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St. Cloud State University
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Former NFL wideout enlightens Atwood
By Ben Birnell
Published:
Thursday, March 27, 2003
Irving Fryar
For one night, SCSU students got the chance to rub elbows with one of the National Football League's top receivers.
More than 100 people packed into Atwood Ballroom on Monday night to listen to the trials and tribulations of former NFL-star Irving Fryar. The event was sponsored by the Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Group.
Few players have enjoyed the type of on-field success that Fryar experienced during his career. Before retiring in 2000 (after 17 years in the league), Fryar left his mark as the fifth-leading receiver in NFL history. But Monday night, Fryar put his football stories aside and spoke on how God changed his life.
Fryar's story started at the age of 13. At this age, Fryar began playing football, but at that time this was the only thing going right in his life. At this impressionable age, Fryar began smoking marijuana and was also involved in a gang.
"I started smoking (marijuana) because my uncle gave me a joint and told to me do it," Fryar said. "I did everything that happens in a gang, it definitely wasn't the best of times."
Fryar's home life as a child wasn't much better, stating that his parents never really got along, which translated into more problems for him.
"I had a very dysfunctional family," Fryar said. "We didn't have Showtime or HBO when I was growing up. We had what we called 'Fight Night.' If my parents weren't fighting in the living room or on the front lawn, someone else would be fighting every night."
Fryar also stated that his relationship with his father wasn't very strong, saying it wasn't until he found God that he and his father started to patch things up.
Fryar began college at the University of Nebraska under the tutelage of former Husker coach Tom Osborne. Off the field, Fryar picked up another habit: cocaine.
"I didn't realize it at the time, but it was slowly ruining my life and everything around me. I got to the pro's and I was still doing it. It will destroy your life and it will take everyone with you."
In 1984, Fryar was drafted by the New England Patriots and his problems continued. On the field, he was unstoppable. Off the field was another story, he was fighting a losing battle and the stakes were life and death. During his career, he had four different stints in jail.
"I had the big house, the big expensive bed that I couldn't get any sleep in and $1,000 suits that I felt like I was naked in," he said. "I had the the alligator shoes that I couldn't walk straight in. I drove a BMW and played in front of thousands of fans and yet I realized I wasn't happy."
It wasn't until he spent a fifth time in jail that he realized he was no longer happy. Fryar began to reflect on the night in 1989 in which he had no one to call and cried out to God from a jail cell.
"I was bleeding from being in a fight and I was at the end of my rope, I was at the point of suicide," he said. "I had been in jail a few times; drugs, alcohol, marriage not right, family and personal life not right. I really believe, sincerely, that if I did not make the choice to allow Christ to come into my life in that jail cell that I probably would not be here right now. I would probably be dead."
A rookie teammate, Michael Tipson, took him aside and told him he felt he wasn't making the right choices. With that, Fryar stopped drinking, doing drugs and partying all together. Since then, he's followed the word of God. The former NFL standout has become an ordained minister and now spends his time sharing the gospel that saved him from total destruction.
"I don't tell people right from wrong just because it's right and wrong. I tell them because I know what different things and different ways of life will do to you," Fryar said.
After he we was done speaking, Fryar answered questions from the audience and the talk turned to football.
Members of the audience asked about the hardest hit he ever had taken, what it was like to play against former New Yorks Giants star Lawerence Taylor and what other football stars were spreading the word of God.
"Jeremiah Trotter, Kordell Stewart and Keenan McCardell are some of the bigger names and the good thing about that is that God is allowing athletes to spread the good word through big name athletes."
For one night, SCSU students got to see a big-name star and hear a great story of overcoming adversity.
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