 Can we all say hallelujah, pastor, thank you for God's word and for the truth that we all need to hear. I wish I could know that I could go in any church across the country and hear that, that we what we need to hear the truth, God's truth and how we need to stand up as men. That was amazing. I tell you what, I was ready to defer my time to you and just keep going. I loved it. It really is a pleasure and an honor to be with you. To be back in the area where I grew up, just north of here a little bit in Ontario, and I was thankful to be able to jump on the Zoom. It was crazy. It hit all of a sudden, but I'm thankful that God got me through that and I had an invitation to come back and join you here at your church. So thank you for allowing me to come back and share a few words. Every time I get an opportunity to share, not only do I get to impart things that I've learned, but it's a challenge for me because if I'm going to share some things with you, it's going to cause for me to be held accountable and live the way that I'm talking to you this morning. So for me, growing up in Southern California, just up the road as I said, and I hear pastor talk about men and dads, I didn't have that experience at home. I didn't have the experience of having a dad or a male role model at home. My mom raised five kids by herself. I had two older brothers, two younger sisters. I'm right in the middle. In the last five, six years, we lost mom. I lost an older brother. I lost a younger sister. So now the youngest sister myself and my older brother are still here. The other three, I'm thankful they're in heaven with the Lord. I knew several things about mom because I never met my dad, never had a chance to meet him. I never will meet him. Hopefully, and I don't know anything about him. I did know he was in and out of prison when I was growing up. Probably the reason I never had a chance to meet him. I know he approached wanting to meet me a couple of times, but I was so young that it was frightening to me. But I knew mom was mom, mom was dad, mom was leader of the house, but she was coach. And one thing we knew, she was the boss. Growing up with two older brothers and two younger sisters, I would not trade for anything, but we didn't have a whole lot. Thank God that my mom was from a big family. We had uncles, we had relatives that provided transportation for us when we needed it because we never had a car. At about seven or eight, mom got enough money to buy a bicycle for the family, so that was my transportation. Growing up, athletics were very important in my life, but mom, knowing what she had to teach us, and she never sat us down and taught us work ethic. All we had to do was watch her because she would have two, three jobs at a time providing for her kids. And all we had to do, not sit around the table and have her teach us about work ethic, but we just had to watch her take off about 6.30 over the railroad tracks to go to the chicken ranch and pack eggs. Or as we brought the pillowcases full of clothes from our teachers, she would iron them and get paid for that. Or when it was time, she'd put her bandana on, get her knife, and go out in the grape vineyards and pick grapes. Not easy jobs, but that was her way of providing for us. So we learned work ethic. We learned responsibility. Yeah, she did teach us responsibility because during the school year, athletics were very important to me. But if I wanted to go play baseball or football or basketball after school, I had to make sure I get my homework done. Responsibility. In the summertime, if I wanted to go play baseball, DeAnne's a park. How many are familiar with DeAnne's a park? I tell you what, I wore that park out on the baseball field. That was my second home growing up as a kid because my love was baseball and I was going to play in the major leagues. But in order to go play baseball at DeAnne's there or whatever other park we had an opportunity to, we had to get our chores done. And I'm not just talking about grabbing a dust cloth, dust in the furniture. Man, we had to wash clothes. We had to iron clothes. We had to cook for each other. We had to clean the house. As a kid, I learned how to iron and sew. And I mean, it was, does it help nowadays? Probably not. But responsibility, getting it done. And mom taught us that. You know, as a young kid, I'll never forget, even though you have circumstances, and we all have a story that we could stand up here and share. As I share my circumstances in my background, I have to also add, don't allow your circumstances to dictate your outcome. I could have very easily been the, the woe is me and say, man, I grew up with nothing. We didn't have a car. We wore wash and wore the same clothes every day. But heck, no mom said, you don't have to look poor, even though you are. And that's where it came in wash and