Freeze Tag!

Nakita Kolov, the Russian nightmare.

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This is the Truth Network. Cover of Sports Illustrated. I was a younger man looking at that cover is this orange uniformed hulkular football player catches the winning catch to win the orange bowl against Nebraska. He played for Clemson. His name is Perry Tuttle. All ACC, all American, huge national champion catch. Went on to play in the NFL and I'm sitting right next to him.

Perry, if it weren't for Nakita Kolov, the Russian nightmare pro wrestler, I don't know if he would have ever met, brother. What an introduction. Thank you for that kind of introduction. Of course, my, you know, I have to say that my best stuff is on video. So thank you for reminding even myself of some of the things that have happened. So thank you for letting me be on your show. Amen.

He was a Google highlight before there was Google and before there were smartphones. He was making smart plays on the gridiron and he and I are together at this cool conference with some other men of God and we're encouraging men to be the men God's called them to be, be men on fire for God and spreading the glory of God. And you talk about writing letters to your children. You read a letter. There were tears in eyes as you read that letter. Let me back up. And you're so well known for being that famous Clemson football player, NFL football player drafted in the first round of the NFL draft back, I think in 1982, somewhere back in there and a good storied NFL career.

Then you went on to speak and do a lot of things. But if I back up and ask this question, what would be the answer to the question? Who is Perry Tuttle? Wow.

That's a great question. You know, I found myself when on my first date with, with my wife, I was playing for Atlanta Falcons. Our first date, she says, Perry, what books do you read? And I said, I don't read books.

I play in the NFL. So why should I read books? And she made a statement that changed my life. And that statement was this. The person who doesn't read books is no better than the person who can't. And I immediately thought about my brother who is Down syndrome. And Eddie couldn't read, Eddie could barely talk.

He was awkward. And because Eddie couldn't read, I've chosen not to read. And that was the night where even on my first date night, I became a lifelong reader. And I was because she has her master's in journalism, and her undergrad in speech pathology. For the first three months, I had to stand up from Vermeer every single day, and take a book and, and read aloud and she would, my wife would tell me that my wife would tell me to take, take my tongue and put it at the top of my mouth and behind my teeth and say that, don't say that, say that. And so day after day, that's what I did.

So I had to learn phonics at 26 and 27 years old. But while I was playing for the Falcons, there was a bookstore in downtown Atlanta called Books a Million. And that bookstore closed at midnight, every single night. So after practice with Atlanta Falcons, I would drive down to Books a Million downtown Atlanta. And I would read books, I read over 100 books in one year, sitting in the same place.

I traveled around the world, sitting in the same spot. So when you ask the question, who am I? You know, I am a lifelong learner. I am not just a follower of Christ.

I have, there's a craving inside of me, that I may not only see him for who he is, but I may exercise the gift, the fan, the flames in which God has gifted me, not just in sports, and not just in speaking, but to be a good friend, to be a great teammate, to be a good neighbor. So that's how I would answer that. Well, great, great answer. I love that. So encouraging. Perry Tuttle, you were just in front of a group full of men, and they were hanging on every word as you were getting real, like you were getting real about life, about our wounds, about the bleeding that we bleed on the inside, and the way that we tend to lie as men. When someone says, How you doing?

We say good. And you say, Hey, you just lied. Will you talk about the moment in your life where you asked that question at the height of like, all kinds of young people just think that this is going to be a good time for you to be a good friend?

They need to be where you were when you asked that question. Is this it? Will you talk about what was going on in your life and what happened when you found Christ? Yeah, I think ever since I started playing football in the fourth grade, I've always thought that I would be the kind of football player. You know, like, there's a receiver by the name of Bob Hayes, back in the day that played with the Dallas Cowboys. It seemed like they were always on TV every Sunday, the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. And as soon as the game was over, they were always on TV every Sunday, the Washington Redskins and the Dallas Cowboys. And as soon as the game was over, I would, we would walk out of the house, go in the backyard, and all of a sudden I became Bob Hayes. I didn't. I didn't train to be Bob Hayes.

I was Bob Hayes. And, and so when, when the time came that I was a professional athlete, playing with the Buffalo Bills playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and playing for the Atlanta Falcons. Again, everything that TV said they would make me happy, I bought. And when I found out that those things were not going to make me happy and never, they were never meant to fulfill me.

