Steelers Quarterback Landry Jones Brings God into the Huddle at Ƶ Event
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hosted Jones on Campus
When Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Landry Jones spoke to a group of about 200 Ƶ student-athletes, he didn't focus his remarks on how they could throw farther, run faster or jump higher.
Instead, Jones spoke to the students about how they could get closer to God.
"God has a unique design for all of us," Jones told the group.
Jones came to Ƶ on April 26 thanks to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in conjunction with the Office of Campus Ministry.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes or FCA is an international organization founded in 1954 to challenge coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA focuses on serving local communities by equipping, empowering and encouraging people to make a difference for Christ.
At Ƶ, FCA began about two years ago and and offers weekly meetings - known as huddles - throughout the academic year where student-athletes can study the Bible, talk about their personal struggles, and get to know others who are coping with the same issues.
Jones spoke to his own human frailties and how his self-worth was wrapped up, for a time, in his football identity. Going from a big fish in a small pond in his tiny hometown in New Mexico to being a fourth-string quarterback on the University of Oklahoma football team dealt a serious blow to his ego, but Jones said his developing faith saw him through.
"Things didn't start to turn around for me in my career until I turned around to Christ," Jones said. "... If I'm in this pattern where I'm chasing the materialistic life, what happens when I'm done with football?"
He urged the student-athletes to carry Christ with them throughout their daily lives.
"You see someone sad, don't just walk by," he said. "Release joy to their life."