wear and iron. Man, when she used to iron our pants with that heavy starts to crease. I would say, mom, why are you ironing our undershirt? Nobody can see it. She'd say, I see it. Amazing lesson she taught us. And like I said, my first love was baseball. I was going to be a major league baseball player. So I was like laser focused, tried to play as many games per day during the summer. One of the things is being a couple buddies and each park would claim that we were their players because we would play at two or three parks a day. But that's how it was growing up in Southern California. I wouldn't trade it for anything. And the fact that we had to get rides from my uncle, or we had to walk places, I believe it built character in us. An appreciation, a gratefulness for things to come. So circumstances don't allow your circumstances to dictate your outcome. You see, so I grew up, I met a coach at the age of seven who was the new head of parks and recreation. In Ontario, California. But not only that, I learned quickly at the age of seven that he was the new varsity baseball coach at Chaffee, the high school that I would attend. So I had several years to impress them before I got to high school because I was going to start for them on the varsity team. That's how confident I was, quiet, confident. Talk about work ethic responsibility. I have older brothers eight years older than me when I started playing baseball. So he was sophomore, junior in high school when I started playing with them. I'll never forget, and I didn't realize that he was teaching me humility. But he said, Anthony, you don't have to talk about how good you are on the athletic field. He said, if you're good enough, people will talk about you. Just get the job done. I'll be 65 in a couple of months. And it's like, I heard that two weeks ago. He taught me humility. And little did I know that it was, I was being taught humility, quiet confidence. So now it's time to go to high school. And I go to high school. You see, I was a third baseman pitcher from the age of seven through high school, not because of my speed, but because of my quickness in the little area. Now I'd have to hit a ball probably twice as far as you to get a home run in an open field. But you try to bun on me at third base, no way, because of my quickness in that little box. But don't challenge me to a race because I'd just concede and give you that. I wouldn't concede, but I'd lose by 20 yards. So that was my dream, make it in the major leagues. So baseball was number one. I started playing football at the age of eight, but it was flag football. Big kid, big kid, destroying things. So I was a product of flag football from the age of eight to eighth grade. No, I wasn't a lineman. I was a quarterback. See, because my arm, I used to win all the pump passing kick competitions. So I had all these fast guys be in this, and I would just, I could just throw touchdowns all day long to these fast guys because I didn't have to run. I just sat back there and threw the ball. So third baseman pitcher, and then when I get to high school, I'm going to be the quarterback of the freshman football. First time I put pads on as a freshman. So I'm watching my buddies who played Pop Warner to make sure I'm putting them on correctly. And I get all the pads on, shoulder pads, jersey, and I get this nice two-bar face mask. You know what that means, right? Quarterbacks were those two-bar face masks. I go running out as a freshman, 6'2", 6'3", about 220, 230. Coach devices up by position, I run over to the quarterbacks. Quarterback looks up at me and says, what are you doing here? I said, coach, I'm going to be your quarterback. He said, nah, I don't think so. I said, coach, that's all I've played from 8 years old to 8th grade. He goes, nah. He said, you have to go in and have Henry change your face mask. Henry was our equipment manager. I said, what are you talking about? He goes, you're not a quarterback. You're a lineman. I'm like, a lineman. He's the coach. I march in. Henry puts a big old cage face mask on my helmet. At first I'm thinking, is that because linemen are supposed to be animals? They have a big cage in front of you. I realize why now that they put linemen in the cage and those good-looking quarterbacks have just a little two-bar. I didn't fit that mold. So as a freshman football player, I'm an offensive lineman. I hated it the first day. I'm trying to get in this three-point stancer talking about. Usually I'm doing this and taking the ball and I'm like, second day, this is what I'm talking about. I love it now. I'm here. Guys, I'm blocking her down here. My older brothers and friends, we used to get in wrestling match, fighting match, and I'd get in trouble because I was bigger. Now I'm not getting in trouble if I take one, do this. So 14 years old freshman, I become