Welcome to Man Talk, a ministry sponsored by TAWCMM, talking and walking Christian men's ministry, where we're devoted to breaking down the walls of race and denomination, and to point men to their God-assigned roles.
Now here's your hosts, Will Hardy and Roy Jones Jr. Well, this is Will Hardy, one of your hosts, Roy Jones, your co-host, and we are honored to have Pat Tigg with us tonight, one of my former teammates at NC State, and a great friend of mine and Will's is part of them, involved with us on the mountaintop, been involved with us on the men's summit, he's brought some teams in here for that, and just been great, a part of his life over the last, gosh, close to 40 years, yeah it is 40 years, wow. Well you guys are old. You know, we're seasoned, we're seasoned. There you go. And marinated, you know. Luckily our bodies look like we've been around for that long, right?
Right. Except for you, you still got hair, I don't have any hair for those that can't, don't know what it looks like. Well Pat, thank you so much for joining us, as always great to see you. Pat, just to give you an opportunity to tell us about yourself, you know, where you grew up, about your family, siblings, and then we'll move into the football and some of the ministries that you're involved in. Well I mainly grew up in Raleigh, and I have three older brothers, one younger sister, and just had a wonderful childhood. My three older brothers, you know, banged around on me, and when I was little, they used to throw me around like a football, and they'd drop me at times, and I'd come to with my mom screaming over me.
That scared me to consciousness. But it was great, great experiences there, and played everything I could play at the time, you know, which was baseball, basketball, and my mom happy, her name Fitzer, very happy lady, you were happy. I always had food on the table, we had three refrigerants and freezers, always full of food, ready to eat, and so the dinner table was all the people, and laughter, and a lot of joy, and so that was a lot of fun, and you got to experience some of that. Sweet mother, family was just unbelievable.
Got a hug, you don't greet with a handshake, you got a hug. You know, so that was great growing up that way. She didn't want to tell us about soccer, she knew we'd play that too. So we were always in the neighborhood, playing something, doing something, and then of course when it gets dark, it's time to run home and eat, and so just a wonderful experience of that. Riding your bike all around, when Raleigh was a little smaller, we'd ride your bike everywhere, and that was a big deal when my brother got his license, I got his speed, and I thought I was high on the hog, because I would make my own make out of scraps and stuff, because we weren't family or anything, so he found bikes that were being thrown away.
Grab a couple of those pieces and put one together. Oh, how can I identify with that? So that was great growing up there, and went on to get a scholarship in football at NC State, and I enjoyed meeting guys like you, and enjoying Bible study. We started there, and we'd pray for our teammates, and expected them all to get saved, that next week, but over years, over time, we've seen many come to Christ, and still minister to them through those Bible studies. So we had the football reunions, and it's like you pick up that part, you can't play anymore, you can still fellowship the way we would fellowship Thursdays. And here we are on a Thursday night, aren't we?
For a year, we spent Bible study there, and it was amazing because a lot of the individuals who participated were basketball players and football players, and so they got to know a lot of the folks who were in there, and all of a sudden, I was rooming with a guy who had stiff fingers, let's say, and so I had a real that my dad had lent me. And he said, now I want this radio back. And so I had it sitting there, and then a couple days, it was gone.
And only one person who had us to the room. And so I said, have you seen the radio? Oh no, no, I hadn't seen the radio.
And then a few weeks later, I started walking with the radio. And so we were coming out of a Bible study, and so two of the linemen said, you want your back? And I told them, I said, we'll get it back if you want it back. It's like, no, no. You didn't let them go get it? I did not let them get it.
I said, if he wants that radio back, you know, then he can keep it. And so he went on, and of course, we went on, and I told the dorm folks, I said, we need another roommate, got another roommate, finished out the year. But it was amazing because the athletes seemed like they were engaging in one another. And wanting to know more about Christ. And it was so wonderful, you know, because a lot of these guys were fewer people to keep in contact with to this day. You know, they've gone all over America with jobs. One is an executive with a major banking system. You know, and so they've done things in their life, made accomplishments, but above all, they've stuck with worshiping and serving Christ Jesus in whatever capacity they were in.
