AMAZING STORY
Darrell Green Defends the Faith
By Shawn Brown
The 700 Club
CBN.com -Darrell Green is considered one of the best defensive back in the history of the NFL. At just 5’9 184 pounds, this twenty-year veteran became a 2 time Super Bowl Champion, recorded 54 interceptions and made 1,159 tackles. He’s also one of the fastest players. He won the NFL’s fastest man competition 4 times. He accomplished all that even though he didn’t even start playing football until the 11th grade and wasn’t offred a college scholarship.
“Football for me was, there was no—no discussions, no thoughts, no dreams of being a pro football player. Ever. Uh, I wanted to play cause that’s what, c’mon, in 11th grade, I’ve been talked about all my life, you’re too little, you can’t do this. And I just wanted to play,” said Darrell.
He wanted to prove that he could do what ever he wanted regardless of his size.
“I’m not telling you I want to be great, I’m going to be the fastest or whatever, but looked like to me when we’re on the playground, I’m beating most of you guys who say you’re studs on the football team but yet you tell me I’m too little. So finally I got the courage and my Mama to finally say yes, and I went out.”
In two seasons, he became an all- state selection in football and track. And though he wasn’t offered a scholarship, he became a walk on at Texas A&M –Kingsville in 1978. And it was there that he found new meaning to life.
“Doug Taft was our uh trainer, one of the young trainers there, that invited me to a Bible study. That’s when I first heard about Jesus. I would always win—won pretty much every time I ran and I would always just say thank the Lord, I give God the glory. But I didn’t know God and I’m sure he knew I didn’t, he said well maybe I should introduce him the Lord. I didn’t know the principles that I was supposed to live by. So I made a real commitment, Lord, I’m going to follow you,” said Darrell.
With a new perspective on life, Darrell had an outstanding college football career. So much so, that he was selected 28th overall in the 1983 NFL draft by the Washington Redskins.
“I saw Joe Gibbs down on his knees after the ’82 Super Bowl, and I thought the whole team were Christians. I wanted to go to Washington, really. That was an encouragement to me because of his Christian faith,” said Darrell.
Darrell’s impact on the team was immediate. In his first regular season game, he did what many thought was impossibe when he ran down Dallas Cowboys great Tony Dorsett from behind to prevent a touchdown. 5 seasons later he helped the Redskins earn a trip to capture their 2nd championship in Superbowl XXII. They did it again in Super Bowl XXVI. Looking back, he says that all of the attention that he recieved from winning those championships, he used it to give glory to Jesus Christ.
“The thing that being a professional, all that stuff provides is a foolish thing in reality, cause we’re taking a game that’s a childhood game and because you can do it, you know, they call it pro and they pay you millions. But we take these foolish things and we utilize them for God’s glory. I can take this foolishness, whether it’s mammon, resources, influence, access, whatever, and I can turn it for God’s glory. So I wanted to do it the best I could do it, the best, you know, at the highest level, get the most they would give, you know, but being faithful to the Lord to—to be yoked into his purposes.”
In 2008, Darrell was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Today he’s extremely busy working for his charity the Darrell Green Youth Life Foundation, which strives to help children become leaders in their family and community. He says no matter where he is he’s giving God glory in every way that can.
Jesus Christ is everything. I like to identify with him, I like to be, you know, they say that the, the first uh, in Acts, it talked about they were called Christians. They didn’t call themselves Christians, they didn’t say I’m a Christian. People said man, you’re—you’re—you’re like that guy, yeah, you’re a Christian, you’re Christ like. Just like when people see us, our family, they say you’re a Green. I like—I like when people, not so much to remember, but to see that I look like Jesus. And my actions look like Jesus’ actions. Probably don’t see it, but I hope they do in time. Uh, that would be my goal.”
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