Gill Byrd

Gill, a native of San Francisco, went to San Jose State and was drafted in the first round by the San Diego Chargers in 1983. During his ten-year career, he was the Chargers' all-time leading interceptor and was selected twice to go to the Pro Bowl. In 1998, Gill was inducted, as the 25th member, into the Chargers Hall of Fame. Since his retirement from pro football, Gill has been a sports commentator, and spent two years in the front office of the Green Bay Packers. Gill now devotes 100% of his time to Christian discipleship through Heart of a Lion and the 1st Quarter Curriculum.

On his growth as a person and Christian, Gill says:

"In college, I thought I knew it all. But I had a 50 dollar hair-do on five-cent head. Things began to change when Marilyn, who would later become my wife, planted the seed about the Word -- the Bible. I thought, "there's no way we can get our answers from the Bible to solve our problems," but I was coming from the world. Marilyn was coming from the Word.

When I got drafted by the Chargers, I still thought that you were less of a man if you were a Christian. But then I met Sherman Smith, a veteran running back and now a coach with the Tennessee Oilers, and he showed it takes more of a man to walk with God than to deny Him. I soon began to realize that I wasn't created to worship myself or my education or football, I was created to worship God. On a plane trip back from a New York Giants game in 1983, I asked Jesus Christ in my life.

Since then, I've seen God's grace and work in my life many times -- especially in my wife's love and in our boy Gill II's miraculous beginning. He was born three months premature and he was so small (1lb. 15 oz.) I could fit him into the palm of my hand. Marilyn and I got closer during this time and closer to God. We read the Bible and learned to trust God in all trials. Today Gill II is a growing, healthy boy.

Does being a Christian make a difference? Yes it does! And that's one reason I wanted to start Heart of a Champion, to let people know that pro athletes are no different from them. We all need God in our lives."

In professional sports, trust and faith are words that often tell the story of what it takes to be known as a champion. Trust and faith in God enables us to tap into our greatest resource . . . God. Made in God's image, we can make our efforts -- on the playing fields of sports and in our everyday lives -- reflective of His presence.

To have faith, to believe, is to be strong. From faith and trust, all good works flow. And when others may lose faith and trust, the heart of a champion says, "No, I will not give up, I will go it alone if necessary, for my faith is strong."

And from this personal faith and trust, men and women learn that anything is possible with God.