an offensive lineman. I play freshman football, I play freshman baseball, freshman basketball. Things are going well in high school, doing well in school. Now I'm playing every sport, three sports, all four years. Baseball, still my first love. All-state sophomore junior and senior in baseball, all-state junior and senior in football. By my senior year, I'm this tall, about 290 pounds, but I'm playing football, but I'm still playing third base. Think about that, 6'5", 6'6", 290 playing third base. I still have to hit one twice as far as you to get around, but still at 290 I'm able to sit down and I'm able to maneuver at that base, take away bunts, take away the line. I'm playing basketball that size, having to guard guys that are 60, 70 pounds lighter. But in football, I'm having fun now. Now I'm close to 300 pounds, I'm blocking guys that are 200 pounds. Yeah, they're quicker, but God bless me like I said, with that quickness in that box. So I'm moving right along and I'm going from sport to sport for four years. I'm playing every game. I can't remember missing a game because of injury and four years going from football to basketball to baseball. Well, my junior year, I start getting recruited to go to school and play football at just about every major university across the country. And I'm thinking, man, this is nice. This is great, but where are the baseball letters? I'm still thinking I want to be a major league baseball player, but I soon realize at 6'6", 300 pounds that I'm going to fit better in a football uniform than a baseball uniform. But when I was being recruited to those schools, they were saying, you come to school here, you play football, we'll let you play baseball. So by my senior year, it was a lock. As a young man, I fell in love with USC, their football tradition, their baseball tradition. And then we got a lot of Trojan fans in here. But let me tell you some, I don't know if I fell in love with the academics or the athletics or that big white horse that ran around the track every time they scored, Traveller and Tommy Trojan. Believe me, before I got to USC with Anthony Davis and Rick, they used to wear that horse out running around every time they scored. Well, I decided as a junior, I was going to commit, I was going to go to USC. So as a senior, I decided to go to USC, go to school there, play football there. So you see, I had all these plans. Again, that was it. I had my plans, the world according to Anthony at this time. Because when I was being recruited by USC, you know, you have to remember, 75, 76, they were winning national championships, they were winning rose bowls, they had all Americans, they had Heisman Trophy winners, they were sending the number one draft picks to the NFL. And I wanted to be one of those guys, and I wanted some of that action. Because if I went to USC, I'd hopefully be playing for a national championship, hopefully be playing in the Rose Bowl. As an offensive lineman, hopefully be blocking for a Heisman Trophy winner. And there was two teams that I knew we'd play every year for sure. UCLA and Notre Dame. So I was signed, sealed, delivered. I was going to go to USC with all these plans signed up for my classes. I'm ready for class. And I had all these plans of things were going to happen athletically on the football field. Well, talked about my circumstances. Not allowing that to dictate your outcome. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you can't do something. You see, because I go through these circumstances, I get to USC. And it's the first time I'd ever really experienced adversity. Now, how was I going to work through adversity? I mean, my circumstances not having a whole lot, that was okay. Because mom loved us, our relatives loved us, we had to love support even though we didn't have a whole lot. But now this was my first time I was going to experience some adversity. Talking about all the fun things I was going to do athletically. Freshman year I get there. Things are going pretty well in the football field. I'm not starting, but I'm playing half the game. Classes, I'm struggling a little bit. I got to admit, it was a tough adjustment going to class. But socially, I'll tell you what, probably number one on my list, doing a few too many things I shouldn't have been doing. So as a freshman, I get there. And like I said, things are going well on the football field. And I'll never forget, one of the things I haven't mentioned is there's really no spiritual component to my life growing up as a kid. I mean, we'd go to church on holidays. Why? Because mom said we're going to go to church. Christmas, Easter, all the major holidays. Of course, if I was pitching in a little league and I couldn't throw strikes, it wasn't that I was rebelling against God. I said, God, come on, let me throw strikes, please. If I was in a batting