I believe that too much attention is paid, by most of us, to NFL players’ misdeeds. There are many, many stories of players, current and past, that will inspire and guide us. Their stories give us opportunities to gain insights and wisdom from good hearted NFL players who have overcome amazing odds to stay in the game. Many NFL players, who are also on the Insightful Player® team, inspire us with their insights, humility, spirituality and altruism.
My book “Insightful Player” shares the life and the guiding principles of athletes who embrace every setback with “boundless determination, grace and grit.”
This is absolutely Reginald Kelly.
Known as the “Reverend “ (or “Rev” for short), Reggie Kelly is our featured player this week. Reggie gave his life to Christ at a very young age but decided (by high school) that it was more important to fit in and be popular. He even began to party and drink to cover for the emptiness in his heart and earned the nickname the “Big Dog.” Although he had won every possible award while in high school, Reggie felt like a fish out of the water when he entered college. Extensive partying and drinking made him again the “Big Dog.” During his sophomore year, he decided to give Jesus another try. He felt in his heart that he wanted to become a contender instead of pretender, and often says that this was a defining moment in his life. Reggie has been on fire ever since.
Reggie says that, “I do everything for the Lord and because of that I have success in everything I am involved in.” The Falcons drafted him on the second round, and during his rookie year, the great fullback Bob Christian took him under his wing. Bob taught Reggie how to be an NFL pro and a true professional. Reggie realized that the “Lord gave him a platform to be a role model for others and have a positive impact on his teammates.”
During the 2009 preseason with the Bengals, Reggie ruptured his Achilles tendon. This season ending injury did not make Reggie pity himself. Instead, he devoted his time to help all of his younger teammates and vowed to become a role model for how to handle adversity. Reggie’s leadership is displayed by his genuine respect and interest in others. Reggie teaches kids respect and the benefits of being resilient. He encourages them to have inner strength and also encourages adults to reach out to kids. He proclaims that following the in-crowd leads kids to some form of destruction. He stresses the importance of being unique.
Reggie loves to help kids avoid a lot of the stuff that he has gone through. He is doing it because “to whom much is given, much is required”. He co-authored the book “Prepared: Body-Mind-Spirit: Using the Gridiron’s Boundaries to reach your limitless Potential.”
Until next time,
Chrissy Carew
Founder of Insightful Player, LLC
PS: The Insightful Player® Game on Lifeville is full of Life Lessons from NFL Players… what better role models for the kids of today than Professional Athletes… they are inspiring our youth! To play the game, go to: http://www.lifeville.com/games/insightful-player-game
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