Reporter: THE CHICAGO
BEARS' DEFENSE HAS BEEN
RANKED AMONG THE TOP IN THE
NFL.
DEFENSIVELINEMAN, ISRAEL,
HAS PLAYED A MAJOR ROLE.
HEA BEAST ON THE FIELD,
AND A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSMAN
OFF OF IT.
WE MET WITH ISRAEL AT HIS
FACILITY WHICH PRODUCES AND
DISTRIBUTES PRE-COMMUNION
CUPS.
AND HIS PROMISE TO GOD EVERY
STEP OF THE WAY.
I PRAYED TO GOD, I DON'T
KNOW WHAT IS COMING, WHAT
THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT IF YOU
COULD JUST PROVIDE A WAY FOR
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO WORK
OUT, I'M GOING TO COMMIT MY
LIFE AND CONTINUE TO DO
EVERYTHING AND USE ALL OF MY
RESOURCES TO CHANGE THE
WORLD AROUND ME FOR THE
BETTER.
Reporter: BUT HIS
JOURNEY TO THE NFL WASN'T
EASY.
HE CAME FROM MANITOBA,
CANADA, NOT EXACTLY AN NFL
HOTBED.
WHEN HE FINALLY HAD A
TRYOUT, MOST OF THE NFL
TEAMS DIDN'T SHOW UP DUE TO
A SARS EPIDEMIC.
THE CLEVELAND BROWNS SIGNED
HIM, BUT HE HURT HIS ANKLE
AND WAS RELEASED.
IT SEEMED AT THE TIME THAT
HIS DREAM OF PLAYING IN THE
NFL WAS OVER.
YOUR DISAPPOINTED, AND IT
IS EASY TO GO INTO HIDING.
WHICH IS WHAT I DID.
Reporter: ISRAEL WAS
EMBARRASSED, AND THOUGHT HIS
CAREER WAS OVER BEFORE IT
BEGAN.
HE STARTED FEELING SORRY FOR
HIMSELF, BUT ADVICE FROM HIS
MOTHER SET HIM ON THE RIGHT
PATH.
MY MOTHER CAME TO ME AND
WAS, LIKE, YOU CAN'T JUST
SIT IN THIS ROOM.
AN OPPORTUNITY IS GOING TO
COME.
IF YOU JUST SIT THERE, WHEN
IT COMES, YOU'RE NOT GOING
TO BE READY.
YOU NEED TO WORK OUT AND GET
YOURSELF READY, SO WHEN THAT
DOOR OPENS, YOU'RE READY TO
WALK THROUGH IT.
Reporter: ISRAEL
LISTENED TO HIS MOTHER AND
GOT BACK INTO THE GYM TO
TRAIN.
SHORTLY AFTER, HE WAS
OFFERED A ONE-WEEK CONTRACT
FROM THE CHICAGO BEARS TO
TRY OUT FOR THE TEAM.
I'VE BEEN IN CHICAGO,
I'VE BEEN ON ONE OF THE
GREATEST NFL TEAMS,
YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST 10
YEARS.
IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE
EXPERIENCE.
FROM THIS EXPERIENCE HERE IN
CHICAGO, BEING A PART OF
THIS FAMILY, THE CHICAGO
BEARS, THE OPPORTUNITIES
THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO
EXPERIENCE AND ALL OF THE
THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE
TO ACHIEVE, UNPARALLELLED.
SO IT HAS BEEN A PART OF HIS
PLAN.
Reporter: HAVE YOU EVER
THOUGHT BACK ON THAT PRAYER,
BEFORE ALL OF THIS STUFF
HAPPENED, YOU PROMISED GOD,
LORD, IF YOU HELP ME GET
INTO THE NFL, I WILL DO "Y,"
"X," "Y" AND "Z."
I STILL HAVE A LOT OF
WORK TO DO TO THE
FULFILLMENT OF THAT PRAYER
THAT DAY.
I'VE STILL GOT TO -- REALLY,
I DON'T FEEL LIKE I'VE
COMPLETED MY END OF THE
BARGAIN, AND HE HAS.
Reporter: ISRAEL HAS
ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS ONE
OF THE GAME'S BEST DEFENSIVE
LINEMANS.
OFF THE FIELDS, IN ADDITION
TO BLESSED COMMU COMMUNION,
, HE HAS A FOUNDATION TO
HONOR CHILDREN.
GOD HAS A PLAN FOR
VICTORY, NOT FOR FAILURES.
WHEN YOU ALLOW HIM TO LEAD
YOUR LIFE AND DIRECT YOUR
LIFE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET TO
A VICTORY.
