thefinishline 08/04/10
David Tyree: How Do You Want to be Remembered?
By Shawn Brown
As my colleague Aaron Little mentioned in the previous blog, David Tyree announced his retirement last week. I thought I’d give my friend David a call to ask him one question: how do you want to be remembered? After seven years in the NFL, the 2005 Pro Bowler will long be remembered as, “the guy who caught the ball with his helmet” in Super Bowl XLII.
David Tyree entered the League in 2003 out of Syracuse with the New York Giants and up until “the catch”, he might have just been a name on the Giants roster for many NFL fans. But on the biggest stage for NFL players, God allowed David to shine. The catch he made was amazing, but we can’t forget he also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass before that, giving the Giants a 10 - 7 lead over the Patriots. In seven seasons, David achieved what many NFL players will never achieve… a Super Bowl championship!
So getting back to my question, David’s answer was profound. Simply put, he took a breath and said, “Wow, as a selfless servant of Christ!” Out of all the answers he could have given, instead of mentioning anything related to the game of football, he choose to be remembered as a servant. Anyone who knows David will tell you he’s a passionate person especially about his faith in Christ. During our conversation he mentioned that Super Bowl XLII was his 5th season in the NFL and that his body was starting to wear down a bit. He suffered a knee injury during training camp the following season and said that it was just hard for him to come back from it. He played the 2009 season with the Baltimore Ravens but signed a 1-day contract this year to retire as a Giant.
For many athletes, “the game” is all they have. For David, he’s got a lot more to live for. He told me the Lord shut the door for him the NFL, and he was content with the way that his career went. Now, he says it’s time to do more work for Him through a series of charities he’s putting together to spread God’s message of love, hope, and life. Here’s a guy who genuinely gets what life is really about.
Sometimes we allow the wrong things to measure our worth, our success, and even our identity. Thanks you David for reminding us what’s important. To a man a of great faith, integrity, and character, congratulations. And now I ask you, the reader… How do you want to be remembered?
As my colleague Aaron Little mentioned in the previous blog, David Tyree announced his retirement last week. I thought I’d give my friend David a call to ask him one question: how do you want to be remembered? After seven years in the NFL, the 2005 Pro Bowler will long be remembered as, “the guy who caught the ball with his helmet” in Super Bowl XLII.
David Tyree entered the League in 2003 out of Syracuse with the New York Giants and up until “the catch”, he might have just been a name on the Giants roster for many NFL fans. But on the biggest stage for NFL players, God allowed David to shine. The catch he made was amazing, but we can’t forget he also caught a 5-yard touchdown pass before that, giving the Giants a 10 - 7 lead over the Patriots. In seven seasons, David achieved what many NFL players will never achieve… a Super Bowl championship!
So getting back to my question, David’s answer was profound. Simply put, he took a breath and said, “Wow, as a selfless servant of Christ!” Out of all the answers he could have given, instead of mentioning anything related to the game of football, he choose to be remembered as a servant. Anyone who knows David will tell you he’s a passionate person especially about his faith in Christ. During our conversation he mentioned that Super Bowl XLII was his 5th season in the NFL and that his body was starting to wear down a bit. He suffered a knee injury during training camp the following season and said that it was just hard for him to come back from it. He played the 2009 season with the Baltimore Ravens but signed a 1-day contract this year to retire as a Giant.
For many athletes, “the game” is all they have. For David, he’s got a lot more to live for. He told me the Lord shut the door for him the NFL, and he was content with the way that his career went. Now, he says it’s time to do more work for Him through a series of charities he’s putting together to spread God’s message of love, hope, and life. Here’s a guy who genuinely gets what life is really about.
Sometimes we allow the wrong things to measure our worth, our success, and even our identity. Thanks you David for reminding us what’s important. To a man a of great faith, integrity, and character, congratulations. And now I ask you, the reader… How do you want to be remembered?