Experiencing Revival

Dan Orlovsky was a young quarterback playing for the Detroit Lions in 2006 when he met two other quarterbacks, John Kitna and Josh McCown.

Both of those men wound up having a profound impact on Dan's life. This is family life today. Our hosts are Dave and Ann Wilson.

I'm Bob Lapineau. You can find us online at familylifetoday.com. It's not often that a pro football locker room becomes holy ground, but that happened with the Detroit Lions back in 2006. We'll hear that story today. Stay with us. And welcome to family life today. Thanks for joining us. We weren't sure if this was going to happen, but it looks like, yes, it looks like there's going to be football. And my husband is happy. Life is good. You spent a lot of weeks leading up to this wondering, am I going to be able to survive the fall or not? I don't think I'm alone, Bob.

I think there are millions with me that were hoping. And many wives are depressed about this. I want to ask about this because, I mean, for a lot of people, they'll look at football and go, why are people so obsessed with football? Football's a dangerous sport. There's all kinds of issues related to football.

You've seen it as both a ministry opportunity. You've seen it as God's used football in your own life to help you develop into the man he's made you to be. Yeah, I actually think there's a misconception even at our church about me and football. They think, you know, I did a ministry in the NFL as a chaplain for 33 seasons because I love football.

And it isn't. I mean, I do love the game. I think it's a great game. I played it. It develops character.

Our sons played. It was beautiful to watch character be developed through hardship in football. But the only reason we did a ministry in football was the platform. It's crazy to think that these guys and their wives have influence because of their job. They're heroes in our culture today. It's sort of ridiculous, you know. They play football, and yet people want to know, what's your perspective on this and that?

All I know is that's the world we live in, and so why not use that platform to promote and extend the gospel? So that was our motivation. I wanted to win a Super Bowl. We never did.

33, we only won one playoff game, but that was never my hope. My hope was that these men and their wives and their kids would come to Christ, and then they would see, wow, God has given me a voice. People listen to what I say. I'm going to extend the gospel. And we saw that happen in a beautiful way. Well, we're going to bring our listeners into the locker room today because back more than a decade ago, you as the Detroit Lions chaplain, there was a season that was really a remarkable season. And it wasn't just me, Bob.

We call it the Year of Jubilee. It was football life. I mean, I just want to say Ann's ministry was as important as mine with those wives.

It really was. There were people in the locker room coming to faith, and we had a chance recently to connect with three teammates from back in that season. And some of these will be names that our football fan listeners will know. John Kitna, who was a quarterback for the Lions. Josh McCown, who's been in the league for... Forever.

Decades. Dan Orlovsky, who is now an ESPN analyst and was in the league for years. All three of these guys were a part of the locker room in 2006, 2007, and God did something amazing. And so we connected with them on a Zoom call recently and just said, let's revisit that season and hear about God's work in the midst of what was going on with the Detroit Lions that year. So let's listen to that conversation. Pretty amazing how God brought the three of you together in Detroit.

I'll start with John. As you signed, it was one of the first time... It was the only time in 33 years as the chaplain of the team that we were asked by the general manager and the head coach to be a part of a lunch when John, you and Jenny were coming in to be recruited, basically, to come to Detroit. How did we end up at that lunch and what happened?

Well, I think for us, you know, I've been our second time going through the free agency thing. And so when we were coming up to Detroit, we asked them, you know, if there was a chaplain program, who it was, would we be able to meet them when we were there? So then that was the lunch time. That's how that happened.

And obviously they made sure your wife came with because that was like the sealer to the deal right there for my wife and for us. John, let me ask you, why was meeting the chaplain of the team such a priority for you coming into Detroit? We never viewed ourselves as like NFL players. We just felt like we were Christians on mission and God was using the NFL to move us. And so there's a lot of programs and things and people that are out there that are maybe not necessarily trying to help, you know, the ministry of Christ in NFL locker rooms. And so if there was a chaplain program, we want to know about it and, you know, what it was about and kind of the fruit of the ministry that had been there before we got there.

And so it was, you know, outside of, you know, obviously your offense coordinator and all that stuff, what kind of offense you're going to run. But it was it was important for us because we just always have felt like we were on mission for the Lord in our in our career. Where did that mission mindset come for you?

Yeah, I mean, it happened, you know, started happening when I got saved. And the guy who discipled me first, Eric Bowles, who, you know, was just teaching me this straight Bible. But then when I got to Seattle and my first five years spent in Seattle with Carl Payne, who's the chaplain there and just his teaching on apologetics and why why it's important to be able to defend our faith and and to be able to give people answers for for questions that are sincere. And so that's really kind of where it came from. Just understanding that our life is not our own.

