Doing What Your Coach

DOING WHAT YOUR COACH says isn’t always easy. In Super Bowl XXXII, Terrell Davis followed his coach’s advice although he was in tremendous pain.

The Denver Broncos running back entered the NFL’s biggest game on a roll. He had led the AFC in rushing during the regular season with 1,750 yards and added 100-plus-yard performances in each playoff game leading up to the finale against Green Bay.

And early in the game, it appeared as if Davis would continue his domination. After the Packers took a 7–0 lead, Davis led the Broncos on a 58-yard drive to knot things at 7–7 in the first quarter. But during the opening 15 minutes—in which Davis rushed for 64 yards—he got jolted on a tackle and blacked out for a moment. He went to the sidelines suffering from a huge migraine headache and poor vision.

Davis didn’t play almost the entire second quarter. But when the Broncos drove deep into Green Bay territory, Denver coach Mike Shanahan called on Davis to enter the game. Davis told his coach he couldn’t see, but Shanahan insisted, saying Davis would only be a decoy and didn’t need to be able to see. Terrell strapped on his helmet and ran onto the field. Despite terrible pain and blurred vision, he faked taking a handoff from quarterback John Elway and ran into the line. With the Packers defense keying on Davis, Elway kept the ball and ran into the end zone for a 14–7 Broncos lead. During halftime, Davis received medical attention and returned to the game. He ended up rushing for 157 yards and two more touchdowns, and he was named the game’s Most Valuable Player in Denver’s 31–24 win.

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POINT Can you imagine playing professional football without being able to see? Terrell Davis battled migraine headaches throughout his football career. But when his coach needed him, Davis did what he was told.

God wants us to react the same way when people in authority over us ask us to do something. Their requests won’t always be painless or easy, but we need to obey anyway.

GOAL! Have you ever felt that your parents or teachers ask too much from you? It’s a normal feeling, but try to honor God as you obey the authority figures in your life.