Philadelphia, PA: Among the news crews lining the red carpet of the 2017 NFL Draft this year, a new team appeared asking questions of a different kind. Eastern University partnered with 610 Sports/ESPN Radio’s Faith on the Field host Rob Maaddi to interview players and coaches at the draft. While most reporters were asking questions about how players performed in college, where they hoped to be drafted, or even about their outfits—Eastern was asking questions about how faith impacts football.
Eastern’s interviews included conversations with drafted players Mitchell Trubisky (#2 pick), Solomon Thomas (#3 pick), Corey Davis (#5 pick), John Ross (#9 pick), and Deshaun Watson (#12 pick) among others.
Solomon Thomas (#3 pick) shared that God and his family are the most important things in his life. Asked about how that background will help him in the NFL, he explained, “It’s going to help me a lot. When times get hard, I’m always going to have something to fall onto. I’m always going to have something to read that’s going to motivate me to go push somewhere else and be the man I can be and always be the best person I can be.”
Eastern also interviewed Deshaun Watson (quarterback for NCAA National Champion Clemson Tigers and #12 overall pick), who shared, “Faith is what I stand on. It keeps me balanced, keeps me grounded, makes sure that I stay focused on my task.”
Dabo Swinney, head coach for the Clemson Tigers, declared, “I just keep my eyes on the Lord in everything I do. Every decision I make, every good or bad thing that I encounter…I think that as Christians, whatever line of work you’re in, you try to stay faithful to your purpose in life. As a Christian, it should be to let that light shine.”
Eastern’s partnership with the new Faith on the Field radio show has also included hosting an event April 24 with players from the Philadelphia Phillies. Over 400 people attended the event on Eastern’s campus, where pitchers Jerad Eickhoff and Jeanmar Gomez engaged in a conversation about how their faith influences their lives as professional athletes.
Stay tuned for details about the next Faith on the Field event on Eastern’s campus, coming this summer.
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