His relationship with the Lord gives him purpose and value.
By Faith on the Field Staff, September 28, 2023
Jeff Hostetler is a former NFL quarterback and a devout Christian. Throughout his NFL career, he exemplified dedication, perseverance, and a strong sense of faith both on and off the field. Known for his unwavering commitment to his beliefs, Jeff leaned on his Christian faith to guide him through the highs and lows of his athletic journey. He viewed his athletic talents as a gift from God and strived to use them in a manner that reflected his faith and values, ultimately leaving a lasting legacy of integrity and sportsmanship within the Christian community.
Jeff spoke this week with Rob Maaddi about an assortment of issues, but one item of discussion was the importance of being upfront about the reality of mental health issues, especially with men. Hostetler said that the easy road is to just keep things in.
Listen to the episode here:
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"You know when people talk about courage and strength and bravery, it's those that are going through struggles; the courage there is going out and talking about it to someone to seek help. I mean, that's courageous, that's bravery. And what we've got to make sure that we do is we relay that message that's not being weak, that's not failing.”
Jeff went on to talk about the courage associated with knowing you’re struggling, and being willing to let your guard down and be vulnerable, telling someone you need help.
“Reaching out is, is a courageous thing to do because you're being vulnerable. You're asking for help and lots of times we have real difficulties in asking for help. And so, you know, our goal there is let's eliminate that stuff.”
Jeff grew up in a strong Christian family and his mother used to remind him when he left the house to remember “who you are and whose you are”. “Who you are”, according to Hostetler, is the stuff you’re made of including your family and friends. But “whose you are” was another level.
“But it’s the ‘whose you are’ that was the impact. For me that was in my lowest of times that I always knew that God had me. He has a plan for me. He made me with all my flaws with all my imperfections with all my weaknesses. I'm perfect. That for me has been the strength to get me through some of my most difficult times.”
