The weekly TGCvocations column asks practitioners about their jobs and how they integrate their faith and work. Interviews are conducted and condensed by Bethany L. Jenkins, director of TGC’s Every Square Inch.
Sam Acho, 25, is an outside linebacker for the Arizona Cardinals (#94). He grew up in Texas, where he played football at St. Mark’s School in Dallas and then at the University of Texas in Austin.
When did you know that you were going to play football?
In high school, I was at the airport on my way to Africa when the coaches at the University of Southern California called to offer me a scholarship. They wanted a commitment immediately, but I told them that I needed time. On the plane, I starting thinking, Why did I do that? Will they keep it open? Will I get other offers? When I returned home, God was faithful. I ended up getting lots of offers, including one from the University of Texas. Unlike USC, UT gave me time to decide. Their grace was attractive to me.
How do you think about the dangers of the sport?
In September, I suffered my first major injury, when two 300-plus-pound players landed on my leg and my left fibula broke. I was out for the rest of the season. For me, I see my body as two things—a temple (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). I’m called to offer it as a means to love others. And God has called me to play football, which is a unique opportunity. On Sunday mornings, when most Christians are heading to church, I’m heading to an arena, where I’ll worship God in front of 60,000 people.
What have you been doing while you’ve been on injured reserve?
Being injured has given me the opportunity to show that my identity is in Christ, not in football. Instead of sulking in my house, I’ve embraced opportunities to suffer with others—opportunities that wouldn’t have been open to me apart from my celebrity and success. I’ve spent time at St. Dominic Savio Academy, a school for autistic children; at the Phoenix Children’s Hospital; and at UMOM, a homeless shelter for families. I’ve also been able to do a weekly TV segment called “Sam and the City” and write a column in the local paper to celebrate unsung heroes in my community.
How do you have similar opportunities to serve your colleagues?
I see these guys almost every single day from April through, hopefully, February. We are together 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. I want to be present when I’m with them. Back in college, I made a list of “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” that I couldn’t reach on my own. They were unrealistic apart from God’s grace. One of them was, “Form a bond with my teammates.” Another was, “Be a light wherever I am—in my city or in my locker room.” Today, these are happening and it’s awesome.
How do you connect all of your passions—playing for the Cardinals, volunteering in Phoenix, building a hospital in Nigeria?
My motto is “LET’S FREAKIN’ GO!” because I want to encourage others to embrace life. A few years ago, I went to Nigeria on a medical missions trip with Living Hope Ministries, an organization founded by my parents to provide quality healthcare in Africa. I met a woman with stage-four AIDS who was on the edge of death. One local doctor didn’t want to touch her. But our team helped her. For our hope was in Christ, who is the same in Nigeria as he is on the football field—he may hurt us, but he will not harm us. So why not risk for the gospel? LET’S FREAKIN’ GO!
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