slump, God, get me out of this batting slump. So I wasn't rebellious. But there was really no spiritual part of my life. And I'll never forget as a freshman, things are going well, really well in one area, okay, another. But there was this gentleman that was on campus at USC. And we all knew his mission. He had a mission from God. He was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ. And his passion, his heart was to meet with athletes. And hopefully, the athletes would come do a relationship with the living God through Jesus Christ. And we quickly found out what his mission was. And believe me, I had every excuse to avoid him. And I was like a race car driver. And I turned the corner, I saw him. But there was one time, I realized, okay, I want to sit and talk to this gentleman. I'm going to sit and talk to Ed. See what he has to say. He asked me some questions. Like, hey, how's class going? I said, could be going better. How's football going? I said, it's going pretty well. I'm not starting, but I'm playing a lot as a freshman. He goes, how are you doing spiritually? And I said, well, and I thought quickly, I said, since I said I'm doing okay in class and really want football, I said, I'm doing all right. Well, there was nothing there. And let me just read to you what he shared to me for the first time that I'd ever heard anything. And I have it here because it's, and you probably are familiar with the four spiritual laws. That's what was shared to me as a 18 year old freshman that God loves us and has a plan for our life. Man is sinful and separated from God, and we can't experience that love and that plan that he has for our life. So Ed is sharing all this with me. He says, well, even though we're separated from God with sin, he said, Jesus Christ is only God's provision for us to experience that plan and that love. First thing I thought, I said, man, this is interesting. I've heard that name Jesus Christ, but not in the content that he's talking about. You understand the community, friends, baseball. And then his last thing was, he said, we must individually receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then we'll know God personally and experience his love and his plan. See, that was the first time I'd ever heard that. And then he went on to share with me John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever should believe in him shall not perish but have eternal life. And then the sin party said, you know, we're all, we all fall short of God's glory. We're all sinners, and we have to individually make that decision. And that's the first time I heard about that God's love and his plan for our life, but we're born with sin nature. We're sinners. We live selfishly. We're stubborn. We believe we can do things on our own, but God has provided his Son who was born of the virgin birth, who walked on this earth, who was crucified. And on the third day, he rose and he's alive. And now as a six foot, six, 300 pound, rough and tough football player, I have to make the decision not because Ed believes it or not because this person believes it, but I need to believe and I need to ask Jesus to come into my, that was my freshman year. So all of a sudden things are going well. Game nine, we're getting ready to play UCLA, one of those teams that I was excited about playing. No injury in high school, four years, three sports. I'm laying on the turf during practice, grabbing my right leg, knee operation number one. I'm getting ready to start the UCLA game. We go to the Rose Bowl and I miss the two biggest games my freshman year. But you know, you're young, you're 18 years old, you rehab, you get ready for spring practice. We get this offensive lineman that transferred in. He's an offensive lineman. So as a lineman, you look at him and go, hmm, how big is he? How strong is he? Is he going to help us out? That's not what we noticed about Brad Green. The first thing we noticed about Brad Green, who I was just with yesterday was 100 years later after we met, Brad Green was a born-again Christian, an offensive lineman, and he was not ashamed of it. He was sharing with his teammates the same thing that Ed sat us down and talked to us about, God's love, his plan. We're sinners. We need Jesus. God has provided Jesus for us. All we have to do is believe in his name and we're saved. We have eternal life. Brad Green started sharing that with us, his teammates. Like I said, it wasn't about, okay, how many reps you're getting on this much or how many, it was, he's got a strong faith. It was real. So I go home after my freshman year, venture back to De Anza Park where I played a lot of baseball and there's a lady softball game going on. If I go over there and I'm reintroduced to a young lady I'd met probably two, three years prior, we start talking. We start dating that summer, summer