This week’s Faith, Family, & Football feature is: Jeremy Kelley, Current Indianapolis Colt.
PE: Why is faith important to you?
Kelley: My faith is the smile on my face every day! It's the catalyst for my optimistic outlook on life. It allows me to live with expectation of favor and an abundant life. The importance of this is second to none and I couldn't imagine living a life any other way. You receive what you believe.
PE: Tell us about your family and the impact they’ve had on your life?
Kelley: Growing up as a child my Grandmother always brought me to church for Sunday School, up until my early adolescent years. So I guess you could say I came up in the church. I believed in God, but I didn't really know the Father until I was brought to salvation my junior year in high school. However, I believe that exposure early on kept me on the right road many times when I could have gone left.
Growing up, my immediate family consisted of my mother and older brother. Mom worked two jobs most times and sometimes three just to make sure we had enough. Even when we didn't, she would find a way to make it work and if for some reason she couldn't, Grandma stepped in to take care of us. That love and work ethic has molded me into who I am today. It is the reason why I work so hard to excel at what I do in life. So I can give back, see her rest and give her the things she needs.
PE: What does being a father mean to you?
Kelley: Growing up not having a father around didn't bother me much because I never knew what it was like to have him there. Luckily, there was a man that came into my life and filled that void and showed me what a father was. His name is Demeris Johnson and he was my best friend’s father.
Demeris is my Pastor, trainer, and pretty much my everything. He showed me that a father is someone who uses their authority and position as a parent to guide, love and teach their child what love is under all circumstances. He saw me, a young boy, with no guidance from a man and did exactly what any man or decent father would do. He took me under his wing and showed me how.
In the recent years, I have also reconnected with my biological father. We have a great relationship and I'm very thankful for that.
PE: How has your faith and family helped you develop off the field?
Kelley: At some point this game will leave you behind and continue on. Therefore, it is imperative to be prepared for life after the game. My family and my faith have created a foundation of morals and standards that bred my character making me who I am today. Certainly not perfect, but I'm fortified enough with quality characteristics to at least give myself a chance of success in whatever it is I choose to embark on.
PE: How do you balance faith, family, and football?
Kelley: My faith, allows me to manage and balance my relationship with family and with football. Football is not who I am, it is a game that I play in hopes to better my family and myself. It's when I step out of the spirit and begin to live outside of the word that these relationships get hard to maintain and keep functioning properly.
PE: What advice would you give to student athletes and current professional athletes in regards to their faith, family, and football?
Kelley: Set your priorities and BE WHO YOU CAN AFFORD TO BE. If you do that you'll find that your relationship with Father is the most important priority you have. If you recognize and honor that, all things following will remain in good standing without effort.
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