Christianity Today

Following three years of limited playing time with the New Orleans Saints and a championship season in the NFL Europe League, Danny Wuerffel is learning anew how to trust God's sovereign will after signing with the Green Bay Packers as a third-string quarterback.

The 1996 winner of college football's most prestigious award, the Heisman Trophy, Wuerffel was unsure during the 2000 season whether it would be his last. Another 10 years of pro ball is also possible, says the 26-year-old, known for his leadership skills, intelligence, and competitive spirit.

"If football, or your job, were the biggest thing in your life, the way your job goes can be catastrophic," Wuerffel says. "But ultimately if you're standing on the rock of faith in God, and if that's where you draw your significance of who you are as a person, then it doesn't seem quite as catastrophic whether things good or bad happen."

This broader spiritual perspective has helped him see God's purposes for the three years in New Orleans that fell short of his career expectations. There Wuerffel learned much from mentors; there he met and married his wife, Jessica; and there he became involved with an inner-city ministry that has become his passion.

"I really don't even see it as disappointment—I was really blessed to be in New Orleans," Wuerffel says. "Obviously we didn't do well, and I didn't play much, but there are so many other things that were so neat about New Orleans that, rather than look at parts of my career that haven't gone well, I'm just very thankful."

Mo Leverett, founder and president of an urban outreach in New Orleans called Desire Street Ministries, presented Wuerffel with an "incredible challenge" to his faith and worldview. "And I wouldn't trade that for ...

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