after my freshman year. So it's interesting. So now it's Ed to share Christ with us, Brad Green. Now this young lady, her name is Dee Dee. We start dating and we meet Dee Dee's sister who just gets married. We go to their wedding, Steve and Kathy Brown. Now they start sharing their personal relationship with Jesus with us. And I'm thinking, oh my goodness, let's use athletic terms. They're on the full court press. It's an all out blitz. And I'm just going, okay, okay, I need to find out who this Jesus is that they are talking about. So Dee Dee and I start dating that summer, June of that summer, December of that year, I asked her to marry me. So I go back my sophomore year for college and there's all this stuff going through my mind. I'm coming off an injury. I have a chance to win the starting job. I didn't play baseball my freshman year but I still want to play baseball. Now I'm dating this nice young lady. I get back to school and then several months after school is in session, I ask her to marry me. And she says yes. So that spring of my sophomore college, we get married on a Saturday morning in Ontario. We leave for San Diego in her dad's green pinto. We spend the night in San Diego. We come back Sunday, go back to school because I got class on Monday. We're starting a baseball series against UCLA. That year I did play baseball. In that football season, I started and unlike that freshman year where we went and beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl, finished number two in the country. My sophomore year, I'm a starter. It was a little bit of a rebuilding year. We end up nine and three. Terrible year. But I started on the football team. Then I played on the baseball team. Even though didn't do well on football, we won the World Series on the baseball team. So I got a national championship ring. Yeah, it was pretty cool. So here I am thinking that I've just made the most important decision in my life, marrying Dee Dee that spring. Well, after a few months, later that year, in 1978, Dee Dee and I are dinner with her sister Kathy and her husband Steve. And by this time, man, God is working on my heart. I'm starting to realize there's this tugging going on. Kind of like Pastor when you made the invitation. I'm sitting there going, what is this all about? So we're sitting there at dinner and I realized, Dee Dee realized, Kathy and Steve had already been following Jesus. We said, we need Jesus as Lord and Savior. As this big, rough and tough football player, I know I'm a sinner. I know I can't do it alone. And I want to make this decision. Not because Brad Green has it, not because of Ed, not because of Kathy, not because of Steve, but I know that I need Jesus as Lord and Savior. So that is 1978. Prior to my junior year in college, after getting hurt my freshman year, playing healthy my sophomore year, going to my junior year and we're ranked number one. Well, again, seven games in the season. I'm laying there on the turf again, going through my second knee operation. Silver lining, that year I got to start seven games. I was starting again, blocked seven games for a Heisman trophy winner, Charles White, who sadly enough we just lost not long ago. We won the national championships. I was a starter on the national championship team, but I didn't play in the UCLA and the Rose Bowl. So I missed two UCLA, two Rose Bowl in three years. So now I'm thinking, okay, I have made the most important decision in my life. I have asked Jesus into my life. And with the second best decision, I've asked Didi and we're married now. So I'm thinking, man, got hurt again, but still young, let's rehab. So we won the national championship. I'm going into my senior year. I've started two years. We've went on going off a national championship year. We're ranked number one going into my senior year. Probably the best shape I'd ever been in going into that senior year. Ranked number one, we jump on a plane, fight at Lubbock, Texas, playing the Red Raiders in Lubbock, opening game of the season. So this year, it wasn't seven games into the season. It wasn't nine game ends of the season. It was the second time we had the football in the first quarter. I'm laying on the turf in Lubbock, this time grabbing my left leg. A defensive back stuck his helmet in my left knee. And I'm laying there and I knew exactly what had to happen. Five back to LA and I'm going through my third knee operation in four years. I'll never forget laying in the bed at Cedar Sinai. A little disappointed that they didn't have my name above the door when I got there for the third one. Thought maybe they'd have like a nice steak and lobster waiting for me. Never forget the day after that. Those were the days where they kept you in the hospital for a couple of days. I'm laying on the bed. They just operated on me third one and I'm doing