Some of the most prestigious athletes and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gathered Saturday night for a fireside in honor of Steve Young and his accomplishments.

After the Cougar Club hosted a send-off party for Young, who will be inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, former Utah Jazz forward Thurl Bailey and former BYU soccer standout Aleisha Cramer Rose added to Young’s remarks about how living the gospel can easily correspond with lessons in athletics.

“It was amazing how these athletes were able to apply gospel principles to their extraordinary achievements,” said 23-year-old BYU student Rachel Thornley. “[The fireside] taught me how we can each accomplish, through the Lord’s help, what seemingly no one else can. Just remembering that can get you through anything.”

While not all of the night’s guests shared the BYU experience, each of them shared a common faith and spoke openly about the lessons they have learned throughout their lives and athletic careers.

Young, who has been recognized throughout the world for his athletic achievements along with his religious views, spoke on football’s connection to living a Christian life.

The former 49ers quarterback spoke on failures in life and related it to times when he threw interceptions while playing football. Rather than justifying failures, Young said he found the best thing to do was to admit to mistakes, accept accountability and strive to do better. He related this example to the repentance process.

Young also spoke on living life with faith. As the quarterback for the 49ers, Young said he often couldn’t see wide receiver Jerry Rice over the offensive line, so he would have to throw in faith that Rice would be where they had planned.

“I got so much better the more I practiced that element of faith,” he said.

Young related this to Christ and how Christ never forces anyone to find him, but by practicing faith one is able to find Him and strive to earn the highest honor of all, a place in the celestial kingdom.

“I love football, but I love the gospel much, much more,” Young said. “And there is only one Hall of Fame that I want to get into.”

Bailey spoke about his struggles and discouragements as a teenager playing basketball and being cut twice by one of his first basketball coaches. He admitted at first he did not know much about basketball, but would watch his hero “Dr. J,” NBA great Julius Erving, on the television and wanted to be like him.

“I didn’t know much about basketball,” Bailey said. “But I knew the net was 10 feet off the ground, and at 6 feet 5 inches, I was the closest guy to the net.”

Bailey developed his talents in both basketball and in singing – which he performed Saturday night – through time and practice despite critics. He said everyone possesses a talent that needs to be developed.

“I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ see potential in each one of us, not so much different from what that coach saw in me in junior high school,” Bailey said.

Rose, a four-year All-American soccer player for BYU, said her greatest life lesson she has learned is that no one is able to do it all by themselves. This was a lesson she found applicable, not only in the game of soccer, but in religious matters as well.

Being one of the youngest players on the U.S. National Soccer team at the age of 16 proved to her that her strength was not her own but God’s.

“The Lord gives us our strength and helps us find success, and we are able to be the best that we can because of the Lord and the help that he gives us,” Rose said.

Jon Schmidt, who participated in the musical portion of the fireside, justified his appearance in the night of athletes, saying he played football in high school once.

BYU student Serena Jenkins said, “I think that each one of them had a great message and that you can learn something from each through their experiences and trials if you just get the chance to listen to them on a more personal level, on a gospel level.”



Copyright Brigham Young University 1 Aug 2005