A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

By: American Decency Staff

 

Anyone who has remotely followed college football in the past or presently knows that Michigan Wolverines v. Ohio State Buckeyes is one of the greatest rivalries in the annals of college football.

Indeed, these two schools have no use for one another.  Listen to any Michigan or Ohio sports talk show during the week of the Michigan-Ohio State game and hear for yourself.

Though Ohio State has had its way with Michigan over the last number of years, nonetheless, as Saturday’s game revealed, it was an intensely fought game whose outcome wasn’t determined until the last 5 minutes of the hard fought contest.

See the picture?  That is Michigan starting quarterback Devon Gardner kneeling over J.T. Barrett – the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Barrett is laid out on the ground with what turned out to be a season ending fractured ankle suffered in the fourth quarter with OSU maintaining a one touchdown lead at that moment (28-21).

In a day of intense rivalries, a day of winning – seemingly at any cost – character is rarely exhibited. 

However, untold numbers were touched and inspired by the class act of Devon Gardner: a display of sportsmanship, character, putting the well-being of an opponent above rivalry at a key juncture in the life of a downed opponent.

The Detroit Free Press quotes Devon Gardner

"I've talked with him (J.T. Barrett)a little bit through the season,"Gardner said of the redshirt freshman starter, who took over in the preseason when star Braxton Miller suffered a season-ending injury. "You hate to see any player get hurt but especially a player like him, who's a great guy, a high character guy, hard worker. He's been called upon. He didn't even know he was going to get a shot and he's executed and done it humbly. It's like having a little brother out there and get hurt and I didn't like that at all.

"I just let him know I'm praying for him and told him to keep praying and everything would be all right."

Games come and go.  This game will soon be a blip on the screen, but for some (like me) I’ll never forgot how a Michigan quarterback walked across the field to say a word and pray for his rival quarterback in a hotly contested game on a national stage before a watching world. 

Whether it’s in sports or in our everyday lives, we can all benefit from such an example can’t we?  I know I can.

God help me to seek first the Kingdom of God in all things – to do what is pleasing and honoring to Christ my Savior and Lord. Help me, too, to be a godly example for those who come after me. 

Amen.

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