a live hookup interview with Bryant Gumbel, NBC. Remember when he was with NBC? Here at local when he first got started. And he's asking all these questions and I do remember what he was asking me, even though you know I had a little pain medicine in me. But the last thing he says, he goes, Anthony, when is enough enough? When are you going to give it up? It's your third knee operation in four years. When are you going to give it up? And I thought to myself, don't let anyone tell you you can't. And after I got hurt that third one, people were saying, do something else. Go another route. But I lay there and just spontaneously I said, Bryant, I don't know what's going to happen, but God has put the desire and passion in my heart to give it one more shot. I got out of the hospital in my routine. I got the old backpack. Maybe a week with crutches. I'd go to class. From class, I'd go to the training room. From the training room, I'd go in the weight room. From there, I'd go back to my one bedroom apartment. And honestly, probably shed a few tears now and then on Dee Dee's shoulder. But I was determined the team was winning. I kept telling the guys, continue to win. I'm going to play in the Rose Bowl with you guys this last one. And they'd kind of say, all right, we'll see you there. So for you young people, my first two years, we won the pack eight. That's how old I am. Then my last two years, we won the pack 10. As you know, it's now the pack 12. Well, for maybe another year. So I was determined. I mean, I was in that training mod busted. I was going to play in that Rose Bowl because I knew we would win. And sure enough, we won the pack 10 for the second straight time. And we're going to the Rose Bowl. And this time, instead of playing Michigan, as we did the first two, we're playing Ohio State. So I go into Coach Robbins. I said, Coach, I'm ready. I want to go out and practice and win that starting job back. And he, he would not hear any of it. I could see why he was concerned. Took me about a half an hour to convince him. I said, Coach, I am ready. I want to go out and practice. He said, okay, okay, I see you're serious. If you get the okay from the doctor, you can do it. Went to the doctor. Doc said, there's no reason why you can't start practicing and playing the game. I think there was like 15, 16 days of practice because of what I did in the weight room on the bicycle prior to that, I went out and I made every day of practice. That work ethic that mom instilled into us, it kicked in and went overdrive. Class, rehab, workout. Now I was married and it was just like prioritize, budget your time, and get it done. January 1st rolls around 1980. The starting lineup, Stein Lineups announced one tackle for USC, they announced Keith Van Horn, then they say the starting weak side tackle number 77, Anthony Munoz. I think a lot of people scratch their head and said, who in the heck is this? Where'd he come from? Had the chance to play in that 1980 Rose Bowl, all but two downs. Early in the first quarter, I had to take myself out because I thought I was going to hyperventilate. I was so geeked up, I had to say, okay, Coach, take me out. I got to kind of settle down and then I went back and played the entire game. Even the 82-yard game-winning drive at the end as we scored a beat Ohio State 17-16. Even after that, the experts in the pundits said, adversity, he's come back well, that was nice. Now go find something else to do. You'll never play in the NFL. And I said, well, those guys aren't the ones that are drafting college football players. So I kept doing it. We stayed on campus, going to class, working out. How are you going to handle adversity? Don't let anyone tell you you can't. And I tell people, I've not met someone that hasn't gone through adversity. It's kind of like as a football player. I'm in the Hall of Fame, but I can tell you, I got knocked down during the game. We get knocked down in life. How are you going to get back up and continue after you get knocked down? So they had projected me as the top five first round pick before the surgery. And they said, you might be a free agent. Don't think any team will take a shot on you. I said, it's just going to take one team. All I want is the opportunity to see if I can compete on the NFL level. So after that adversity, as I share these things with, you know, details are a little sketchy. April 29, 1980, seven o'clock Western time, 10 o'clock Eastern time at the Los Orbonne apartments. My wife and I are in the one bedroom apartment. That's my story, and I'm going to stick to it. The phone rings as soon as the draft starts. The Lions were number one. The Jets were two. The Bengals three. And the Packers four. My phone rings minutes after the draft starts. I think it's a relative calling to see, have you been drafted? And I was going to jump