna be some times we're like, man, hmm, it's a tough one. 00:44:04.079 --> 00:44:05.599 Yeah, you know, let's seek some counsel. 00:44:05.679 --> 00:44:07.280 Let's come on, let's huddle up on the sideline. 00:44:07.360 --> 00:44:08.159 What are we gonna do here? 00:44:08.320 --> 00:44:11.840 Let's have a halftime, yeah, you know, but I love that the maturity of it. 00:44:11.920 --> 00:44:16.800 If you know the book and if you know the plays and you know what should be called, you don't need them as much. 00:44:16.960 --> 00:44:21.760 Use them, I get what you're saying early as you're learning, but but we have to know the playbook. 00:44:21.920 --> 00:44:33.920 I think there's a spiritual maturity, and I this ironically for me, my spiritual maturity was growing almost at the exact same time as my maturity as a starting quarterback in the NFL. 00:44:34.320 --> 00:44:39.920 And how I think how I could probably measure that is how good I was at giving it away. 00:44:40.400 --> 00:44:48.320 You know, so it's like it's almost like uh could I be an entrepreneur or could I coach, could I also coach someone to be an entrepreneur? 00:44:48.480 --> 00:44:52.159 Like it's like uh let me share with you, there's a maturity there. 00:44:52.239 --> 00:45:01.760 I know for as a quarterback, and unfortunately, a lot of the things that I'm able to share about, I had to either make the mistake or learn from someone who made the mistake. 00:45:02.320 --> 00:45:10.480 But but ultimately, being locked and loaded with the playbook and the play caller, yeah, that was really the solution. 00:45:10.639 --> 00:45:14.960 If I wanted to get to the answer a lot a lot easier, that's a great word, great place to land. 00:45:15.199 --> 00:45:23.360 Grateful for what you're doing, grateful for the way that you're mentoring, shaping just generations of players to continue that legacy and use sports as a platform. 00:45:23.679 --> 00:45:26.960 Friends, we always like to leave you at the end of each episode just with the next step. 00:45:27.039 --> 00:45:28.239 And so here's our encouragement. 00:45:28.320 --> 00:45:36.400 I would just encourage you to learn more about what God is doing through the sports ministry and just really something that's taking root both here in the States and really around the world. 00:45:36.559 --> 00:45:45.840 And so we talked about professional athletes' outreach, and there's a short little film and documentary we did behind the scenes that we will include here uh in the show notes and put on screen. 00:45:46.000 --> 00:45:46.559 Check it out. 00:45:46.719 --> 00:45:58.559 I hope you find it as an encouragement that sports, kind of the Roman roads, the modern day pathways of our time are being leveraged and used intentionally to be faithful witnesses of what God is doing around the world. 00:45:58.719 --> 00:45:59.840 So be sure to check that out. 00:46:00.079 --> 00:46:02.800 We look forward to seeing you guys on the next episode. 00:46:11.760 --> 00:46:14.719 Visit faithdriven entrepreneur.org. 00:46:14.800 --> 00:46:18.719 That's faithdriven entrepreneur.org.