CULLMAN – Devin Wyman is not your typical former football player. Yes, he played at a high level in college. Yes, he made it to the NFL. Yes, he played with one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever take the field (Tom Brady) when he was with the New England Patriots and is also an AFC Conference champion, but this is not what makes the 6-foot-6, 320-pounder stand out….it is his love and commitment to the Lord and his fondness for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Wyman was a part of last week’s FCA Power Sports Camp in Cullman.
“I had been doing prison ministry back in 2005 when I moved to Texas and that was the first time I was introduced to it,” Wyman said about how he got involved with the FCA. “I went and spoke (at an event) and fell in love with it and I have been doing it ever since.”
Wyman was born in East Palo Alto, California to a mother with a strong faith. He says it was hard to get the same spiritual connection, but that all changed when he got to the NFL.
“I came from a home where my mom was a strong woman of God, but in a single parent home you just didn’t get the same thing as you would with a father and I didn’t have that,” Wyman said of the seeds of his faith being planted. “The good thing was that the seed was there, then in my rookie year in the NFL, Curtis Martin played a huge role in my life because he was someone who did Bible study all the time. He shared with me about being celibate and I didn’t know what that was, so that introduced me (to the Lord) and I got saved in 1999.”
This was a big influence on the life of Wyman, as there are not many opportunities for church or faith-based activities in the NFL, where teams are constantly on the road and playing each and every Sunday.
“You would have Bible studies on game days. Every stadium may have chapel. You would walk through an airport and they may have chapel, but it wasn’t mandatory. Even in the NFL today, not every team has chapel so a lot of people are blinded, not aware, so my walk and my belief was not there,” said Wyman of his faith while in the NFL.
Far removed from his days playing on the gridiron, Wyman now devotes his time to teaching the younger generation about Christ, as well as football, at various FCA sports camps.
It was my distinct pleasure and privilege to get to spend some time, no matter how short, with Wyman and hear him talk about his faith and how God has impacted his life. I walked away from the interview with a better understanding of his dedication and devotion.
