When I got injured at the beginning of this season and realized I’d be out for the whole year, I was devastated. I wasn’t sure if I’d even be able to enjoy watching football, but by leaning on God and seeking His truth, I have been able to renew my mind. Refreshed with a new perspective, God has allowed me to see ways in which this trying season has turned into an opportunity to bless and encourage others.

Resting my body from the grind that it’s been put through for the last nineteen years, I’ve been really focused on what I need to do to come back even stronger. But I’ve also been focused on learning the lessons and gaining the strength that God has intended for me during this season of rest. I’ve been asking myself, “Am I completing what God’s purpose is for me in this time?”

Since I’m rehabbing in Atlanta, I haven’t been connected to the team, teammates, or chaplain specifically but I have been intentionally staying in touch with some players. A lot of my former teammates from the Eagles call me on a consistent basis and, as we connect, I’ve found that I’ve been able to be an encouragement to them during the craziness of the NFL season. When you’re in the thick of the season it’s easy to become tired and find yourself lacking motivation for the next practice or game. Though I would love to be playing those games or hitting the practice field hard right now, I see how much I have to be thankful for throughout my career and even today. Today I can bring motivation and perspective to those who are weary.

It can be hard to grow close to your teammates and then be traded or have your teammates go to another team. No longer are you seeing them in the locker room everyday and traveling across the country with them, but that doesn’t mean you can’t stay in touch with them. Especially if you have found Christian brothers to connect with on a deeper level, you can be intentional about friendships that will build you up. Then, when you come onto a new team, you have the opportunity to establish more friendships that could be long-lasting. The NFL is a brotherhood; we are all the same broken men who need help from a Savior and need encouragement from each other.

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” —Psalm 147:3

I see my role in this season to be one of encouraging others in the league as well as at home with my family. I know that my presence at home has been really helpful for my family and I’m thankful that I can be there for them right now. This time off has also allowed me more opportunities to speak to the youth, which I am really passionate about. When I’ve talked to youth football teams in the past, I always shared my testimony but I really didn’t feel like I had a true testimony to tell. Everything seemed to have gone my way for most of my life, besides a few broken bones here and there, but now that I have had to really rely on God and trust His strength in my weakness, I can see God using my story to influence these kids in an even stronger way. When I tell them that life’s going to throw us punches and we have to choose how we respond to them, I now can use my story as an example.

Life in the NFL may seem like peaches and cream to everyone looking in, but as players, we struggle with the same things that everyone else does: Family and marriage hardships, injuries, uncertainty, worry, fear, and anxiety. Maybe my story can be a realistic example of a life that most people tend to glorify. We all have trials and tribulations, but no matter what the circumstances may be, we are able to overcome by trusting in the Almighty God.

Today I understand that whatever my testimony is supposed to look like—whether that means I am struggling just for a time or for longer—I know that God is setting me up for something much greater than myself. Jesus gives us a peace that is not of this world, but from Him. We are not to worry because, out of His great love, He promises to always take care of us.

“Again Jesus said, ‘Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.’” —John 20:21

—Brandon Boykin

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