Date: 2/9/2010
Author: Devin
Title: All Saints Are Victorious
February 10, 2010
It seems that anymore, one of the toughest jobs in the world is that of being a role model. Contrary to what former
NBA great Charles Barkley said several years ago, you do not choose to be a role model ..... you are chosen. Being a role
model is not predicated by wealth, education, or social status. Someone poor, uneducated and virtually unknown to society
could be just as good of a candidate to be a role model as a person who is their exact polar opposite. I have heard people
speak of the great disappointment they felt when someone they had placed on the pedestal of “role modelism” fell from
their lofty perch for one reason or another. Not only were those at the base of the pedestal disappointed, but they were also
distraught, disenfranchised, and disheartened. We certainly have had no shortage in the past of famous people who have
fallen from the lofty perch that millions of people had put them on ..... from Presidents Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton to
athletes Pete Rose and Tiger Woods ..... from preachers Jimmy Swaggart and Jim Baker to entertainers Michael Jackson
and Charlie Sheen. Of course the list could go on and on consisting of both famous and not-so-famous people alike. As
a matter of fact, some of our very own names might be found on the infamous list as well.
With all that has been said lately about the failure of public figures to step up as role models or to exhibit behaviors
young people would do well to imitate, we had a refreshing alternative this past Superbowl weekend. In a culture that
does too much to put its athletes on pedestals, at least we have had the opportunity to talk about family, charities, and
positive images with Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. There is a special irony that both Manning and Brees are
connected to New Orleans and its NFL team. Peyton’s father, Archie, was quarterback for the Saints from 1971 to 1982.
When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, the senior Mannings were incredibly proud as sons Peyton and Eli
helped with relief efforts on the city’s behalf; then, when Drew Brees came to the Saints in 2006, he immediately
embraced the rebuilding efforts of his new hometown.
Years before, Manning and Brees initially met through a phone call. When Brees was still a college senior at Purdue
and had thrown a dramatic 68-yard touchdown pass to win over Ohio State in 2000, Manning phoned him with words of
congratulation. “I’m like ‘What’s Peyton Manning calling a college kid for?’ ” Brees remembers. “Peyton said, ‘One
of the best college games I’ve ever seen.’ I’ve always had a lot of respect for him.” Thus, their relationship began. Little
did either realize they would later go head to head on the world's biggest football stage in February 2010.
Peyton Manning and wife Ashley have made major financial gifts to St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis – so much
so that it was renamed Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent in 2007. Drew and Brittany Brees have similarly blessed Children’s Hospital in New Orleans with donations, fund-raising, and involvement with patients. Both are giving
back in ways that make a difference. For all the cynicism that can be generated when celebrities act boorishly and
irresponsibly, Manning and Brees highlight the fact that many others use their celebrity status to bless others as well as
to further their own interests. Hopefully, we would all agree in saying this: May their tribe increase. And may God protect
them from the dual temptation of self-absorption and self-destruction that always seems to lurk nearby.
With all that good positive stuff about these two NFL quarterbacks being said, is it possible that they too could fall
from their lofty platform they have been placed on? Brace yourself ..... the answer is “Yes”. You see, for all the amazing
feats these two men can do on a 100 yard field with a laced-brown-oblong ball, they are still human. I'm sure both would
tell us that they make mistakes on a regular basis. In fact, I bet all those folks I mentioned above were making mistakes
and poor decisions long before the tabloids got a hold of them. But, do you know that's exactly why God sent Jesus to the
earth? Jesus came and died for Richard Nixon, Bill Clinton, Pete Rose, Tiger Woods, Jimmy Swaggart, Jim Baker,
Michael Jackson, Charlie Sheen, Peyton and Ashley Manning, Drew and Brittany Brees, Me and You. It is now left up to
us to accept that free gift that God sent to mankind in the human form of his Son.
Jesus died on the cross because he knew we all would eventually step on a banana peel from atop our granite perch.
I sure am glad he knows me so well.
Go the extra mile - Devin