Until he got to the pros, absolutely no one can deny that Danny Wuerffel had
experienced a dream in the world of football.
Until he got to the pros, absolutely no one can deny that Danny Wuerffel had
experienced a dream in the world of football.
As the starting quarterback for the Florida Gators, he led the team to four
Southeastern Conference championships in as many years, and to one national
title. He set 17 national and University of Florida records and managed to graduate
with high honors as well.
And oh yes, he won the 1996 Heisman trophy, marking him as the best college
athlete of the year.
Then, Wuerffel was drafted by the New Orleans Saints.
A story from his first game there is a perfect illustration. Wuerffel was hit
so hard that his helmet spun around on his head – unbeknownst to him. He
simply thought he had been hit so hard that he had gone blind.
It did not get any better.
In three years with the Saints, the team won a total of 15 games – and
lost 33. Meanwhile, as Wuerffel puts it, he went from second string to first
string to second string to third string to nothing in his final year with the
team.
After leaving the Saints, Wuerffel played for the NFL European League and led
his team to the World Bowl championship, gaining player of the year honors as
well.
Then, it was back to the NFL for stints with the Green Bay Packers, Chicago
Bears and Washington Redskins, where he was reunited for awhile with his old
college coach.
At Washington, in his first start, he tore a shoulder muscle and was out for
eight weeks. When he came back, the team was just getting started on a good
run when he hurt the shoulder again. He was cut the next year.
Not long after, the team invited him back.
This time, Wuerffel declined.
He was focused on something more than football – helping those in need
and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“What is seen is temporary,” Wuerffel reminded persons during the
recent “Whatever It Takes” church growth conference at First Baptist
Church of West Monroe.
“What is unseen is eternal.”
Like Wuerffels football career, life also is up and down, he noted. “But
while the circumstances of your life always go up and down, theyre also
moving along in a direction, …” he emphasized. “The question is
– are they moving towards the cross (of Christ) or away from the cross?”
While everything was going well in college, Wuerffel said something was happening
in his heart.
He had grown up in a Christian home, never questioning God, equating being
a good kid with being a good Christian.
Then, in college, he met someone who led him into serious Bible study. “That
was when the Lord broke into my life,” Wuerffel related.
As father of a young son, Wuerffel understandably turns to animated films for
an illustration.
He tells of a scene from “Lion King,” when youngster Simba wanders
into the elephant graveyard and is threatened by hyenas. The hyenas simply laugh
at Simbas efforts to be ferocious – but then the father lion arrives.
Suddenly, the hyenas know – they are not dealing with the small lion anymore,
Wuerffel noted, saying it was the same with his faith transition.
“So often, the God we believe in is someone we tailor to our own image,”
he said. “Hes so small.”
The truth is that God is the lion of Judah, Wuerffel said.
Faced with the power and might and holiness of God, Wuerffel got a true picture
of himself and moved to commit everything totally to God.
Looking back, Wuerffel acknowledged that he had an unsuccessful pro football
career from an analysts point of view. But from an eternal perspective,
things are different.
Indeed, while in New Orleans, Wuerffel came across a ministry in the Desire
Street housing project, which once had been classified as the worst place to
live in America.
Nevertheless, Mo Leverett – a white man from Georgia – moved into
the project with his wife and children, determined to minister. He lived the
life of the people – and Desire Street Ministries was born.
Wuerffel learned of the ministry while playing with the Saints. He visited
Leverett and admitted his hearts “was crushed” at the scenes he witnessed
of children in need.
He also was captivated by Leverett. “This guy was made of uncommon stock,”
Wuerffel noted. “This guy was going to do whatever it took to reach some
people for Christ.”
To this point, that has involved beginning ministry efforts related to housing,
health, education, recreation and economic development. A health clinic is open
– as well as a school for area children.
“This is the vision of Desire Street Ministries,” Wuerffel said.
“We want to transform the Desire Street area through both spiritual and
community development.”
The key to that is what Leverett demonstrates – to effect inner-city and
urban change, one has to move in, be incarnational, share the life, Wuerffel
said.
Then, one has to work to raise up indigenous leaders who will own and lead
the ministries.
All of that is working at Desire Street Ministries – and Wuerffel and
others are seeking to take the story and pattern for effectiveness to other
areas. “I could talk about this for hours,” he acknowledged. “This
is really exciting to me.”
Indeed, 200 years from now, no one may have heard of Danny Wuerffel or his
Heisman trophy and maybe even football, he noted. But maybe inner-city and urban
ministry may have been revitalized because of something Mo Leverett and others
have started, he said.
And while Wuerffel noted he had played in loud stadiums at Louisiana State
University and elsewhere, he insisted that nothing compares to the celebration
that goes on in heaven when someone embraces the gospel in their lives.
“The true joy is to see that in the midst of the temporary life of football,
… God was doing something eternal, …” Wuerffel said, returning to his
earlier theme. “I know Im right where God wants me to be – making
a difference.”