It's absolutely amazing. Well, you know, that's, well, that brings up a point when I first met Pat. When I got to NC State, I was a walk-on, and then I got a scholarship after the first semester, I guess it was, on a scholarship. But in that January, I was living in regular student housing, so exposed to a lot of regular stuff. But things that I didn't necessarily need to focus on really aligned through the winter workouts with Pat, Ron Kozar, Melinda Chekke. Frank and I shared a room there in Sime Hall to get over to college that summer. And it was just amazing. The fellowship, and Pat's got stories, you know, how he's carried men through, carried me through some difficult day one day, and it just, I'm glad that God aligned me with those men, those young men at that time.
But it was a conscious decision, too, to try to get aligned properly, because I knew it wouldn't be much to get off the path, even though I saved for years. I didn't know what that fellowship was like until I got there with those guys. It's interesting you mention that. There's a lot of guys that love the Lord, serving athletically, and doing things that God's them to do, and for that, we're thankful. And Pat, you know where my heart's at, eternally thankful for your support and love during that time. In fact, by the way, I spoke to Cozy today, so I will catch up on that later.
Yeah, that's great. So Pat, let's talk a little bit about your time at NC State as a football player. Tell us what your highlights of your career were, you think, what it was like starting in your first year there, and then getting to know that you're the guy that's going to be opening up this fall.
Just tell us a little bit about how that all came about. One of the things that, football was like God's lab for me to see eternal truths come to life. I was behind two All-Americans and All-Conference linebackers, learning from the best.
Von Johnson, he was amazing, and Andy Hindle. I was learning a lot as their backup. I didn't play a lot behind them, so when it was my time and the baton was passed, there was some serious prayer time to make sure that, hey, I will represent well in this team and keep pursuing excellence. And when I look at the huddle at my teammates, there was no expectation for us to step up, and I would hold them mobile.
So when a guy would miss a tackle, I'd make sure his head's not down in the huddle. I'd say, look at me, you got another play, let's go. And that's where the play of determination in Proverbs 30, be like a mighty man who retreats for no reason, was to, hey, we've got a task in front of us, let's be lions. Let's don't be lambs, let's don't be a gutter, whatever. I know that's a new definition now, greatest of all time.
At the time, that's not, it wasn't, and so, but that was definitely stepping into that role. I knew in cry I could do it because greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. We had four, the fearsome foursome in our Bible study was a man with no excuses. It was 1 John 4 for greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world. So you plus, it's always a majority.
So whenever you're confronted with peer pressure, you're never alone. You can be, you're with them, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. You know, and that's how they could stand through the fire, how they could, you know, still worship and be thrown among the lions. And so, and then 1 John 5 for this is our victory in our faith that overcomes the world.
And what's funny is the victory that word there's in the Greek is Nike. So, and that was always a reminder that, hey, I've always got free if I keep my faith in Christ. The other is no temptation is that will overtake you. That's common demand, but he'll give you, he's faithful to give you a way out or a way through it.
And so, and then the other was Philippians 4, 13. I can, I can do all things. I lead this team. I can lead this defense. I can be a captain. I can do the tackles I need to make. I can make the play to me. So that just put me in a mindset that I can through Christ, you know, he's the factor. He's the coming factor. Amen.
You know, Will, there's a movie. You remember the movie white can't jump? Oh yeah.
Well, Pat Teague put that to shame. What was your circle jump? 39? It was 40. Yeah.
40 inches. I mean, see Pat jump. It was like, is he ever going to come down?
See me? Did he ever get up? The down low boys kept wanting me to keep jumping. They had this thing where you jump on a pad, you know, and jump up in the air and then it would calculate.
