Gill Byrd

Cornerback :: San Diego Chargers

 

I grew up in the church, and I believed there was a God. But I only prayed to Him when I was in trouble. I wasn’t interested in living for God; I was living for me. After my sophomore year in college, I became a pro prospect. Then during my junioryear, I tore a ligament in my right knee. The scouts said there was no way I could come back to play.

During this ordeal, my girlfriend Marilyn, whom I later married, tried to help me see the situation from God’s perspective. But I was not interested in what the Bible had to say about my predicament. I was still too caught up in the “Gill Byrd” show. Despite the scouts’ predictions, I bounced back and was drafted by the San Diego Chargers.

At that point, I still thought following Jesus made you less of a man. Then I met Sherman Smith. He showed me it takes a bigger man to walk with Jesus than to deny Him. Through Sherman’s influence, I became a Christian in 1983.

Since then, Marilyn and I have gone through many trials. But God has seen us through all of them, and each one has brought us closer to Him and each other. Before I met Jesus, I thought life was all about me. Now I realize it is all about God.

 

 

Related articles

Beyond Blind Faith
Knowing God Personally
Where is God in the Midst of Tragedy
18 inches to Heaven

 

Home | Ultimate Performers | What is Beyond the Ultimate | About