on the phone and say, hey, it might happen. I don't know, but you got to get off the phone. I pick up the phone. Young lady on the other side says, Cincinnati Bengals, can you hold? How about Fainett? I look at my wife and I'm like, I can't talk. So it's the line coach, the Cincinnati Bengals line coach, who has a third pick in the draft. And they say, Anthony, you're our guy. We'll get your details on how to get back soon so we can start everything. I said, okay, thank you. I hang up. And this big six foot six 300 pound guy is just weeping. My wife doesn't know what's going on yet. She starts crying. Finally, I compose myself and I'm like, it's the Bengals. We just got drafted. Number three by the Bengals. And we both are and we both are like excited. We compose ourselves. Then she looks at me and she goes, Cincinnati, where's Cincinnati? Wasn't real strong on geography. I mean, come on, I admit it. We pull out a map. I knew that their stadium was on the river. But think of it, 70s, Dodgers, Big Red Machine, right? And I'd watch those early morning games of the Big Red Machine and their stadium was right on the Ohio River. So I knew that much. That's about it. So the third pick in the draft. So circumstances, don't let it dictate your outcome. Adversity, don't let anyone tell you that you can't do something. So I get drafted. I go back to Cincinnati and I'm sure there was a lot of Cincinnati fans scratching their head. What are they doing? Drafting the guy that can't even stay healthy. He's played one healthy season in four years at USC. Well, I get there two and a half years into a marriage, two and a half years of following Jesus. And I tell you what, the important thing for Dee Dee and I is that wasn't just asking Jesus to come in as Lord and Savior, but getting involved in the Bible study, discipleship, getting involved with people that are going to hold you accountable, ask you the tough questions. So we're involved with the Bible study on campus at USC with about four or five other married couples and some of my former teammates. And the first call I make after we get drafted was to the couple that was the chaplain for the Reds and the Bengals, because I tell people, I didn't know a whole lot then. I don't know a whole lot more now, but I knew we had to plug in. We had to get plugged in and get fed as a young Christian married couple. And that happened. We had our chapel Sunday morning. We had our Bible study Tuesday night. We had our discipleship Friday after practice with about a half dozen guys memorizing scripture and studying and holding each other accountable. Still have some great relationships, even 30 whatever years after I've retired. So I go back, say, okay, Lord, what are you teaching me here? I barely play in college, but you make me the number three pick in the draft. God quickly showed me that I got to go in and I got to be thankful for what he's blessed me with. And that's when I began worship performance, audience of one, because there was a lot of doubters. I went into camp as a rookie, earned the starting left tackle job three days into camp. I said, Lord, I'm going to play for your glory. And I did that for 13 years. I started making all these individual goals. We had team goals, playoffs, Super Bowls, my individual goals, stay healthy for a full year. Every time we're playing a game on Sunday, be there. So for 13 years, I was a starting tackle, play over 10 years. And I start, you know, make the Pro Bowl, the offensive line of the year, those are just individual goals. So for 13 years, my rookie year as a rookie all pro alternate, then I made 11 straight Pro Bowls after that. Then nine time all pro, which is only two tackles in the league, played in two Super Bowls. Eight of the 13 years, I was the offensive line of the year. And I share that with you, not to pat myself on the back, but it's to, I thought what it meant, I thought I knew what it meant to compete and to prepare and intensity when I was at USC because we competed. But then when I stepped up to the next level and I allowed the Holy Spirit and God to lead me, I tell you what, intensity preparation was amazing. I give God all the glory for that. I have a chance to play 13 years, make these amazing relationships. Not even 10 years after I retired, they picked the 75th all anniversary team. It's the 75th year that the league's been in existence. Get to go to New York with guys I watch play, Merlin Olson and Gail Sayers, Bart Starr, Forrest Gray, then 25 years later, not a couple years ago, okay, they had the 100th anniversary of the league and got to be a member of the 100 guys, the best 100 guys I've ever played in the league. And I have to say, Lord, thank you that nobody gave me a shot to play in the NFL and that you allowed these things to happen. But in 1998, five years after I retired, first time