Bama’s Alexander still faithful amid football fame

Bama’s Alexander still faithful amid football fame

He set a National Football League (NFL) record with 28 touchdowns in a single season and is the only professional player to score at least 15 touchdowns each season for five straight seasons. He also still owns the all-time rushing record at the University of Alabama (UA). 
   
Despite such accomplishments, Seattle Seahawks and former Crimson Tide running back Shaun Alexander said his greatest accomplishment is being a Christian witness to the players, fans and young people around him. And his new book, “Touchdown Alexander,” proclaims just such a message.
   
”Touchdown Alexander” is a new release from Harvest House Publishers and tells the story of the player’s rise to football glory, reaching back to his childhood and going through college and into the professional league. Alexander’s faith and convictions, as well as the service work he does, are also important parts of his story.
   
Alexander is a member of the nondenominational Christian Faith Center in Seattle and attended Calvary Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, in Tuscaloosa Baptist Association, while he was a student at UA.
   
One of the themes found throughout the book is Alexander’s desire to remain humble and resist pride, even while he is garnering scores of accolades from the NFL. He said being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2006 was nice but it comes with its drawbacks. 
   
“It’s a dangerous thing because anytime people start calling you valuable and it’s not wrapped around Jesus Christ, it’s very easy to fall in that trap of thinking, ‘Now I’m something’ or ‘Now I’m somebody,’” Alexander said. “It’s honorable and I wouldn’t mind being called MVP again next year, but at the same time, it really humbles me to say, ‘OK, God, I want to make sure that I’m your MVP first.’”
   
He said people are often surprised at the number of Christians and the scope of their influence in the NFL. In fact, one reason he said he was able to become MVP was the team that supported him. 
   
Alexander said the Seattle Seahawks is a team built upon many strong Christian relationships. “Our team is full of Bible-believing, strong Christian men. Anytime you’ve got a team like that, it is easy to grab your brother and just pray — pray for you, pray for your family, pray for your teammates, pray for the guys who aren’t saved on the team,” he said. “But then also, you can start holding each other accountable to love authentically.”
   
Alexander’s strong stand for and desire to serve Christ is what made him an appealing subject for Harvest House President Bob Hawkins Jr. “We knew Shaun was just an incredible Christian man, an outstanding professional athlete and a man of great character,” Hawkins said. “We saw doing a book with Shaun as an opportunity to give his story a national and even global platform because his outreach and example to others is a story that needs to be told.”
   
The book focuses a lot on the outreach that Alexander performs through the Shaun Alexander Foundation (SAF), an organization to mentor young men who otherwise might not have a steady, Christian influence in their life. 
   
“Shaun Alexander is living proof that you can be a warrior in the NFL yet at the same time, be compassionate toward others,” Hawkins said. “He is a powerful role model for a generation of young people who desperately need to see and believe in strong, good men who are committed to character and excellence.”
   
Alexander said it’s important to provide direction to today’s young men. “We have the future coming through this program (SAF),” he said. “We have future presidents … We have future men of integrity — future vice presidents and presidents of companies, future football stars. They are the next mentors of the world.”
   
His dedication to the foundation impacted Cecil Murphey, co-author of “Touchdown Alexander,” when they first met. “While Shaun was still a student at Alabama and long before he was drafted by the NFL, he set up a foundation to help others,” Murphey said. “Most people set up their foundations after they have made a lot of money. That truly impressed me.”
   
Murphey, who has co-authored books with such Christian figures as Franklin Graham and Ben Carson, said Alexander was a refreshing celebrity. “Shaun stands at the top of my list as favorites,” he said. “He is a strong Christian … He’s truly genuine and has never forgotten that he grew up without a strong father figure and lived in a two-bedroom apartment.” 
   
“Touchdown Alexander” has been featured on ESPN, national sports shows, in The Seattle Times and Christian magazines. 
   
Hawkins said the book is effective because it is about a “role model” in every sense of the word. “He is inspiring to so many people … because he has found the source of true joy, because he is obedient and disciplined and because he uses the gifts God has given him to reach out and bless others.”
   
The book can be purchased at most general and Christian bookstores, and from online retailers. (Chad Bonham contributed)