And, you know, the Galatians to 20 mindset. Well, I remember, John, first of all, when Dave came home and he said, hey, the Lions have asked us to have lunch with this possible quarterback and his wife coming in. I was in shock because I'm thinking, what?

Why would they care about us? And then when we sat down with you and Jenny and I happen to be sitting right beside Jenny in that lunch. Yeah, actually, nobody talked at all except you and Jenny sat over there the whole time.

I love her. Like, I hope they come because she just had this mindset of like, what would it look like to bring people to Christ, but also to grow spiritually together in Detroit? And that was really pretty new for us that someone had a mindset of like, what could this look like as a ministry together to reach people for Christ in the locker room and for the wives as well and their families? And then right after that, Josh, you you end up signing. I don't know if I got the timetable right if you were before or after, John, but you guys both came in. And Josh, you had a similar mindset in terms of I'm not just there to play football.

Yeah. I mean, I remember now I didn't get to go to lunch with you guys. They asked that I was like, the chaplains write the checks. I mean, like, why do I need to meet with him right now?

No, no, I remember, you know, locking up with Kit in the hallway there and just kind of I'll never forget that, man. And just knowing, like, from an outside perception, like, OK, like these guys are here to compete for a job. But like, it was not even it was just about, man, we're here to to work and for the team, but for the Lord. And so I think that was the biggest thing for me was just going there. And I knew John, I knew his reputation.

I had not gotten to meet him yet. And just really kind of, you know, for four years in Arizona, I had kind of understood a little bit of how to do ministry, but not like in a locker room where you're able to lock arms with a brother and be intentional about it. So that was the best part of that year for me was just that moment. You know, I felt like God knit our hearts in that moment to go be able to do that. And it was cool because there was a deep peace that surpassed anything that would transpire on the football field, but just more of what kind of what we felt like was to come. So so I always look back at that time very thankful and appreciative of that moment.

And more than anything, just just seeing God's faithfulness about when you go through decisions and how he pulls people together and connects people and for his purposes and for his glory. So that was cool. So I got there right at the same time.

And not shortly after that, that we got met then and got to work. I'll never forget that either. I remember in the hallway between the indoor and the locker room and seeing Josh.

I didn't know that Josh had been signed. And it was just immediately like I knew about his faith from Arizona and watching him. And immediately, I mean, if I remember right, you know, we just, you know, bro hugged.

But to me, immediately in my mind, I was like, oh, God's up to something here. Because to put us in the same locker room, my eyes were just wide open. Yeah.

Yeah. So there was a sense of destiny. I remember standing outside the locker room. I don't know how much, you know, I think it was much later than you guys came in the off season. So this would have been right at the beginning of training camp with you, John.

I think I'm remembering this right. It might have been Josh, but it might have been both of you. But I remember one of you putting your arms sort of around my shoulder as we looked at the locker room.

Actually, we're standing right over by the mailboxes looking at the entire locker room. And you said, tell me about our ministry here. Those were your words. And I remember looking at you like, what do you mean our ministry here? And I thought this is one of the first times I've ever had a player walk in here and realize I'm not just here to win football games, which you were. And you were committed to that. But you were like, as you said earlier, John, I'm sitting here on mission.

This is a ministry. And I remember I looked at you and say, what do you mean? You go, you know, these guys better than I do. You've been here for years.

Tell me the landscape who's open, who's not. Let's let's go because God's going to do something. And I remember just thinking, oh, my goodness, I think we're going to be on a journey this year because we have some leaders who get it. You know, you dream in ministry of people understanding temporal and eternity. You know, and winning football games obviously is temporal, even though it's important is still temporal and eternity is lives and souls. And you guys had that from day one.

And so it was like, OK, what's God going to do? And then Dan Arlosky was there. He was a rookie the year before. And now he's in his second year.

And he's going to be in that quarterback room with you guys. So, Dan, talk about your thoughts as you meet your two new quarterbacks, because, you know, they replace the guys before you. And now you've got two new guys who I don't know. What was that relationship like? I knew of both guys. I didn't know them personally, but knew of both guys.

And I had known Kit signed and I was still young. So, all right, John Kitten of the veteran comes in. Cool. Like, I'm still ascending in my own personal career. And I'm like a psycho maniacal obsessive competitor.

Right. And I would find out that everyone basically on this interview is as well. So when Kit signed, I was like, all right, cool. Like, that's the veteran guy. I'm going to learn from him.

I'm going to be the starter here at some point. And then I remember when Josh came into the building. And again, I did not know either of these guys. And I was in the indoor facility.