So they didn't have the step to do that. So they kept getting me, you know, 41, 42. And he's like, do that again.
He just kept me jumping. Finally said, Hey, I guess it's accurate. Well, Pat, one of the cool things that always comes to me when I think about sports camaraderie that's built and especially as brothers in Christ, you know, you're, you're basically warriors on the field and you're warriors in, in life, right? Together. How important through your life has team sports been? And what, what's your, what's your take on that for people in general, whether they're whatever, whether it's football or any other thing, how important are team sports? Being on a team is so important to be, get your eyes off yourself and your eyes on the vision for the team.
And you hear many times from coaches, there's no I in the word team. Right. And so that's so good. It's a, I think it's the greatest lesson of learning to set aside your own personal desires for what's best for the mission for a team.
And of course that's a great carryover. Again, it's a lab work of seeing to be, you know, faith centered and God centered. Then you're going to be others minded. And Philippians two says that so well that if there's going to be encouragement, any love, any consoling, any effects, passion, let my joy complete by being of the same mind.
The only way you can be of the same mind is to walk in unselfishness and thinking others goods, other people needs and purpose. It's just as important as yours. And so when you see that you see everybody on the team role is your role. And so when you begin to see that and not without how many, how much, you know, many reps that you get, how much game time needs you to play all those things. That's a, that's a me centered deal. And you can see that it's like cancer because it's a cell doctor.
But what I understand about cancer is when a cell in your body decides not to work with the other cells and when that happens, it begins to die and it begins to create other issues with cells around it. That's what happens when I assume self great example of what happened with Terrell Owens, who when he began to be all about himself, he was not Antonio Brown. He's another guy that was really a great prolific wide receiver. But then when it became him and about how many catches and all that, he goes takes his pads off and walk the field when he was with the Patriots.
And let me throw in Ocho Cinco. That's right. He's another one. Yeah, they got too big for themselves. And so their talent took them so long that their character could not sustain. Amen. That's a good Ed Cole quote.
Ed Cole was one of my favorite, the father of men's ministry. One of the greatest just great book. Cut my thought.
And it was. But that part about team that carries over to when you be husband, you know, you have a father. You can't think about what I want. I feel I think you've got to lay those aside of what's best for what we think, what we need to do.
And so that's the I think the team being on a team, any kind of team. And then as well, like a musician in a band, you can't play your own tune and you can't tune yourself in tune or whatever they call the tuning for. You've got to tune it.
I mean, you've got to tune by the tuning for it, not by you think is the right sound because it'll be flat, flat or sharp. And you will stand out like a sore thumb, you know, or singing you sing your own, you know, on your own key. Yeah, you'll be not singing with everybody else.
You'll be shower by yourself. So I think team is just a wonderful example. Yeah. And here's a great Jesus. You know, he's in that vicinity and he goes, not my will, but God, your will be done. Because he and the Holy Spirit and the Father, is there another way to do this sacrificial lamb thing for to take the sins of the world? And of course, they've been searching all that time, which it even makes more important to see how he was so committed to the team, to the oneness of the team.
He said, it's not my will. I think it's essential for kids growing up and for adults to be in a team role situation to see how that all works. So Pat, one thing I would like to ask you, have you seen a reduction in team participation amongst teenagers and young people? I know you do a lot of ministry work with which we'll talk about on the next show, but have you seen a reduction in the activity levels of young people as a result of the electronic age? Yeah, there's some decline, but I haven't seen a huge decline because I think as the population goes, you still have a similar percentage of people, just like some people say, hey, I seem like there's a lot more bigger people now. Well, there's just a lot more in general. It's just a similar percentage. I think it's the way approached as men is not as a challenge. So without the challenge, the reward is minimal.
So it's kind of that thing I think has been probably the most impactful. And you have some, I don't know, there's not a vision, a vision of, you know, that I want to be a hero. I want to step up and be there for my team. There's just not enough of that. Sometimes the parents are sometimes just hovering over so much that the kids aren't able to just go out.
