It’s Not Just About Football, Clemson

Jan 15, 2019 | 0 comments

Full Show Description

COACH DABO SWINNEY – Clemson University, SC coach glorifies Jesus upon winning national title against Alabama.

William Christopher “Dabo” Swinney is an American college football coach. He is the head football coach at Clemson University in South Carolina. Swinney took over as head coach for the Clemson Tigers midway through the 2008 season, following the resignation of Tommy Bowden.

My dad played football at Clemson in 1935. He passed away in 2010 at 93 years.

Coach Swinney’s story is one of a redeemed life and family. Swinney became a Christian in high school. He was won to Christ through Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Dabo Swinney was a walk-on at Alabama University. He was good enough to try out, but didn’t get a scholarship. He made the team. By his junior year he was awarded a scholarship and was on the team that won a championship. His family was broken. Swinney took care of his mother, who was a God-fearing woman. He had an apartment on campus, and he took his mother in while he finished college.

Coach Swinney was offered a coaching position at Alabama University after he graduated. He dropped out of coaching for a while, but went into another career for a while. Later on, Swinney went on staff as an assistant coach at Clemson University in South Carolina. He became like a father figure to the players at Clemson. Swinney became an interim head coach at Clemson when the head coach resigned in the middle of the season. He was successful for the rest of that year and was hired as the permanent head coach the next season.

Coach Dabo Swinney is just a humble, joyful, down-to-earth kind of guy. It is no wonder talented guys want to play for him. He testified in such a joyful way as not to be resented by non-Christian and secular people who were watching. No matter who you were, you could not help but to smile and enter into his joy and happiness, too.

It was a great moment and witness for the Lord, seeing God bless this humble coach, and put him into a position where his team would take the championship. Dabo Swinney has become a father to his players, though he did not have a good male role model in his own family. Swinney loved his dad, and continued to reach out to him. His dad became a Christian later on, and was restored in relationship with his family.

What a story for America at this time. Older and godly Christian men can mentor fatherless young boys and help them develop into Christian manhood.

Swinney is an amazing witness for Lord all over USA, maybe in world too. “God gives grace to the humble, but He resists the proud.” (James 4:6) He recognized, in some ways, that he shouldn’t really be where he was. He gives all the glory to God. We should never take for granted, the blessings God bestows on us.

When Swinney won a large sum of money for coaching the championship team, he split his gift with his assistant coaches. The other coaches do not want to leave the team, even when approached with job offers from other teams. They love working for Swinney, and don’t want to leave. In our work place, we should be creating a happy, working environment with our fellow employees or staffers.

Clemson’s star quarterback, Trevor Lawrence, is also a Christian. He is on video talking about how football doesn’t define him but his identity is found in Christ…very well said for a 19 year old kid. He is the best quarterback in American college football. He has been a star, even as a freshman in college.

Luke 10:17+ tells of how the 70 had gone out in Jesus’ name to proclaim truth, do miracles and cast out demons. Jesus told them not to rejoice in the success they had, but to rejoice that their names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. No matter the circumstances, we are to rejoice in Christ, not in our own talents or gifts. It is Christ in us, the hope of glory, that is the most important in all.

1 Corinthians 10:31 – Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. We do this so others may be saved. Make yourself attractive in Christ, to make others want to be like that. It’s Jesus, who we are pointing people to. People are watching us, if we are Christians, to see what makes us tick. Why are we doing what we do? We want to live the kind of life that is a testimony to God’s grace and mercy.

Christianity is being thrown to the curb and trampled underfoot, today, because we won’t stand up and show backbone. We are supposed to be the light of the world. We need to be salty and full of light. We need to be full of good works, as a good testimony to Christ and His kingdom. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.”

MAIN LESSONS TO BUILD A CHRISTIAN FAMILY CULTURE, CHURCH CULTURE, BUSINESS AND SCHOOL CULTURE

1. Be a good steward of your moment in history, your gifts and talents, so that you can be a good testimony for Christ.

2. Lesson to create such a Christian culture, wherever you are, that it will be a bright light and salt in culture (Matthew 5:13-16)

3. Demonstrate God’s ways in your life and family (Ephesians 6:4)

“Sustained obedience in same direction produces results in kingdom of God.” Coach Dabo Swinney is such an example. You need a dream and plan; working at it year after year, then you will see results.