Tim Euhus

It sounds like a cliche - but it's true. Playing in the NFL is a dream come true. The ironic thing is playing football isn't what I originally wanted to do.

I was a basketball player. My heroes were people like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. My great desire was to get a basketball scholarship, and I did get some, from small schools.

I received a football scholarship from Oregon State, but hadn't really thought about football. I had a good football season my junior year in high school, and had great coaches, but basketball was still my goal.

I took the scholarship from Oregon State, and for one year, I played both basketball and football. After that first year, my football coach, Dennis Erickson, sat me down and said, "You can continue to play both basketball and football, and be mediocre at both. Or you can quit basketball and concentrate on football, because I really believe you have a chance to play in the NFL and get paid for this." And at that point I hadn't even started a game.

I started my next years, and wound up as the 4^th round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills. I'm from Oregon, and didn't even know where Buffalo was. I got out a map and started with New York City and kept moving across the map looking for another big city.

The whole experience was exciting, including the third game of my rookie year, which provided my first extended playing time. I especially remember my first touchdown. I caught it from Drew Bledsoe against the Cardinals.

As wonderful as playing football is, there's something even more important to me, and that's my relationship with Jesus.

I became a Christian as a young boy, when my parents prayed with me to accept Christ. I asked Jesus to come into my life and forgive my sins. Most importantly, I wanted eternal life with Him.

In college, I got caught up a bit in the whole party scene. My girlfriend at the time was not impressed and broke us with me because I was not, as she put it, "marriage material."

I realized I needed God back in my life, so I re-committed my life to Him. As I was discipled, which was something I had shied away from as I strayed from God, I started to understand what a true relationship with God required - effort, by both parties. And God had already done His part.

As part of the happy ending, the girlfriend who had left me before my senior year in college, stating I was not "marriage material", is now my wife. Together, we serve at a church in Buffalo area, working with the youth. I had heard a chapel speaker in Miami talk about how God has given us a talent, and we need to connect that talent to a task. Since I've done that, together with my wife, Michelle, my spiritual life has grown greatly. Getting into the Word every day has been a wonderful blessing.

All along the way, I have seen God's hand at work in my life. I wanted to play basketball, but God had other plans. I had several coaches leave - coaches I thought could help me, only to discover that God brought in other coaches who could help me even more. Every step of the way, God has been there, guiding me, and protecting me.

While playing in the NFL is indeed a dream come true, I have been blessed beyond my dreams. I have so much more than NFL experience - I have a relationship with Jesus.

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