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ARLINGTON?NFL experts and newspaper headline writers have
been quick to label Green Bay starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers the
“Leader of the Pack.”
Something
about 4,712 yards passing and 34 touchdowns, and leading the Packers to
the verge of their first Super Bowl title in more than a decade will do
that for you.
But Rodgers made it clear in Tuesday’s jam-packed
Super Bowl XLV Media Day he only wants to be a leader of God’s pack
when it comes to influencing others to see his faith in Jesus Christ.
“We
all have a platform, we all have a message in our lives,” Rodgers told
Baptist Press and a worldwide media turnout, which ringed his
individual interview area. “I just try to follow Jesus’ example,
leading by example.”
During his six years with the Packers, his
career has seen enough twists and turns, dead ends and detours to test
anyone’s faith. An expected top 10 draft choice, he lasted until the
end of the first round for reasons he never understood. He stood on the
sidelines for three seasons while Packers quarterback Brett Favre went
through his yearly will-he-or-won’t-he retirement routine as Packers QB.
Finally
given a chance to start three years ago, he has matured into one of the
top quarterbacks in the league, but not forgetting his past, present
and future in Christ.
“God always has a plan for us, a path.
Sometimes we wish we knew it sooner,” Rodgers said with a bit of a
laugh, “but He always shows up His way.”
He credits his parents,
Ed and Darla Rodgers, who still live in Northern California where he
was raised, for showing him a loving and Christ-centered household. He
also remains close to his two longtime accountability partners, Pastors
Andrew Burchett of the Neighborhood Church in Chico, Calif., and Young
Life Christian youth group leader Matt Hock.
Even in the midst
of the craziness of Super Bowl week and Tuesday’s Media Day at Cowboys
Stadium, Rodgers had already checked in with his accountability team.
“They
won’t be here Sunday, but they’ve been calling and texting me,” he
said. “Matt sent me a photo of his entire Young Life group decked out
in Packers gear.”
Rodgers’ quiet and humble testimony has been enough to inspire Christian NFL fans everywhere and his own teammates as well.
Rookie
defensive end C.J. Wilson, whose father is a Pentecostal minister in
Mt. Olive, N.C., said he really didn’t know what to expect when he
showed up for his first NFL season this year. But when he saw the
experience of his star quarterback and his witness, Wilson felt
encouraged with his own professional football faith.
“I think it
does help when your superstar quarterback is walking with God. I’ve
been blessed to be around him and see how God makes all things possible
in our lives,” Wilson said.
Packers wide receiver Greg
Jennings is one of Rodgers’ receivers and teammates on the field, but
more importantly, a spiritual brother on and off the field. He said
he’s determined to let Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers be
his platform for God.
“I just want to let people know what it’s
all about. One of the Scriptures I refer to a lot is, ‘to whom much is
given, much is required,’ and I’m required to have a voice [for God]
because I have a stage and a platform,” Jennings said.
“Number one, all glory goes to God. That’s where it starts and that’s where it finishes.”
His father, Greg, Sr., is the pastor of Progressive Deliverance Ministries in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Packers
defensive tackle Ryan Pickett has been inspired to join an
anti-pornography campaign in the NFL this year to help rid the
destructive influence among his friends and teammates. He said he had
to turn down the invitations of his teammates this week and other times
who wanted him to go places he knew was not right.
“I value my family and my wife. I try to stay away from that,” Pickett said.
Green
Bay kicker Mason Crosby doesn’t have to be reminded about the number of
Super Bowl games which have come down to a final touchdown or field
goal, including the last Super Bowl held in Texas when the New England
Patriots won on a last-second kick in Houston.
But he said his faith in Christ won’t allow him to be defined by a single kick.
“I
think He helps me knowing that kicking is what I do, not who I am. It’s
not everything that I am. I can escape knowing that my relationship
with Christ is what carries me.”
Crosby has also noticed his quarterback’s faith and his example to his teammates and the sports world.
“Aaron
has a great relationship with the Lord,” Crosby said. “He’s the face of
the franchise and it helps to see he’s living the message all of the
time.
“I’m always reading in the Proverbs and Psalms to relax my
mind before we play,” Crosby added. “I know that God cares for me all
the time regardless of any outcome here.”
Art Stricklin is
a Dallas-based sports correspondent. With reporting by Jerry Pierce,
managing editor of the Southern Baptist TEXAN (www.texanonline.net),
newsjournal of the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.
