Three Quarterbacks, One Path

Believe It – My Journey of Success, Failure and Overcoming the Odds – Nick Foles (Tyndale Press)

Playing For More – Trust Beyond What You See – Case Keenum – (B&H Books)

This is the Day – Reclaim Your Dream, Ignite Your Passion, Live Your Purpose – Tim Tebow – (Waterbrook Press)

It is a sad statement about the current state of the world we live in that there is a question or stigma attached to the role of faith, Christianity in particular, by folks who can’t seem to come to grips with people who live with a higher purpose.

When it comes to high profile, often high maintenance professional athletes, that stigma gets magnified by, more often than not, liberal leaning sports broadcasters who have shifted focus from sports to social issues. These clowns thump their chests and proclaim that sports in and of themselves are embedded in the social fabric of society, while discounting or maligning Christian athletes and the role of religion in enacting positive change in the world.

Three new books, by three professional football quarterbacks spell out the positive impact that their faith had on their life and careers. In the case of the books by Nick Foles, Believe It – My Journey of Success, Failure and Overcoming the Odds and Case Keenum, Playing For More – Trust Beyond What You See mark a great intersection of biography and inspiration.

Tim Tebow has covered his story in other bestselling books and turns to not only delivering inspiration and encouragement, but also illustrating the concepts he espouses, with real world examples of how faith and purpose can change your life in This is the Day – Reclaim Your Dream, Ignite Your Passion, Live Your Purpose. While Tebow clearly leans heavily on his faith, I really think this is a truly inspiring, motivational book that your kids or anyone you think could use a boost or nudge in the right direction will benefit from.

I have driven my family to the brink of their sanity many times by proclaiming “you get out what you put in” and I CLEARLY get that message in the pages of Tebow’s book. He understands the value of hard work and effort and of striving every day to be the best. He uses phrases like “going back to the well,” and “playing through the pain,” to offer motivation to strive for more. I loved his thoughts on instant gratification and empty celebrity/fame for no reason, that has become part of or daily lives.

Tebow does a great job of showing examples of how faith and living with a purpose can make dramatic improvements in our lives. He also levels the playing field with great stories; just when you think your life so hard, he shows you that there are folks whose mountainous struggles make yours seem miniscule in comparison. If you can’t be inspired by This is the Day, then you may want to check your pulse or your humanity.

In Believe It, Foles details his amazing journey from college star to struggling NFL backup to pondering moving on with his life outside football to a one more chance story of leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a super Bowl victory and winning the MVP of the big game. The one constant throughout this life journey was Foles faith that his path was guided by a higher power.

If you’re looking for a football story or collectible to add to your shelf, you’ll certainly get that here, but the bigger message is the hang tough, keep strong and God will present you with the opportunity; from there it is up to you what you do with it. Foles stick to it attitude was clearly forged in the fires of hard work, faith and stepping up when he got the call.

In the case of Case Keenum’s, Playing For More, this is truly a rags to riches tale. Keenum, a working man’s quarterback, recruited by only one college, Houston, he went onto cost the NCAA a ton of money to by ink to rewrite the record books, only to go undrafted by an NFL team. His free agent career saw him cut by three teams over the course of time and in the end he became a journeyman backup.

All the while his family and his faith kept him focused and much like Foles, opportunity presented itself and Keenum answered the call, leading the Minnesota Vikings to an NFC North title. He has since gone on to sign a massive contract with the Denver Broncos, the ultimate payoff for his hard work.

Just imagine if Keenum or Foles had not had their faith to lean on, to keep them focused and centered, what opportunity may have been squandered? These are heroic and inspirational stories, not about quarterbacks or professional athletes, but about three men who understand that someone else is calling the plays for them and how they can claim victory in His honor.