As a junior at the University of Southern California, Devon Kennard is familiar with the difficulties that come with being a collegiate student-athlete—both common (position changes and injuries) and unique (coaching changes and university-related NCAA sanctions). But for this starting defensive end, who is in full pursuit of Christ, the challenges have only deepened his faith and fueled his passion to lead his teammates and USC fans closer to the Lord.

He didn’t even know what he’d said. He hadn’t prepared for it, and, truthfully, the whole thing was just a blur. He’d had enough on his plate at the moment without trying to recall what he’d said in front of the cameras.

As University of Texas quarterback Colt McCoy sat in his hotel room after losing to Alabama in the Jan. 7, 2010, BCS National Championship game, he thought long and hard about what had happened. The loss itself was painful enough, but it was just one battle he was fighting inside. The other was why he’d not even had the chance to compete in the game.

While my family was close knit group, Christianity wasn’t part of our upbringing. During my junior year of high school, though, I was introduced to the Lord. Learning about Jesus Christ was empowering, and it transformed my life.

“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…” – James 4:8

Last season, TCU Head Baseball Coach Jim Schlossnagle was honored by the NCBWA as college baseball’s coach of the year after leading the Horned Frogs to their first College World Series. With plenty of postseason experience under his belt, Schlossnagle is hoping to lead his team to Omaha again this season, and, even more importantly, impact lives for Christ in the process.