Have you seen the movie American Underdog yet? Kathie and I viewed it a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it.

The movie tells the story of Kurt Warner and his struggles to play quarterback in the NFL.

He was a very successful high school football player in Iowa but when he went to college it wasn’t until his fifth year that he had the opportunity to become the starting quarterback. But even then he had to badger his coach to give him a chance to play.

His coach was not impressed with his inability to stay in the pocket and so during scrimmages the coach allowed the defensive team to work him over viciously.

After the ‘stay in the pocket’ lessons he finally convinced the coach to let him start and as a result he had a stellar year and led his team to a successful season.

Then began Kurt’s contacting and politicking pro teams to draft him which turned out to be an almost insurmountable task.

He did catch on with the Green Bay Packers very briefly (one day) and then was let go.

Arena football came searching for his services and he grudgingly accepted their offer. As a result his Iowa team won the arena football championship and in doing so caught the eye of a pro scout for the St. Louis Rams.

When the Rams quarterback was injured early in the season Warner took over and led his team to a Super Bowl Championship. He became the first undrafted football player to ever accomplish that task and upon the completion of his career was elected to the Football Hall of Fame.

What I admired about Kurt Warner besides his football skills was his strong Christian faith and his openness to share it with the world. During the interview after his team’s victory of the Super Bowl he bravely thanked God in front of millions of viewers.

If only I had that courage.

Well actually there was that one time in college that I experienced a Christian football moment. In fact it made such an impression on me that the feelings I experienced are still with me today.

Now don’t go thinking I was a college football stud!

I did play football however. But instead of all that padding and a helmet I wore a belt around my waist with two flags attached. Our intramural team was called the Bears and we were a flag football team.

During a game I had a spiritual experience that I have never forgotten and never will. I think even Kurt Warner would have been proud of me.

You see during my college years I had a strong faith much like quarterback Warner. Since I was a Catholic I joined the campus Newman Club which was the Catholic organization on campus.. Since not a lot of college students were interested in expanding their faith during this phase of their lives I moved up rapidly in the leadership ranks of the club.

Before I knew it I was the president of the club and was able to live in the Newman Club Center for a paltry $25 a month. That was such an enticement for a financially strapped college student that I served two consecutive terms as Newman president! 🙂

I was also captain of our Bears flag football team and this is where things could get a little sticky.

On every Thursday at 5:00 pm there was a Newman Club Mass at the church and since I was the president I felt obligated to attend. Normally a full house on a Thursday would consist of possibly three coeds and myself.

One Thursday I had a huge dilemma when the mighty Bears had a flag football game scheduled against a fraternity team at 5:00 pm. and who doesn’t want to have the opportunity to destroy a frat team.

I was torn…….Newman presidents should attend Thursday church services. But I was captain of the Bears who had the opportunity to embarrass a fraternity team!

After wrestling with the conflicting schedules my faith won out and I with great misgivings attended Mass.

I arrived at church a couple minutes early and as good Catholics do I was kneeling in prayer. While in this state of spiritual contemplation I felt a hand on my shoulder. Was the Holy Spirit making a physical  visit?

Turning around I see it is my fellow Bear’s teammate Greg who whispers to me, “Mike, we are one member short. We need you otherwise we will have to forfeit.”

Now this is where Kurt Warner would be getting excited.

We left the church immediately and I’m not even sure I carried out the needed genuflection.

The football field was not far from the church so we made a quick arrival.

Now things had happened so quickly that I was still in the state of prayer with the Holy Spirit still hanging around.

And before I knew it the referees blew the whistle and the game began.

I’m still in a state of semi-prayer as I view the football being kicked high into the air and descending end over end. The ball dropped into my outstretched hands.

Now here’s where Mr. Warner would be very proud of me. I began to run clasping the ball tightly under one arm.

But it was a weird feeling as I ran. It was as though I were in a dream. Never have I run down a football field so quickly.

Fraternity players were diving for my flags and I was zigzagging as I raced toward the end zone.

As I crossed into the end zone I looked back and smiled as fraternity players were sprawled all over the field. As they scrambled to their feet they were shaking their heads and muttering about the speed that I had just displayed.

To this day I know it was not my normal speed but a supernatural speed that resulted from a brief prayer time at the local Catholic Church. 🙂

There was no announcer present to interview me after the game so I was not able to give God the credit.

Instead I am giving God the credit for that burst of speed some fifty-five years later via this blog. 🙂 May it be a blessing to you. 🙂

Oh, by the way we did destroy that fraternity team those many years ago. But we did it in Christian love. 🙂

Until next time.