It's nice to have them. I got that on my knees. And it was a simple prayer.

God, would you help me? And on a Wednesday night, I believe that God came into my life, gave me the hope that I've always hoped for. It's the same. It's the same guy that my mom talked about when I was growing up. And, and so it is. It is the question in which I think we all should ask is not only who you are, who are you?

But who am I? With you? And until God has answered those questions for me, I try not to live off of emotions or feelings. I try to read God's Word.

And His truth has, has, has made his way in my life in such a way that I try to walk upright and, and with clarity. So anyway, so encouraging to see how guys use you to minister to the Hornets, the Charlotte, you know, the Charlotte Hornets, you know, here in Charlotte, wonderful feel here. 105.7 would you listen to I was so encouraged you start rounding off names of programs like I didn't realize all you know, you listen to it so cool.

Yeah. You know, here in Charlotte, 105.7 has really been a blessing to me. Truth Network and, you know, from, from Greg Lori, to Andy Stanley, who's just passed away, not to long ago, who was one of my favorites to a pastor named Alan Wright, who's has been a blessing for the last year or two. And so I love the Truth Network. It really has become a Bible study for me. So cool. Well, you always encourage me when you share that because so many folks around Charlotte known as the Queen City, they get to hear the king's message on that station and am 961 to 5.7 or new 98.5 at the in the lake area. And then of course, we have hundreds of affiliates that are brave enough to carry this program. Perry Tuttle, what would you say the message? You want to leave the next generation, you know, three sons, three daughters, awesome wife, and two grandkids. And you are on the phone with pro athletes, you're on the phone, you're in the locker room with the Panthers or the Hornets.

So you know, these big NFL teams and college teams, and you had your grandkids at the Clemson football camp last week. So many people listening, they may think, well, those guys need a little different Lord than I need. But when you talk to just kind of everyone, what is the legacy, the message of Christ and what he's the imprint he's left on your life that you want to leave the next generation, whether it's a, you know, multi digit moneymaker in the NFL, or just someone listening that is thinking, Am I ever going to be anything for God? What would you say to everyone in terms of legacy? Yeah, I think the legacy in which I what I hope is, I'm not real sure that I think about my own legacy other than the legacy of Jesus.

I don't know if I don't know if Jesus has a will for my life other than to glorify him. But there's 20 million black boys in the United States. In which I'm decided that I'm going to go after. When I was a kid, we played this game called freeze tag.

You get about two teams, you get about five or six guys on two teams. And if you get tagged at a standstill until someone come and untag you. That's the game freeze tag. I started a 501 c three called freeze tag. And the most frozen population in our society today are black boys.

They're the most frozen. And if we don't capture them with the love of Jesus, if we don't introduce truth in such a way with compassion, I'm not real sure that our society is going to be the kind of society that we hope for. And so if there is a legacy in which has my name attached to it, it would be that, that they would know Christ in such a way that it changes not only our neighborhoods, but it changes our families. And it changes the legacy of black fatherhood that they may know Christ. Amen.

Perry total. Thanks for your ministry. Thanks for your heart. Thanks for sharing all this with us. Thanks for after all these successful achievements. Thanks for not going in a cave and hiding it to yourself but shining your light for Christ and to the next generation and this freeze tag. What an encouraging, encouraging mission, website, folks want to find out more, maybe hear you speak. I know they're going to be looking up your highlights because I remember those highlights in real time.

Unbelievable stuff from Perry total. Just an outstanding wide receiver football player gifted athlete, follower of Jesus, but what's the best way like website for freeze tag or for just your ministry? How can people find out more about you? Yeah, I don't have, you know, I just have a phone number and but the best way to get in touch with me is through you.

Okay, you heard it right there, folks. And my cell number is no just kidding, but reach out to us at Truth Network, and we'll get you in touch with him Nikita Koloff, man up ministries. You've been a regular guest there and a great part of this man up conference we're at with all these good speakers and you and I got to leave this interview to go down and be on a panel with that guy right there to answer some tough questions and to encourage some guys. So God bless you, man. And keep keep keep sharing the good news of Christ and thanks for encouraging us to bless us today. Thank you. This is the Truth Network.