Christian life characteristics mirror gridiron traits

JACKSONVILLE (FBC)–Former Jacksonville Jaguar player Rich Griffith brought discipline, consistency and passion to the gridiron–identical characteristics he brings in his pursuit of the Christian life.

As a Jaguar tight end and long snapper, Griffith led special teams in tackles and was considered by some to be among the best blocking tight ends in the National Football League. He was relied upon heavily for pass protection and run blocking.

"He was well respected on the field," said Dan Edwards, Jaguars vice president for communications and media. "He had a skill and he worked hard at it."

An intelligent and disciplined athlete, Griffith played in 35 consecutive regular season and post-season games. He never missed an off-season workout or regular season practice and never arrived late for a team meeting.

But his love of football always came second to his passion for Christ.

It is that contagious zeal he hopes to share with the youth at Jacksonville’s Hillcrest Baptist Church.

Griffith retired from football in 2001 to become the Jacksonville area director of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Then this past April, he was called as the youth pastor of Hillcrest Church, where he had been a member since moving to Jacksonville.

"God has put a passion in me to reach these kids," said the 34-year-old Griffith. "The more frustrated they are, the more I want to reach them. I want to invest in their lives."

Griffith sees many similarities between being a professional athlete and a youth minister. "Both jobs require 24/7 dedication," he said, recalling several late night hospital visits. "Both are always in the back of your mind. Both have demanding schedules and many rewards."

The youth at Hillcrest are a microcosm of today’s students, Griffith contends. They come from broken homes, struggle in school and are constantly bombarded by a society with no absolutes.

"They need consistency. They need to know Him. Christ is the most incredible model they will ever have. He will never leave them or forsake them."

In a world with no absolutes, he said, "A relationship with Christ is truth. It is a guarantee for the rest of their lives."

Griffith said the most enjoyable aspect of his work is "getting to know the youth. I have 120 incredible youth to get to know on an intimate basis and know how they think."

He realizes that for many of the youth he is the only father figure they will ever know, so he is conscious, he said, "I ultimately must model Christ."

At 6'5" and 250-plus pounds of muscle, most youth see Griffith as a larger than life model of Christ.

"Rich lets the kids know that you can have fun being a Christian," said Marty Hammock, youth teacher and father of two youth. "He may be a big fella and look intimidating, but he’s down to earth and gets down on their level."

Hammock gives Griffith and his wife Keri, who also works with the youth, high marks in Bible knowledge. "They teach the Word and they study the Word. They are taking the youth to a new level spiritually."

The Arizona native uses illustrations from his past when teaching the youth. He has had setbacks in his career. After playing for the University of Arizona he was signed by the New England Patriots. But after a year with the Patriots he was cut and sat out a season before signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995.

The setbacks made his faith stronger, he said. And the struggles are encouraging to teenagers looking to find their paths in life.

In a career where the average player plays for three and a half years, Griffith calls himself "blessed" to have played in the National Football League for seven years. He played with the Jaguars when, in 1996 and 1999, the team won the AFC Central Division Championships.

"God has had a hand on my life and every step of the way He has opened doors," he explained.

"I was happy to be in the NFL, but I was playing a game for a job. I tried not to get caught up in the catches I made or the accolades for good plays, but to do the best of my ability and to glorify God."

The transition from football to ministry has been easy, he added. "It’s a God thing. My inadequacies have been filled. God has enabled me or provided me a way to overcome them all."

But it’s easy to get the feeling that football is not far from his mind. Preparing for Sunday school on a Sunday morning, he was overheard saying, "20 minutes ’til game time and all this stuff needs to be done."