CBB Review – First and Goal

When it comes to the NFL these days it’s hard to see any good news past the multiple reports of players involved in domestic violence. Youth of today have quite frankly been let down by multiple players whom they should be able to look to as leaders and role models. Recently I had an opportunity to review the book First and Goal: What Football Taught Me About Never Giving Up by former NFL player Jake Byrne. I must say it was refreshing to see a sports player who most definitely can be looked to as a role model. His book is a daily devotional directed towards teens and it’s a great one.

Jake’s story is an inspiring one. He may have excelled in football to the point of being one of the few lucky ones to make it in the NFL but he didn’t have it easy. At the age of 14 Jake was feeling worn down and constantly tired which led to a fateful trip to the doctors. Jake had type 1 diabetes. From that day forward he had to become extremely disciplined in maintaining his diabetes so that he could perform effectively at the sport he loved .

Jake tells us that:“Sometimes those with type 1 diabetes especially kids go to bed while levels are still fluctuating you have to cover that gap. I make it a point to get stable an hour or so before I go to bed practice or go out with friends at night so I don’t have those lows. This discipline has worked for me. I have to keep on top of diabetes. Diet and exercise are important factors. Not checking blood sugar levels isn’t an option.”

What us even more amazing are the numbers.At one point he found that “100,000 high school seniors playing football, only 9,000 became college players and of  those, only 215 become NFL players. That’s about two-tenths of a percent. And out of the two-tenths, far as I knew, I was the only type 1 diabetic rookie going into the 2012 football draft.” Simply put playing football and keeping diabetes in check is no easy task…..as evidenced by the fact that not many people try to do it.

Jake persevered, but he did so through his deep faith and trust in God and that is what this book is really about. It’s about a young man who at the age of 14 could have thrown the towel in, taken a why me God attitude, and called it quits. Instead he chose to not allow diabetes to control him, rather he chose to not let it stop him from fulfilling his dreams. He completed high school, went on to earn a scholarship playing for the Wisconsin Badgers and played in the NFL for the New Orleans Saints, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs and San Diego Chargers.

This book is arranged as a daily devotional and centers around the topic of football…..a topic Jake is very familiar with. He takes a unique approach in presenting each days material. The day focuses on a football related topic, each arranged alphabetically. These topics include…….. Jake gives a definition of what each of these topics is than goes on to tell part of his experiences with that topic. After this brief intro, relevant scripture passages are given. Jake rounds out each entry by showing how the football topic applies to everyday and how faith impacts how that topic can be approached in a Christian manner.

I was impressed by this book. Jake Byrne has done a great thing for teens today. He has provided a daily devotional with a hook that will interest them. By using his own story he shows teens how they can ultimately overcome any struggle life hands them. He has also given teens and youth a sports player that can be looked to as an example of someone faithful to Christ. With all the negative examples garnering press coverage in sports these days, Jake Byrne is a refreshing change of pace.

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