And you could tell who's like mature and wise and who's really immature and knuckleheaded through this story. I'm in the indoor facility in one of the back corner end zones and I'm doing the foot ladder working out and whatnot. And Josh walks in and I'm like, what's up? And I'm thinking to myself, like, why is Josh McCown here?

I'm thinking I'm the backup quarterback. And he's like, what's up, man? I'm like, what's going on?

And I'm like, kind of like in between embrace and in between, like I have no time for you right now. And we just chit chat for a little bit. Josh doesn't share with me that he's actually signed with the Lions. And so I get done with my workout, but my mind is racing and worries overcoming me. And I'm like, why is Josh McCown in our building?

And I sit down for lunch and I get word from somebody. I don't know who was I was sitting with that Josh McCown sign. And I immediately thought to myself, I hate Josh McCown. I want nothing to do with them. I'm going to crush this dude.

Like, why is he even here? And the wildest thing was like Josh treated me like a best friend the whole time. Now, we were as competitive as three human beings could be. And I think that was like the initial draw for me when it came to John and Josh was I had never been around anyone like them. Someone who could be very similar to me with their mindset, like they wanted to like crush you when you competed against them and they never held back and they pushed you to the absolute limits. But then they were like amazing human beings to you and incredible husbands and remarkable fathers and great teammates.

Like I did. I never been around someone that could want to knock you down and help you up at the same time in every aspect of your life. And I think that was like my initial draw to just sitting back and going. Something that they have is like I've never seen before. Yeah. So they come in and they're obviously followers of Christ. They've talked about that.

They're they're on mission. Dan, where were you in your life at that time? I grew up in a traditional church home, but I was very much so the second year NFL quarterback who thought he had it all.

And he was the man, at least externally. I was there, you know, like I was a womanizer and flaunting money, whatever money I had, totally insecure, making sure that people knew I was a quarterback in the NFL. Certainly heading down the path of becoming what I did not want to become and just kind of, you know, whatever stereotype you had in your mind when it came to a young, immature, reckless.

Adult with money. I was kind of that in my life. And, Dan, I will agree. Like you probably as you got to know them, you saw them as dads and as husbands. What stuck out to you in that realm?

That was for me. I had never experienced anything like that. I had never experienced someone who could be as driven as these guys were on the athletic field and as hard working in the football weight room and as incredible trash talkers as they were. But then like actually like kiss their wife in front of their boys, hug their wife. And when I say boys like their teammates, their buddies, not their kids, but like hug their wife, speak positively about their wife. You know, like talk about looking forward to going home and being home and spending time with those people. And then talk proudly about being a father and how important it was to them and that, you know, the way they allocated their effort and their energy and their time. It was like, you know, family time and family time and family time and all the positivity that came from their mouths about being a dad and a husband.

I was like, what? You guys like doing that stuff? Like you like being a dad. You love being a husband. You like giving your wife a foot rub.

You don't yell at your wife for, you know, not breathing the right way. And, you know, I had just never been around someone like that. And so that's why I was just like, I didn't know that guys were supposed to enjoy being married and supposed to actually love being around their wife and their children. And it's all these guys talked about, like it was all they talked about. And then their actions followed it. And I would say, like, you know, like what Kit said, as far as like when he and I met in the hall and that feeling that we got, it was the exact opposite when I met Dan. So that's when I knew God was up to something because I was like, there's something deeply disturbed in my spirit for this guy. And he was all those things that he said. But no, you could just tell, like it was, I'm with Kit, like we were in a place where there was fertile soil, man. It was going to be, you know, something cool was going to happen.

Yeah. And so, you know, we're sitting here talking about it, you know, decades ago, sort of a revival started to take place in that locker room, including we'll hear Dan's story. But from John and Josh, what do you remember? What what started to happen?

Why did it happen? What do you when you think back? And I know you've been on other teams and you played many and God's working in all kinds of different places.

But in that one year, there's something pretty special to happen. What do you remember? Well, I think first of all was just, you know, getting to meet you and having the Bible study right away in the off season. I believe it was on Thursdays when you would come down and we'd meet right after lunch in the off season and doing the Bible study. And and then just, you know, asking guys to go. And obviously Dan's in the quarterback room.

So we're going to definitely ask him. And I think what Dan was saying is, OK, is this how you last in the league this long? So it's like, do I do?

OK, I'll go and do this, you know, because this might prolong my career more than anything. But and I think, you know, and Josh and I, we weren't necessarily having conversations like, OK, hey, man, you got those five. You got it was just like, let's just be us and the talking trash. And, you know, you show up at Lifetime Fitness and Josh is dunking on people and you come back in the locker room and you're playing spades and you're playing dominoes.

