Today's interview is with one of the best wide receivers in NFL history and a former Heisman Trophy winner. Tim Brown played 16 seasons with the Oakland Raiders and is now a television football analyst. Tim also spends time working with several charitable causes. Tim is the author of The Making of a Man: How Men and Boys Honor God and Live with Integrity. Today, we talk with Tim about influence, temptation, and hard work.
1) You talk candidly in this book about the complicated relationship you had with your father. How did this affect your choices as a young man?
Strangely enough, I believe the fractured relationship with my dad caused me to make better decisions, because I was always looking for a way to get him back on my side. If he said I was hanging out with the wrong people and was going to go to jail, I made sure I was only hanging out with decent guys, if he said I was going to do bad in class, I worked harder to prove to him I could do it. Every negative remark I got from him, I did the opposite out of love. I really thought by doing the opposite of what he was saying, I would gain his affection. I believe I was fortunate to grow up in an environment where I saw other men who were in church. I saw them as different than my dad, so when things happened at home, in my mind, I always blamed it on him not going to church.
2) Lou Holtz, your coach at Notre Dame, was a powerful influence on your life. What was it about him that impacted you so greatly?
Quite simply, he saw something in me I didn't see in myself. Maybe it was because I was not trying to see it. I was so content on getting my degree, going back home, marrying my high school sweetheart, and having six kids, that football was not high on my list. I wanted to play well, but being the best player in the country was not something I even dreamed about. What was unique about the transformation is when it sunk in, I saw it so clearly. Not winning the Heisman, but being a real player and leader. I was the best player on my high school team, but I didn't see myself as a leader. For the first time in my life, I saw I had the ability to lead guys.
3) As a young professional athlete, you were faced with (and gave into) many of the temptations men face at that level. Was there a point during that time that you turned toward God?
I can't say I had a "come to Jesus" moment. My transformation came over time. After constantly being disappointed with my actions and getting to the point where I literally couldn't stand to look at myself in the mirror, I knew I had to do something different. I constantly prayed for God to give me a mind to live a saved life. The amazing thing is that God seemingly eliminated all of the so-called obstacles in my life. Whether it was guys on the team being traded or let go or girlfriends who took themselves out of the picture, God was making a way for me.
4) What advice would you give young men today in a world with abundant opportunity to give into sexual temptation?
Once you ring the bell, it will always be ringing in your ear! The only way to avoid sexual temptation is to not put yourself in the situation.
Stay away—run. The problem is the things you do when you are young will not be forgotten. My wife and I initially had some minor problems because I expected more from her, I wanted her to do what I asked. Well when that didn't happen, I would get upset. But God reminded me, it was because of the past sins in my life I was having these feelings. Once you ring the bell, it will always be ringing in your ear! The only way to avoid sexual temptation is to not put yourself in the situation.
5) If you could coach pastors and church leaders on preparing men for their careers—whether it's professional football, the business world, ministry, or any other variety of vocation—what would that be?
My determination causes me to be dedicated to completing the task and of course, none of that can happen if you don't work hard.
In my opinion, it does not matter what the profession is in order to succeed. Certain concepts tend to run true—determination, dedication, and hard work. Speaking personally, there is nothing in my life that I have been or am currently successful at that those three things don't come in to play every day. When I came into the NFL, a lot of folks in the media said I would not be able to do what I did in college in the NFL. I heard that so much from the time I won the Heisman until my first NFL game that I was determined to prove them wrong. In my first NFL game, the first time I touched the ball, I returned the kickoff 97 yards for a TD. I believe that determination causes me to be dedicated to completing the task and of course, none of that can happen if you don't work hard.
Daniel Darling is vice-president of communications for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. He is the author of several books, including his latest, Activist Faith.