I'll tell you where I see the most, less participation has been in pickup basketball, pickup football. You just don't get on the, like we used to get on and call and say, hey, you call Jim. I'm going to call Jim and Larry and we're going to have a meeting over here at Jimmy's house. So call guys, call some more guys, and then everybody's there. I don't see that anymore, which is so sad.
You've got to arrange it. Everybody's got to do it for them, you know, instead of them, hey, I want to go play. We used to go out in the streets on the concrete streets and play. We called it touch football, but we were knocking the mess out of each other across into the yards. You know, you wouldn't hit them on the asphalt, but they'd be coming across and you hit them and just knock them into the grass.
I mean, we would play till dark and now you don't see any children outside. That's the part I'm not seeing. And you know, Roy, when we're talking about teams, it just reminded them again, you know, A&M. And they brought the word team and of course an acronym for the football team and they brought it into the ministry. T was for tactics, being tactical, understanding where you are in relation to those things that you might be up against. And then E was enthusiasm. You know, whatever it is that you're doing, you have to enjoy doing it, but you do it with such vigor, you know, that you're inspiring the people around you. A was agility. It's amazing how I remember.
Not for me, Will, it's amazing. But agility. And of course, being agile, you guys know that. You have to be agile in football. And you have to do that in ministry, too. You have to be able to circumvent certain obstacles that you're partnering with and to deal with that with the love of God.
And to be able to bring about change within the environment in which you are. And of course, M was maturity. You just can't be a child, you know, when you're out there on the field. And you know, there's some guys who act that way and we mentioned a few. Oh, yeah. When it's all about me. Exactly. So you, but of course, all that was in that team effort and bringing about the maturity that some people will see in you.
And then they want to adopt that same attitude, you know, either on the field, off the field, in the boardroom, you know, at your luxury store. That's really good. So, yeah.
The past book you were talking about, Edwin Cole, we did a series, Will, last year and I ran through on Friday morning, Maximize Manhood. Yes, my favorite. Unbelievable. Christlikeness.
Yes. It's so relative even today and relevant. So if you haven't read the book, it's a great opportunity to get a hold of it.
It'll certainly sharpen your skills as a man of Christ and as a father and husband. It's got to be in your man library. It does. It really does. You don't have one of Ed Cole's books you are lacking in. Yeah.
You're missing that icing on the cake, you know, for all intents and purposes. Pat, tell me about, let's talk a little bit back to the sport. What was the scariest moment you had? Scariest moment? Potential injury that you might have had or just something? Yeah, I had a very strange injury. We had the team doctor giving us some quinine sulfate to handle cramps and they weren't four athletes.
They were four, you know, geriatrics for at night. And you don't ever take it on an empty stomach. And I took it on an empty stomach and we were getting ready to play Clemson in Death Valley. And during that game my blood platelets dropped from the normal 400,000 down to 10,000.
Oh my goodness. And one moment especially was one of our assignments is the linebackers always guard the tight end coming down the seam or don't let him cross your face, that kind of thing. So there was a particular play where the tight end caught the ball before he was coming in my space and I had a really good shot at him. And so I laid the wood to him and when I did I felt like it just hurt all over. And it felt very weird. So after the game my brother noticed I came locker room, I was pale, I was white. But I had these blue dots all over me, like where my chin strap was, where my helmet was, just different bruises, like a big dark bruise on my leg. And so the team, he said, man, you need to see some people. And I did a TV interview looking like that. I'm sure people thought, man, that guy looks like Death Warmed Over, which I mean, they said I could have died on the field because of internal bleeding, any severe blood or anything.