ballot, I was selected and inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The pinnacle of a football player. So as I share this with you, Jeremiah 2911 comes to mind. One of my favorite. For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. He has our best interest at hand. Sometimes we might have to struggle. Sometimes he shakes us and say, Hey, I'm here. I have control. Don't start making your plans. Look for me and I'll guide your path. He wants the best for us. And I learned also when I was playing, I tried to really caution 323, whatever you do, not just some things, but whatever you do, everything you do, work at it with all your heart. He didn't say this thing, work at it with all your heart, this thing kind of, but everything you do, work at it with all your heart. As what? Working for the Lord, not man. That's why I established that audience of one. When I'd go out there and I'd see Bruce Smith, LT, I'd say Lord, I don't care what the fans say, you're my audience. I want to just get after it. Because in 2 Timothy 1, you said, I don't give you a spirit of what, timidity, but one of what? Power and strength, love, but also what's the final part? Self-control, right? So I said, this game is meant to be played physical, Lord, and you've given me the gift. So this guy is trying to get my quarterback. So I'm going to do whatever I can legally, legally to make sure Monday when I'm watching the tape and getting graded that they're not calling this guy's number that was across from me. That's the attitude I took. Lord, you've given me the opportunity to play in the NFL. You're the one that allowed me to realize that you gave your only son for all of us, gave your only begotten son that whoever believes in his name will not perish but have eternal life. And I realized that I was stubborn, I was selfish, I was living for myself that sin nature, but had to repent and turn towards the Lord. And say, yes, I believe that Jesus is who he says he is. I believe he was born of the virgin birth, that he walked this earth, that he had a ministry, that he was hung on that cross for you, you, you and me. And the tomb could not hold him down. That you raised him from the dead, that he is alive. And just like I said, when I was going to USC, I said, I wanted some of that, you know, Rose Bowls and national championships and all. I realized at 18 years old, I wanted not some of Jesus, I wanted all of Jesus. To wrap it up, Pastor, I appreciate you sharing God's word and the truth that we all need to hear, that we all need to be held accountable and stand up for what's going on in this country. As I look at my life, indeeding I just celebrated 45 years of marriage in April and I'm thankful for that. And one of the things we've had opportunities to really work with young couples and one of the first things I tell them is that you need to treat your wife that she is like she's the most special thing on this earth because your kids will treat their mom the way you treat them. And I adore and I love Dee Dee more. I always think I'm not a singer, but I always, who remembers this, I love you more today than yesterday, but not as much as tomorrow. I don't, I just worded, I don't sing it. You got to be self-aware and know your limitations. But the thing that I constantly, we constantly pray for and just about every morning as we pray for each other and for our kids, our nine grandkids, our kids and friends and siblings and as I say, Lord, Holy Spirit, guide and direct Dee Dee to finish strong on your truth without compromising your truth. Allow us to finish strong. I think about the strength, the power that the Holy Spirit has given us over the 45 years that we've known and it'll be 45 years this October that I've been following Jesus and I want to continue to be that follower, that husband, that dad, the pastor was talking about and we pray for that every single day that we would finish strong and not compromise and not fall and be aware, put on the full armor of God, be aware, don't deny that we're in a battle. Don't go overboard, but be aware of it, be prepared. The same way I was prepared when I'd go on Sunday, my weight training, my conditioning, game planning, I want to be prepared and I thank God for that, for that strength and that power and that self-control as I read. So I thank you for this opportunity. I thank Pastor, your church for getting the men together and doing a men's conference and really like I said, not just challenging the men here but challenging all of us, to be men of faith, to lead our families, to be leaders in the community and fight for our kids and grandkids. Like I mentioned, two kids but I have nine grandkids and that's who we're fighting for now. Our kids are fighting for and us are fighting for our grandkids. So God bless you and have a great day. Thank you very much.