***News Release***
Regardless of Wins and Losses, These NFL Champions Know the Reward Lies Off the Scoreboard
Author Joshua Cooley Writes About the Impact of Football Stars—and Whether They Use It for Good—in New Book ‘The Biggest Win’
PHILADELPHIA—As the weeks tick off one by one in the NFL season, fans are finding out if their favorite teams are fulfilling their hopes or falling short. Who have been the surprise standout players and which teams are putting up numbers that no one expected?
Regardless of the Ws and Ls in the win/loss columns, some players know the reward is much greater—and more eternal—than the score on Sunday.
Author Joshua Cooley highlights the faith stories of six of these Christ-following players in his new book, “The Biggest Win: Pro Football Players Tackle Faith.” Released by New Growth Press this summer, “The Biggest Win” highlights the faith stories of several players on last season’s Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles team: Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Jordan Hicks, Chris Maragos and Trey Burton, who signed with the Chicago Bears this offseason.
“When we think about the platform NFL players have, among football fans both young and old, it can be daunting,” Cooley said. “And it should be daunting for these players. Using their powerful impact for good will have far-reaching effects long after they leave the football field. Those players who trust in Jesus to write the playbook of their lives, like the six Super Bowl champions I was blessed to interview for ‘The Biggest Win,’ have realized that their talent and opportunity comes from God, and they are committed to glorifying him both on and off the field.”
The six Super Bowl winners highlighted in “The Biggest Win” also provided the foreword for Cooley’s book:
“When Josh Cooley asked to interview us for this book, we said ‘yes’ for just one reason—we want our lives to count for something bigger than our performance on the football field,” they wrote. “That might sound strange coming from a group of guys who just won the Super Bowl, but it is true. As amazing a moment as that was and as thankful as we are to have been a part of it, it’s not the most amazing moment we have experienced. The most amazing thing for each of us is that we are loved by God and have a whole new life that stretches into eternity.
“We love football,” they continued. “We love what we do. But football is just a game. And one day we will retire from football. But becoming a follower of Jesus Christ means our identity doesn’t have to be in our latest performance on the field—our identity is in Christ. Following Jesus means that our purpose is larger than being the best athlete. We have a whole new life of meaning, purpose, and service that will last longer than our football careers and have more impact in the world than anything we could accomplish on the field.”
Through the ups and downs of the game of football, Cooley shows how these high-profile athletes remain committed to God’s Word, genuine Christian discipleship and sharing their faith. “The Biggest Win” also combines biblical truths with practical direction on issues that every Christian faces, including dealing with adversity, competition, change, success, failure and how to thrive by faith in a pressurized world. Encouraging male and female athletes in any sport, “The Biggest Win” guides them in finding their ultimate identity in Christ, not their athletic achievements.
A percentage of the book sales from “The Biggest Win” will go to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the international sports ministry with a vision to see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
Cooley is the co-author with Nick Foles of “Believe It,” which topped best-seller charts nationwide. Cooley is also the author or co-author of “The One Year Devotions with Jesus: 365 Devotions to Help You Know and Love the Savior,” “Heroes of the Bible Devotional: 90 Devotions to Help You Become a Hero of God!” and “The One Year Sports Devotions for Kids.”
New Growth Press (NGP) publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based materials that provide churches, families, and individuals with resources for personal and spiritual growth and change. The growing Christian publisher produces a wide variety of gospel-centered resources for individuals, families and churches. NGP also publishes books, minibooks, small group and Gospel Story for Kids resources that provide churches, families and individuals with gospel-driven publications for all ages.
“The Biggest Win” is available now for preorder at Amazon.com or ChristianBook.com. View the media page for “The Biggest Win” here, or visit joshuacooleyauthor.com/the-biggest-win or the New Growth Press page at newgrowthpress.com/the-biggest-win.
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