***NEWS RELEASE***

For Immediate Release November 21, 2016

CONTACT:
Beth Harrison, Hamilton Strategies, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com or Deborah Hamilton, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, ext. 102

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Highlights Christ-Following College Football Players

As Talk Turns to Bowl Games and the Heisman Trophy, FCA’s Annual College Football Magazine Profiles More Than 50 Players and How They Are ‘Bold and Courageous’ in the Lord

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—If there’s one common connection that brings a community together, it’s the colors of the college football team. The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) certainly knows there’s a lifelong bond among those who root for the same college teams over many generations.

It’s for that reason that FCA annually dedicates one edition of its popular FCA Magazine to some of college football’s Christ-following players. The November/December issue highlights more than 50 college football standouts who put their faith on the field for every game, including the cover feature, Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight.

“In football locker rooms around the country, coaches gather their teams and deliver impassioned pregame speeches, imploring them to play with boldness, courage and confidence,” said Clay Meyer, FCA Magazine editor. “In the Bible, God gave Joshua one of the most motivating ‘pregame speeches’ in history when He told him to ‘be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’ Those words were the inspiration behind FCA’s ‘RISE’ Camps theme this year, as well as FCA Magazine’s seventh annual college football edition. We asked Texas A&M quarterback Trevor Knight and other Christ-following student-athletes around the country how they are bold and courageous in their faith. It’s our prayer that their words will inspire others to be bold and courageous in their own faith journey—just like Joshua—wherever the Lord has placed them.”

Knight’s season has not turned out the way many had planned. The once-Heisman hopeful suffered a season-ending shoulder injury this month. And while a bowl game appearance is still possible for Knight, his senior year will not go down how it was perhaps written in his playbook.

Knight told FCA that being bold and courageous in his faith—even in the face of adversity—means putting his confidence in the Lord. And his words are especially poignant after his injury.

“As athletes,” he said, “we tend to put our confidence in our performance, and unfortunately that’s eventually going to fail us. If I ride the roller coaster of life as it relates to football, I’ll never be satisfied. Rising up and putting all my courage and faith in Jesus is the only thing that’s going to keep me at an even keel, through the ups and downs of life and sports.

“On a football team,” he continued, “being bold and courageous in my faith means serving my teammates—working hard for my teammates, playing for the guy next to me, serving the people around me, truly asking my teammates how their day is going or what’s going on in their lives. Being intentional with them as people, not just as football players. Then just having a mentality of, ‘I’m choosing God first in every situation. I’m going to live that out and be an example to the people around me, to truly create that culture of Christ in a locker room.’”

Knight, who also wrote a devotional for the most recent FCA Magazine titled “The Roller Coaster of Life,” said that his faith has impacted his life and his football career, especially as he works through challenges.

“What I love about sports, and specifically football,” he said, “is they are such a parallel to life. I’m going to go through adversity like it talks about in James 1. But through all the ups and downs, I’ll put God first and allow Him to work in my life regardless of the circumstances, to get me through the challenges and celebrate the achievements. I truly believe God has blessed me with these abilities in order to serve Him and share His name with a whole bunch of people. Young kids care (about) what I have to say, especially for these four or five years of my life. I want to use that platform for good and be an example for Christ and hopefully change the lives of young kids—or anybody for that matter—all over the country.”

Read the full feature and the devotional from Trevor Knight here.

Along with Knight, the annual college football issue highlights 50 athletes, including punter JK Scott from Alabama, tight end Jake Roh of Boise State, wide receiver Artavis Scott of Clemson and running back Samaje Perine of Oklahoma, among many other standouts.

Many of the college football players featured in the most recent issue may have attended FCA Camps while in high school and even middle school, or have been involved in other significant ways through FCA events and ministry. Camps in all sports are just another way FCA reaches and impacts young athletes and coaches each year. In 2016, FCA saw record-breaking Camps numbers, with 106,268 coaches and athletes attending 740 Camps around the world. Over the summer at Camp events, 8,788 coaches and athletes also made first-time commitments to Christ, and 11,256 recommitted their lives to Christ at Camps in 40 states and 45 countries. The 2016 attendance of 106,000-plus was an increase of more than 10,000 over 2015. For more on FCA Camps, visit www.fca.org/what-is-fca/camp.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes recently announced that FCA President and CEO Les Steckel will retire at year-end, and FCA’s current Executive Director of Field Ministry, Shane Williamson, will take the helm as president and CEO on Jan. 1, 2017. Williamson has been involved with FCA for 24 years, and Steckel will depart FCA after 12 years of outstanding service and whole-hearted dedication to the ministry.

For more information about the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, visit FCA’s web site at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/fcafans or its Twitter feed @fcanews.

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To interview a representative from Fellowship of Christian Athletes, contact Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ (FCA) vision is to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. Its mission is to present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church. FCA’s guiding values are integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence.

Since 1954, FCA has challenged coaches and athletes to impact the world for Jesus Christ. FCA is cultivating Christian principles in local communities nationwide by encouraging, equipping and empowering others to serve as examples and to make a difference. Reaching approximately two million people annually on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels, FCA focuses its efforts on its Four Cs of Ministry: Coaches, Campus, Camps and Community.

• FCA Coaches Ministry focuses on ministering to the heart of the coach first, and then supporting coaches as they engage with FCA’s Four Cs through huddles, events, training and resources. 
• The school campus is one of the most strategic mission fields with the vast majority of all youth passing through this portal. FCA Campus Ministry focuses on equipping, enabling, empowering and encouraging coaches, student athletes and adult leaders to impact and influence their campus for Christ.
• FCA Camps are a time of “inspiration and perspiration” for coaches and athletes to reach their potential by offering comprehensive athletic, spiritual, and leadership training through seven types of Camps: Sports, Leadership, Coaches, Power, Partnership, Team and International Camps.
• FCA Community Ministry is the off-campus opportunity to reach coaches and athletes for Christ through the club and recreation sport environment.