But you're doing it without cussing and you're doing it without having to go outside of the word of God to compete. And I think and that was from the guys in the locker room, some of the stories and some of the testimonies of listening to guys in the locker room. That was the thing that stood out from them was like they'd never seen that. And I remember having conversations with some guys that were believers on a team. And, you know, we're talking the same kind of thing that I was asking you, Dave, like tell me about guys in this locker room. And there was guys in the locker room. They're like, look, man, stay away from that, do that. That's like it's the closest thing to the devil as you'll ever find. And God reached those guys. It was amazing.

I guess to just put it in a capsule, like the Monday night couple studies that we had at the house and seen 40 people in one house on a Monday night. That's just not NFL. It's not how it's done. And so it wasn't really anything that was like I was doing or Josh is doing or you were doing. It was like God was like, here you go. Here's a ministry for you. And it was the body. And yeah. And I think to like in the facility, Dave, I give you a lot of credit. You created a space of a Bible study that was a conversation more than it was just a study.

And I think it was relatable. So it just was a continuance of what was happening in the locker room. To where guys were then coming in and getting some good theology and then even with an on Monday night with the couple. So so I think you guys were a huge part of I don't think one one happens without the other, because there needed to be another space to go to that God's voice was represented. And you guys did a great job of that. So I think that was critical in the Bible studies. When we would get a guy to come that he wouldn't he wouldn't get uncomfortable because of your leadership. You guys have mentioned the Bible studies, right?

So we did the Thursday afternoons and then the couples and hopefully we'll get into the couples ones. But it just made me think of the number one reason, at least outside of the work of God. Right.

But the number one reason why those became such a big deal and impactful. And I'm probably speaking for others here, but I'm taking a stab at this is at least I know for myself for sure. I had never encountered another man in my life who loved me like truly. I felt loved by like I had with Wilson and McCown and Kit that didn't. I didn't view as soft. You know, I'm saying like, first of all, I never had a man in my life that I felt loved by. But then on top of it that I didn't look at and go, yeah, he's just soft, right? I mean, I'm a competitive world, competitive athletes. So we have a little bit. That was the first time that I'd ever been like, wow, that that man literally loves me.

But he's not soft. And there was something so appealing about that to so many of us in the locker room. That's one of the reasons why those Bible studies became the draws that they did in the Monday nighters that became the whole football team, essentially. Yeah. Our Monday night couple study in the past, you know, for decades had been, you know, 10, 8, maybe 12 people.

And that thing grew to, like you said, almost 40. I remember one night sitting in the guys members in John's basement, but I remember sitting there and some wife was sitting there. I'm like, hey, you know, we don't start for like 10 minutes. She's she's like, oh, I drove, you know, we drive two cars.

I'm like, what? Well, I got to get a seat. So my husband comes later and and then I'll never forget.

This happened several times. I'd be sitting there and I'd look over and there'd be a player there. That'd be the last guy in the locker room I'd expect at Bible study. You know, and I'd be looking over like, what?

What is he doing here? And so I ask him and I don't know if you guys knew this, but I'd say to whoever I'd say, hey, dude, what are you doing here? And almost every time they point at John or Josh and just go, I'm here because of them. They were what you guys just said. They were watching your lives. And I don't think they had ever really seen what Dan just explained.

It's funny what you just said. They were watching our lives, right? Yeah. Like literally, guys would tell us that there were we were working out in the offseas doing offseas workout. And it was one of those like Jason would have the hardest workouts I've ever been through.

And like, I never felt like I couldn't do it, but there was times. And I had a guy, one of the young younger believers on the team afterwards in the locker rooms like, man, I just want to come and tell you, you know, I just really feel like I need to challenge you because I heard you cuss today. And I'm like, yeah, I don't think you heard me cuss today, man.

No, no. We were working out. We were doing that. And I heard you cuss. I just really feel like, man, you probably should talk to the guys about that. And there was another guy in the locker room that said, no, he didn't cuss because I've been waiting for two months for him to cuss. So I follow him around waiting for him to cuss.

And he ain't cussed. It's funny because you run into these guys, you run into Gerald Alexander, Ernie Sims and and Dom Yulebach and Paris Lennon. Like, God somehow has kept that happening for me. And to listen to their testimonies 10 and 12 years later and hearing what God did in that, you know, that short amount of time, it wasn't even a full year, you know, eight, nine months.

And what he did and is still doing in the lives of these these people. But they were watching. They were.

