NFL Hero – What it Means to be Great

Profile on: Rolf Benirschke, Former NFL great with the San Diego Chargers, and President, Rolf Benirschke Enterprises

When most people think of football “royalty,” they picture quarterbacks, wide receivers or running backs. These are the guys who make the big plays, score the crucial touchdowns and put their teams in the record books. However, former NFL great Rolf Benirschke is an exception to this rule. At the end of his ten-year career with the San Diego Chargers, he retired as the team’s leading scorer with 766 points, a team record.

What’s so amazing about that? First, as a place kicker, Rolf scored all of these points with his foot. Second, for eight years, Rolf played with two ostomy devices, the result of operations that removed his large intestine due to complications from ulcerative colitis. Yes, Rolf had definitely earned himself a spot amongst football royalty. But it wasn’t until two years after he retired from the NFL that Rolf finally discovered the secret to being truly “great.”

What was his secret?

During his football career, Rolf had everything we all hope for – fame, success and a healthy paycheck. But in the midst of his accomplishments, Rolf was missing the one thing that mattered most: peace. “I was always on a roller coaster,” Rolf says. “When I played well and we won, I felt good about myself. But when I didn’t play well and we lost, I didn’t. Most of the guys on my team were on the same roller coaster. But there were a few guys – all Christians – who were different. They had peace and joy. They didn’t get anxious or let things get to them.”

Rolf wanted the peace that these players had, but he wasn’t quite ready for the sacrifices involved. “I was like the rich young ruler in the Bible (Matthew 19:16-26). I had everything, but I was unwilling to give it up and commit my life to God.”

Time to make a decision

Rolf’s resistance began to melt nearly two years after he retired. He had been dating a girl for a year when she finally challenged him to either marry her or move on. Not quite ready to commit, Rolf decided to move on. Hurt by his decision, she told Rolf not to call, write or contact her in any way.

Rolf adhered to her wishes for the next five months. But then a friend invited him to church, which happened to be doing a series on marriage. As Rolf listened to the message, he felt God also challenge him in the area of commitment: “Are you finally willing to give me your life? Think of all the successes you’ve had – the Pro Bowls, the playoff games – did those things fill your heart?” Rolf had to admit that they hadn’t. So he prayed, telling God he didn’t want to do things on his own anymore and asking God to take control of his life. When his prayer was over, Rolf finally felt the peace he had been looking for.

Now that he had his priorities straight, Rolf went back to the girl he had been dating, walked right into her office, and said, “I’ve made a terrible mistake. Will you marry me?” She said, “Yes!” And the rest, of course, is history. They have been married for 13 years and have four kids.

God’s faithfulness

As he looks back on his life, Rolf is amazed at God’s persistence despite his stubbornness. “It brings me to tears to see how faithfully the Lord pursued me and how reluctant I was and how I stiff-armed him so many times. But he kept at me and gave me a second chance.” The self-described “rich young ruler” finally gave up his kingdom, and he received an even greater one in return.

Are you looking for peace? Perhaps it’s time you turned control of your “kingdom” over to Jesus. If you don’t know Jesus, we encourage you to pray the following:

Lord Jesus, I want to know You personally. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of my life. Make me be the person You want me to be. Amen.

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