David Thornton: A Titan of Faith

CBN.com After starting the 2009 NFL season with six straight losses, the Tennessee Titans turned things around to win eight of the remaining ten games. Linebacker David Thornton was a key piece of the defense that helped change the momentum in Nashville. Although his season ended early with shoulder surgery after week 14, he’s still a vital presence both on and off the field.

He just completed his eighth season as a linebacker in the NFL. After four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, he’s now a Titan. Throughout his journey, David’s Christian faith has helped him stay focused in the glare of professional sports.

“As a kid, growing up in the church, my mother and father were very grounded in ministry," David tells The 700 Club. "My father’s a minister. My father always set a solid example for us to be men of good character, men of integrity.”

It was this character and integrity that would sustain David through the early years of a less than stellar college career at the University of North Carolina.

“I kept asking, 'God, would You just give me a chance to get out here and show these coaches what I can do and I’ll always honor You in everything I do on the field?' I was a walk-on for four years. My fifth year they changed coaching staffs, and the new coach found favor with me. He loved me. He gave me a chance to start, and I ended up leading the team in tackles and became Tarheel Athlete of the Year, MVP defensively, All-ACC. Then Tony Dungy drafted me in the fourth round in the NFL. It wasn’t a map that I had planned, but it was definitely the Lord’s plan.”

Playing for Tony Dungy’s Colts was special for David.

“I think the example he set definitely impacted my life -- just to continue to let my life shine, to be a positive example to youth in our community, and it’s something that I will definitely always value.”

Since signing on with the Titans in 2006, David has had a positive impact both on and off the field.

“As a professional athlete, you’re faced with a lot of different distractions, temptations, a lot of pressures. It’s very demanding; the job itself, to be accepted, to fit in, to see if you can succeed at this level, but I definitely feel that 'to whom much is given, much is required.' So I think we’re required to get out and do a lot.

/For me it comes easy to get out and lend a helping hand, whether it’s help someone do something or giving an encouraging word or sometimes your physical presence. Just being there can make a difference. It’s just a blessing to be a blessing to others.”

Although 2009 was a tough season for both the Titans and David -- as he suffered injury setbacks -- his relationship with Christ helped him maintain a balanced perspective.

“God is still the same. Whether we’re 10-0 or 0-5, God is unchanging. We’re reminded that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore. His promises are still as good as gold. So I’m forever thankful for God loving us first, Him sending His Son to die for our sins so that we may be redeemed to Him, to God. So my relationship with God is everything to me, and I continue to work on it every day. I continue to encourage guys in the locker room when I can. It’s a blessing to be able to say God cares about you and everything concerning you.”

As David approaches nearly a decade playing in the NFL, he has a peace about his future.

“I never would have imagined being a professional athlete playing for eight years. Of course I would love to say, I want to be a Super Bowl champion. That’s something that every professional football player longs for, but even if I’m not to obtain that, I still know that I’m a winner through Christ. He’s the one that ultimately gives me the victory through everything. So, you get a champion one year, you forget about them the next year. There’s a new champion every season. But as long as I continue to live for God and honor Him, I know I’ll always be victorious.”