All-Pro Dads

All-Pro Dads by Bill Wilson

Jesus told us in Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it gives light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

I am dedicated to equipping and encouraging readers to evangelize, to be that light shining before men. The goal of this writing is to convey current events and commentary from a Biblical world view to equip readers to speak about events as well as to share the gospel.

There is a lot wrong with the world, but there are some who are certainly bright shining lamp stands.

Two of these men who are standing as such lights happen to be in the football space where they are dedicated to developing young men of character and reaching out to fathers.

One is Troy Vincent, Sr. Troy was a first round draft choice of the Miami Dolphins in 1992 and played 15 years. He has been nominated to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and currently serves as Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the NFL. He is a kind, loving man whose heart is sold out for Jesus Christ.

Another is Tony Dungy. Coach Dungy won two Super Bowls as a player and one as a Head Coach. But he would want to be remembered as a man of God.

These men are intimately involved in All Pro Dads, an organization that promotes Godly fatherhood from the standpoint that "the true victory in life is not on a scoreboard, but is measured by the love and honor of their children."

Like every man, they have their imperfections, but you might hear them say, "Each day, I just strive to be better, to serve my Lord better."

It is a concept that is taught on the football field: take each play one at a time, use each play to get better. Each year at the Super Bowl, All Pro Dads holds a Family Football Clinic where dads and their sons or daughters hear a faith-based presentation from a current or former NFL player, and are taught football skills from former NFL players.

Coach Dungy tells us why faith is important to him: "My Christian faith is the most important thing to me because it impacts everything I do and every decision I make. Everything else, including football, is temporary. Even family relationships will one day come to an end, but faith impacts eternity. So my life has to be defined by that faith, rather than by my career or my relationships. In a life that will definitely have ups and downs the steadying influence for me is my belief that God has an ultimate plan."

Troy and Coach are two men of many in football who live by faith and share it not only by example, but by speaking boldly. This is why football is valuable to our youth and to dads who want to be better.