Bobby Bowden has the attention of hundreds of high school boys. They’re listening because he has more wins than any coach in major-college football history — the head coach of the only program ever to appear in 14 consecutive bowl games without a loss, the only coach to lead his team, the Florida State Seminoles, to 14 straight seasons that ended with a top-five Associated Press ranking.

But they’re going to find themselves listening for a different reason. Bobby Bowden “The Legend” is about to become Bobby Bowden “The Evangelist.”

If God’s will is a highway, Russ Ortiz doesn’t want to spend anymore time on the side roads.

After tearing through his first seven seasons in the majors with outstanding numbers, Ortiz found himself in unfamiliar territory in 2005. Not only did he make his first trip to the disabled list with a stress fracture in his ribs, he also experienced his first losing season at the major-league level. As a result, Ortiz, who came to Christ at an FCA Huddle meeting at the University of Oklahoma, found himself struggling with new challenges and frustrations. And what he learned was that God’s way is always better than man’s way.

The empty beer cans and litter strewn across the field were the least of Patty Gasso’s concerns. When Gasso took over as the University of Oklahoma’s softball coach in October 1994, the program was in disarray. Her predecessor had been acting on an interim basis because the previous coach had resigned for health concerns. Some players rebelled, skipping the fall training period because they had wanted an assistant coach to get the head job.

“Expectations from last season ... coaching and playing in the NBA are so demanding ... the worst performance ... flashy clothes, the expensive cars and piles of money ... worst player in the game ... obviously fallen on hard times ... very inconsistent in their shooting...”

You don’t have to search to find remarks like these on the web or in the sports section of the newspaper the morning after any NBA game. They’re easy to find.

As many as 10 million females and one million males in the United States struggle with a life-threatening eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia - a number equivalent to the combined population of New York City and Los Angeles. Of the number of men and women who struggle with eating disorders, 95 percent are between the ages of 12 and 25.

Further revealing the severity of the situation are stats from the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders. They claim that the mortality rate associated with anorexia is 12 times higher than the death rate of all causes of death for females ages 12-24. It is estimated that 480,000 people die every year from complications related to eating disorders.

With a good lead off of second base, Texas A&M outfielder Sharonda McDonald sprinted to third after teammate Jana James knocked a single through the infield. But knowing her own ability to get from third to home in a mere 2.4 seconds, McDonald wasn’t stopping. Realizing the throw would cut it close, she slid cleats-first into home and scored the first run of the Aggies’ game against the Missouri Tigers.

As the dust settled, however, McDonald knew something was wrong.

Have you ever been caught off-guard and missed an opportunity to share your faith? I have. And each time it has happened I have become more determined to “always be prepared.” Peter speaks often of preparation. And he knows that the only way a believer can be fully ready to defend the faith is if he is prepared.

I need You, Jesus...To come to my rescue...Where else can I go...  From the streets you could hear their song. The collection of voices grew louder as the sound of worship drifted down the newly cemented driveway and floated into the humid summer night breeze. Within the walls of the recently erected Gulf Coast home gathered a group of young adults from Church of the Good Shepherd — a group whose lives one year earlier had changed as quickly as the flood waters rose on August 29, 2005, the day Hurricane Katrina hit.

I wonder if NFL defensive linemen would recognize this Shaun Alexander. The Alexander they’re used to is a game-changing, offensive genius who makes his living carving up defenses for extra yardage. But this guy is so … disarming. He’s laughing with kids, putting his arms around them, and even praying with them. In this environment he certainly doesn’t look like the typical NFL megastar.

Believe it or not, this is Shaun Alexander — a man who loves God, loves people and loves life.

“I wasted a lot of years not giving God any glory,” says FCA’s Amy Marino as she reflects on her own college athletic career. “I didn’t want players on my team telling me about Christ. I didn’t feel I needed Him.” But seeing the joy that radiates from her face, you would never know there was a time when Marino’s heart wasn’t pursuing Christ.

Since her “Saul to Paul” conversion, Marino has dedicated her role as an FCA representative at the University of Illinois to leaving a mark on a new generation of athletes.

On paper, 15 pounds is just about all that separates John Smoltz, Mike Sweeney and Tim Salmon. All are accomplished, 6-foot-3 major league veterans who have spent their entire careers (all dating back to the mid-90’s) with one club. And if you really want to stretch out the comparison — as any true baseball follower would do — you could add to it the fact that all are right-handed men whose last names start with the letter “S.” Still, to find three men so alike is to contradict the rarity that they are in the league as Christian men serving in spiritual leadership roles in their respective clubhouses.