The beginning had me completely riveted--why Brian Kinchen answered his cell phone while he was teaching his 7th grade Bible class I don't know--for the story was like a fairy tale come true. A man retired from professional football (having played tight end and long snapper) for three years getting a call that Bill Belichick from the Patriots wanted him to try out?! And this in December 2003, right before the Patriots were going to make an amazing run to the Superbowl (and little did anyone know at the time the Superbowl would come down to the long snapper, the holder, and the kicker)! I couldn't stop reading the book; I couldn't believe this was real.
Then, halfway through, boring reality set in. Brian got the job with the Patriots and was having a great time, though he missed his family back in Louisiana something terrible. But Brian started throwing bad snaps--something he had never done in 13 years of professional football--to the point that some of them flew over the holder's head. Many others of his snaps bounced on the ground well before the holder. After 13 years of flawless snapping, Brian was shocked at his sudden inability to snap the ball consistently. He went quickly into a downward spiral to the point that a few days before the Superbowl, he called the Patriot's front office and asked to be sent home. Whereas some athletes rise to the challenge of big games (I think especially of clutch performer Michael Jordan), some athletes fall apart. Brian was an athlete who falls apart, and though I respect him as a Christian, my respect for him as an athlete plummeted as I read his aroey. Somehow, he threw decent enough snaps during the Superbowl, although many were low. Thankfully, the holder, Ken Walter, was probably the best holder in the league, and he could handle bad snaps. The final snap that Brian threw, the one to win the Superbowl, well I won't give that one away.
The story shows the pressure of performing on the biggest stage. For those who can do it well--and to do it with bravado--that is a rare gift that Brian Kinchen did not have. But Brian's story shows how God can catapult people to the highest levels of society (whether sports, politics, entertainment, etc.) to provide His children a platform to share their testimony about Him. And, Brian Kinchen has used the platform given him as a Superbowl champion to tell many people about his faith in Jesus, and that is something I respect deeply.