After an exhilarating victory for the Philadelphia Eagles in Superbowl 2018, Eagles quarterback Nick Foles was awarded MVP for Superbowl 52. Discussing his victory on the “Ellen” show, Foles shared the role that failure and faith played in bringing him to that game.
As Foles recounted on the show, the game nearly ended for him a couple years ago, when he almost gave up football altogether. He had lost the joy of playing after struggling both personally and in his career. With some encouragement from his wife, however, Foles brought the decision before the Lord in prayer. Ultimately, he faced his fears and chose to return to the game.
Foles took a moment to recall the moment when the joy of playing came back to him:
“It was the fourth day of training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs where all of sudden a veil was lifted and the joy came back in my heart … I was reading the Bible in the morning and journaling, I remember just crying because I was like, ‘I love the game of football again.’”
It wasn’t the same sort of feeling as before, though. This time, the love of the game was much deeper because of his own experience of failure. “Athletes,” Foles explains, “we try to be perfect. And we’re not. We fail just like anyone else.” But these failures, he says, is what makes him—and all other athletes like him—stronger. It’s his failures and his willingness to face his fears that have helped form his character. As Ellen said at the end of the show, failure builds character in a way that no other life experience can.
It seems Foles can attest to the truth of Paul’s words in Romans: “[W]e also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:4-5).
Leah Hickman is a 2017 graduate of Hillsdale College’s English program. She freelances for BreakPoint.org and has written pieces for multiple Hillsdale College campus publications as well as for ChristianAnswers.net/Spotlight and the Discover Laura Blog. Read more by Leah at aworldofgrasspeople.blogspot.com.
Photo: Nick Foles #9 of the Philadelphia Eagles celebrates with the Vince Lombardi Trophy after his teams 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium on February 4, 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33.
Photo courtesy: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Publication date: February 15, 2018
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