Written by Adam Brown
Glen Coffee, fresh off an impressive rookie season as a running back for the San Francisco 49ers, retired from football last month at the young age of 23.While many athletes retire (or put off retiring, cough, Brett Favre, cough) after a long career or as a result of a serious injury, Coffee had far different reasons: He no longer felt that football was God’s will for his life, which is unheard of for an athlete to come out and say. While many athletes do an excellent job of balancing their faith and their athletic careers, Tim Tebow, for example, Coffee did not feel compelled to do the same, choosing instead to leave the game of football to pursue God’s will for his life, saying:”It was a struggle for a long time. Actually, when I look back I feel I never should have entered the draft in the first place. Football was no longer my dream. I found Christ in college. It changed my views on everything. But I still was a football player because it was expected of me, it was something I did all my life. I was basically wasting [the 49ers’] time.”Coffee plans to return to the University of Alabama to complete his undergraduate degree in consumer affairs, which he is a mere six hours from finishing. After that, he plans to pursue a master’s degree. While many in Coffee’s position would dread returning to a place where people know “the old you,” Coffee now has the opportunity to use his fame at Alabama for God. During his third and final year at Alabama, he rushed for 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns and was named First Team All-SEC. Football in the state of Alabama is almost like a religion, and Coffee is a big name among the Crimson Tide faithful. Coffee is the latest in a long line of Christians in sports who have pursued interests outside of their sport that glorify the kingdom of God. While time will tell what Coffee decides to do with his new life, there are others who have preceded him with similar tales. Hall of Famer Reggie White, the “Minister of Defense,” studied Hebrew after he retired so that he could understand the Scriptures in their original form. Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy gave God all the credit after winning the big one in 2007, showing that success could be achieved “the Lord’s way.” Dungy retired from coaching in Jan. 2009 and has written two inspirational books, and he has served as a mentor to numerous athletes. People like Glen Coffee, Tony Dungy and Reggie White should serve as an inspiration to us all, to keep God’s will as the center of our lives and to give Him all the glory for our successes.
