A Life Change Prompts Big Faith

“My idol was football, my idol was success on the field. And, I just felt like I kind of had my priorities mixed up,” says Kentucky Quarterback, Brock Vandagriff.
 
In college football’s toughest conference, the SEC, winning is priority number one . And the recipe for success usually starts with a great quarterback.
 
By his senior year of high school, Brock Vandagriff led his team to the state championship. He was ranked as one of the top high school quarterbacks in the country and committed to play for the powerhouse, Georgia Bulldogs.
 
“I hate the word like cocky and arrogant, but like, I kind of was in high school and, just like there was a there was a lot of success, obviously, on the field, off the field, whatever,” says Vandagriff.
 
Brock grew up in a Christian home, however on his own for the first time, his faith was tested.
 
“In college, like, you're getting up on Sundays, you're like, man, like, I don't have to go to church if I don't want to,” he says.
 
Brock was the backup quarterback on some amazing teams. During his three years at Georgia, the Bulldogs won 42 of their 44 games and two national championships. Though winning isn’t the same when you’re on the sideline.
 
“It was just kind of a step back to almost where, like, you've had all of this in your life, like, everything you've won, you've had because everything you've wanted, you've gotten,” he says.  “But it was to a point where there was no complaints. And it was just kind of like test, basically like this is I kind of viewed it as almost a test of faith. Like, are you going to run away and like going to say, like, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ And, ‘Why me?’ Or are you going to draw closer to Christ?”
 
That’s when Brock really began attending church, seeking God, and growing in his faith.
 
“It was kind of looking at it as like, this isn't a chore. It began to be something I looked forward to every week. And it is now. And I believe that's how it should be.
But just kind of making sure that I put into it as much as I wanted out of it, because it felt like you're asking God for all these things, but like, are you reading your Bible, are you saying your prayers, are you trying to grow closer to God? And I feel like that was kind of the point where it changed,” he says.
 
And with a growing faith, Brock found another opportunity for change. This one, on the field, when he decided to transfer to be a good steward of his talents.
 
He says, “It wasn’t too much off the field stuff as it was, ‘I’m  just ready  to play. Kind of the main factor into it, nothing much of ‘Ah, I gotta get out of Georgia,’ all this stuff, it was more, ‘I want to go be productive somewhere.’” 
 
Brock graduated in just three years from Georgia, giving him two years remaining of eligibility and a fresh start at the University of Kentucky.
 
Will Dawson: When you first came here, did it feel like a reset?
 
Brock: It kinda did because I’m 6 ½ hours away from my parents and family. I mean that was kind of a shock, you know? The furthest I lived from my parents was like 20 minutes so it kind of was a reset in some ways.
 
Another kind of reset for Brock is spending time in the outdoors, hunting and fishing.
 
“It's some of the best quiet time in the world. Like, you're in God's creation. You're thirty feet up in a tree. There's nothing to worry about. You're hearing the birds chirping, you're watching the sun come up. And it's just really in awe of his greatness, it's jaw dropping,” says Brock. “If you're religious or not, you're in awe of whoever you think made it. However it happened, in our case, it’s God's creation. And, just my time in the woods is it's almost like a reset. And it's almost like church on Sundays. Like, it's just it's just a refresher every week.”
 
Early in the season, Brock led the wildcats to a huge win on the road at a top-10 ranked Ole Miss. However, for Kentucky, the season overall was a disappointment. They finished 5-7, missing their first bowl game in nine seasons. Through his ups and downs, Brock has gained a new perspective on and off the field.
 
“Just being able to know that, like, I serve a sovereign God, like I talk with the Creator of the earth every day,” he says.  “And knowing that obviously I've been gifted with talent to be able to play football, gifted with a platform to spread the good news and, you know, just being able to keep things into perspective, like you have 4 to 5 years to, to play college football.”
 
“When we look at our lives like that's just a little blip in our life and we look at our lives as a whole, like that's just a blip of eternity. I’m going to do everything in my power to carry out my duties, my tasks for the day, and just live in God’s will.”