The 2019 NFL season was the most promising to date for Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Nick Foles, when he broke his collarbone in week one. Foles had thrown eight passes. Rather than taking the wind out of his sails, however, he has used his time on injured reserve to reinforce his faith and that of his team.
In a November 14 press conference, Foles announced that he is expected to return to the field for the Jaguars’ week 11 game against the Indianapolis Colts. When asked about his perspective on his injury, “as a man of faith,” Foles, a man who has expressed an interest in become a pastor when his stint in the NFL comes to an end, replied with inspiring words of faith and perseverance.
“Right when I felt this thing break and I was going into the locker room, I realized, I was like, ‘God, this wasn’t exactly what I was thinking when I came to Jacksonville.’ Obviously you come here and you want to create a culture and impact people, but at the end of the day I was like, ‘God, if this is the journey you want me to go on, I’m going to glorify You in every action, good or bad.'”
An injury in the first game of a season can be devastating towards an athlete’s attitude, but Foles noted that his faith has kept him positive.
“I still could have joy in an injury. People hear that and say, ‘That’s crazy,” but when you believe in Jesus and you go out and play, that changes your heart. And you only understand it when you have that purpose in your life. Just like when I hoisted the Lombardy trophy. The reason I’m smiling is because of my faith in Christ. In that moment I realized I didn’t need that trophy to define who I was, because it was already in Christ.”
Foles went on to explain that his Christian faith has given him a perspective outside of himself which allows him to remove his ego from his injury and follow God’s plan.
“That’s my message when I play, but the same thing happens when I get injured. We tend to make this so much about us as human beings. We tend to make this about us as athletes. It’s not about us, it really isn’t, and if you make it about yourself, you’re probably going to go home at night, lay your head on your pillow and be very alone and very sad. Hopefully some day you can find purpose in your life. “Our purpose in football is impacting people and my ministry happens to be in the locker room. I’ve been able to still get to know these guys through an injury. Though I may not be playing, which is difficult from a fleshly perspective, but from a spiritual perspective, from my heart, I’ve been able to grow as a human being. I feel like I’m in a better situation here as a person than I was before, because of the trial I just went under.
Foles, who has recently spent some time at seminary to take classes, concluded in pastoral fashion, almost as though he’s practicing for his planned post-football ministry.
“I know that’s a sermon in itself, but that’s how I go through life and the Good Lord has been there. It’s not always about prosperity. I don’t believe in the prosperity gospel. I believe if you read the Word of God and understand it, there are trials along the way, but they equip your heart to be who you are.”
And today we celebrate...