Of course the whole game is, you know, you're hit in loads of ways. And then the doctor, when they saw me the next day after we got home, and the doctor was extremely angry at the trainer, said, why didn't you bring him last night? He could have died in his sleep because of internal bleeding. I had these little blood pockets in my mouth and, what is that? And I realized when I brushed my teeth it was from hitting the side of my mouth with the toothbrush. Oh, really?
Yeah. That minor of a touch was creating blood blisters? And then God raised me up and healed me from all of that and I had my best year ever the next year. So it was definitely a resurrection experience of how God's grace and power and mercy and what he did through that whole experience was amazing. But that was a scary moment.
Praise God that you were following him through that journey. Tell me about the most exciting moment in your football career. One of my favorite moments was beating Carolina. I had the best game I had as a linebacker.
I had 29 tackles and some pass breakups. And I'm walking down Franklin Street with my NC State stuff with my family. I'm walking down and just going, man. We just beat them there and nobody could help them win. Sometimes it seemed like the referee's always trying to help. No offense to the Carolina fans, but it seemed that way. That's okay to be offensive.
We were always offensive to Carolina. So to walk down Franklin Street and just going, God, thank you. And this was after the year of that terrible, scary thing. So it was a moment of joy, a moment of looking back of where he'd taken me from just possibly never playing football again to having the best game of my career. And I felt like maybe the best day of any line by the nation that day.
29 tackles. So I just felt like he did it. I didn't. I just had to walk it out and with his grace and he gets you. That's what grace does. He gets you where you got to be to be there. And when you're striving, trying to be there and with strength, you don't get there.
But it's God's grace, his power, his strength. And that was a moment of rejoicing that he got me there. So that was the moment. Will, do you have any questions before we close up for this session? Pat, with your permission, hopefully you'll come back and join us next week for part two with Pat Teague. I would love him back. If you're willing to have me back.
We will have you back. Absolutely, absolutely. More than week two, I think. Maybe three and four. Well, you know, Roy, we've been talking about miracles.
And that was definitely an example of that. So I think when, and you know I'm going to have to get a little bit of miracles in here. Of course. But I thank God because when we learn things that we can't obtain from the natural, and we know that we have been changed by the natural.
That's cool. Very much. Now, the division, I think, comes in when we talk about, when you hear folks say, well, miracles are not for the day or yes, they are for the day.
And that's a long discussion. That's something we're going to have to pick back up, Roy. We know Jesus saying yesterday, today, and forever. We're going to have to pick back up. But it's been a pleasure hearing how God brought you, where he brought you from, what you're doing in the ministry, how you're being effective with the work of the ministry, and young people and teenagers and young adults. So keep on keeping on. Amen. In the name of Jesus. And we'll see you next week. Amen. Thank you so much for joining us. Pat, would you like to close us in prayer? And we'll see you back on the next show.
Absolutely. Heavenly Father, I thank you for this time with my brothers. And I thank you for all the listeners. And I pray, God, I feel that they're in that place where they're broken, and that their blood platelets are at all time low and need resurrection. Yes, Lord. Lord, I pray that your resurrection power, which you did on the cross, will resurrect them now.
Yes. And I believe right now that you are experiencing God's presence, that all things are possible to him who believes that he is the resurrection in life, and that he'll raise you up, and that you can look back a year from now and say, Man, you've taken where I've come from, because he comes and he likes to steal, kill, and destroy. And, Lord, you have come to give us life even abundantly. So I pray today that those that are listening, they would experience your life, your truth.
Lord, your way. Jesus, we thank you that you showed us the way, the truth, the life. And I pray that we experience that every day. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.
Amen. Folks, we'll see you back next week. Thank you so much for joining us. As we conclude today's show, TAWCMM, Talking and Walking Christian Men's Ministry, are building a community of men to be servant leaders in their home, communities, churches, and work environment. Check us out at our website for upcoming events and regular scheduled meetings. Don't forget to send us an email for topics that you would like us to visit in the future. Thank you for joining us today on Man Talk. Visit us at tawcmm.com.
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