Yeah, they were. I remember one time walking into the the guy study in the locker room and Calvin Johnson came running in. And that day in practice, you guys remember it.

I wasn't there. You know, kit, you went off on somebody. The defense gets, you know, it was a goal line deal. And, you know, and we all been there, you know, where they're grabbing guys and doing stuff and you run up there and you're screaming. And Calvin comes in and his comment is, I never seen a guy get so mad and not cuss.

You never cussed one time. You honored Christ even in that moment. And he just walked out of the room. I'm like, what?

What just happened? But again, it struck him with Dan said strength. But under Christ, that's not something like that. I think we intend. OK, I got to be a certain way like that's walking with Christ. We're called to be a peculiar people like that's what should be peculiar is that we can compete like crazy, like Dan is saying. And we can be angry without sinning. And people should be looking and going, OK, what's different?

That's First Peter three fifteen. And that's what Carl Payne trained us on all those years in Seattle. Well, it's interesting, too, because behind the scenes, my wife's Bible study that I had grew that year, too. And it was pretty interesting, too, as I talked to the wives like, hey, it's exciting that you're here.

What are you doing here? And they're all like, we just want marriages like the kidneys and the McCowns. The bad thing was that everyone hated their own husbands because Jenny would be like, oh, yeah, John came and he rearranged the furniture on his day off. And then he bought me all these new clothes and all these wives are like, what are you talking about? But I think what they saw was the way a man, a Christ follower, loves his wife and makes his wife and his kids a priority. And they were blown away by it. And I think that's why all the wives wanted to come to these Bible studies.

And they're getting their husbands like, you need to be more like Josh and John. It was like the guys were feeling pressure as they watched and their wives were kind of watching as well. You know, the interesting thing is when I talk about that year, I say the locker room tilted toward the quarterback lockers. I don't know if you guys could see that I'd walk in there as like the whole locker room was where you guys were. They were drawn over there. They had Kit with his big Bible blam right there on his locker in your face.

And they had Josh as this lover and jokester. I mean, I couldn't even start a Bible study without McCown ripping my shorts, you know, just making fun of me. I couldn't even get my opening line out. He'd be like, hey, your shirt's too tight.

You know, when you try to show us your bicep, I mean, it's like, what? What just happened here? But the whole locker room was just like pulled over there. And then, you know, by the end of that season, I think we baptized 20 or 25 players, wives and kids, which was a beautiful thing. Well, we've been listening to a conversation with three NFL quarterbacks, right? Dan Orlovsky, John Kitna, Josh McCown, all part of the Detroit Lions team in 2006, 2007, which I think has to stand out as maybe the highlight of your 33 years of being a chaplain for the Lions.

Oh, yeah. I wish you could hear all their wives because these guys are remarkable men and their wives are astounding women, strong, beautiful, smart, godly. And they really have had an impact not only on their husbands, but on their kids as well. And what's really cool is they still are, you know, these men understand who they are. They understand why God made them and gave them the success they've had in the NFL.

And they're using that for the gospel. But, I mean, Bob, as you say that, thinking back in that season, think about this. In Detroit, the fans in Detroit don't remember that season. We won three games.

They think it's a bad season and yet they don't know. It was a year of salvation and baptisms that legacies will forever be changed. Honey, in the Super Bowl, Heaven's Super Bowl, you won. Yeah, we won. There are victories that nobody in Detroit or around the world know about, but those are the true, lasting, real victories. I'm thinking there are listeners who know some diehard football fans who would love to hear, if they missed today's program, send the podcast, send a link to today's program to them and say, you need to listen to this.

Great story of what happened with the Detroit Lions back in 2006, 2007. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com. The link to the podcast is available there.

Of course, all of our programs are available as a podcast. You can go back through our entire archive of Family Life Today programs and find programs that address the issues you're dealing with in your own marriage and family. Again, go to FamilyLifeToday.com.

All of these programs are available for free download. You can sign up for Family Life Today as a daily podcast, have it delivered to you each day and listen on your podcast device or on this local radio station. Again, our website is FamilyLifeToday.com. Now, tomorrow we're going to hear more about the impact of the 2006-2007 season in the lives of these three men and many of their teammates. Josh McCown, John Kitna and Dan Orlovsky join us again tomorrow. Hope you can be back here as well. If you know a football fan, invite them to tune in and hear tomorrow's program as well. I want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our hosts, Dave and Ann Wilson, I'm Bob Lapine. We'll see you back next time for another edition of Family Life Today. Family Life Today is a production of Family Life of Little Rock, Arkansas, a crew ministry. Help for today, hope for tomorrow.