Into the first 10 years of my pro golf career, my spiritual life could be described as “just going through the motions.” I went to church growing up and knew all the right things to say, but I didn’t have a personal relationship with Jesus. That all changed in 1985.

Chosen Topic: Teamwork

Dictionary definition: “The cooperative or effort of a group of persons acting in the interests of a common cause.”

My definition: “Putting the team’s goals and needs above my own. It goes hand in hand with selflessness and can be seen in every player and coach on successful teams.”

Coach Jeremy Williams led his Greenville High School Patriots to an undefeated regular season in football this year—an accomplishment in and of itself that deserved recognition—but this wasn’t about his win-loss record. The reason Williams was named the West Central Georgia FCA Coach of the Year was because of his unyielding, unending desire to share Christ’s love with others, even as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) slowly and methodically destroyed his body.

Zack Cox couldn’t take it anymore. Frustration was flying at him from all directions like 90-mph fastballs from a pitching machine gone berserk. The game he loved felt more and more like a prison sentence. So he did what any athlete would do. He found a bathroom and broke down.