David Tyree: The Winning Super Bowl Catch

CBN.com Super Bowl XLIII was a classic tale of David versus Goliath, and perhaps one of the most anticipated championship games in NFL history. The underdog NY Giants were matched up with the unbeatable New England Patriots, as they tried to become the second team in the history of the NFL with an undefeated season. 

NY Giants wide receiver, David Tyree scored the first touchdown of the game for the Giants. But it was the pass he caught from Eli Maning with 1:15 left in the game that will go down as one of the greatest catches in Super Bowl history.

“I just saw Eli under duress, and I knew he had some angels with him as well because he got out the grasp of three New England patriots. He just did a great job. He put the ball up and I was just doing my best to focus on that at that time, and I didn’t understand the magnitude of the catch. I just knew it was a pretty good catch, and I wasn’t going to let it go,” David tells 700 Club reporter, Shawn Brows.

For most players in the NFL, a Super Bowl performance like David’s would define their career. For David, his career is defined by much more.

“If I had known how great the catch was I would have celebrated a little harder. I give God all the glory because I know that He’s done it. I know that I’ve always trusted in my abilities and talents as a receiver, but obviously I hadn’t had as many opportunities as I’d liked. But when you look at the magnitude of what just occurred, its only God. So I keep it simple, and I give Him all the glory.”  

While David gives God the glory for his success no, God wasn’t always a part of his life, especially on his journey to the NFL. As a wide receiver at Syracuse University, his life was not only defined by football but his life off the field.”

“I can remember probably drinking after every game I had, from junior year on. My house was the party house. My weekly thing would be a 40 oz. of beer, and a half pint of jack Daniels. I would smoke what we call a blunt of marijuana. And that would be something that I would do weekly. It was just a part of my routine and lifestyle. And as I moved into college, it just escalated.”  

He showed great promise at Syracuse, but his life off the field was taking its toll. Especially on his wife Leila, who was his girlfriend at the time.

“We had our first child in college. And I think that’s really when the rubber hit the road. When we had began to have more responsibility, we actually did move in together on campus. And, it did seem like the drinking got worse,” says Leila.

Things continued to intensify off the field and David and Leila split up for awhile. Although his private life was a disaster, David had high expectations as he entered the NFL draft, and was selected in the sixth round by the New York Giants. Unfortunately his college lifestyle followed him straight into the NFL.

“When I say the love of money is the root of all evil, what happens is when you get money and you don’t have the proper perception, the knowledge and the wisdom to understand what those resources are for and how to allocate them, it begins to intensify every dark part of your life. So where as I had women, well now I had more women. I was drawing more women. Alcohol, it just became more. It fed the evil, especially when marijuana became the bigger issue. When I was in high school, I didn’t have much money. Now I had the money to get the best marijuana there was. And so that’s exactly what I did."

As rookie in the NFL, he didn’t understand that the consequences of his actions would become much steeper.  

“I was playing good football, I was getting special teams you know, Rookie of the Year by the NFL. All this stuff was great on the field, but it was destructive off. I was coming in late and getting fined. I think I had about $10,000 in fines that year. I still had a street mind set. You know the mind set of, I’ve lost all this money, and I got the best marijuana, so I might as well start selling this stuff. I can make a ton of my money. And you know, that’s how I’ll get my money back.”

That was quickly brought to an end when he was arrested for drug possession.

“It was actually the off season. I think it was toward the end of February or early March, if I can recall. I got pulled over with a half pound of marijuana. And while I was in that jail cell, that was when I simply cried out to God. The first time out of sincerity. I was broken. That was my low point. I simply said, 'God, you know I need you and I don’t know what to do.' It's really kind of funny. I look at it now, and its kinda funny. I said, "If You [God] could save my job too, I would be appreciative.' ”     

He was released about a month later. And he went to see Leila who had news to share but couldn’t reach him.   

“As soon as I got home, she told me she was pregnant with my second son. But I had a peace about it. I said, 'Well, we’re going to work it out. Things are about to change drastically.' And I just went up there to see her that next week, and that was actually the first time she had a Bible laying on the bed. That was the first time I had ever read a Bible, and it started to make sense. I never would have imagined the drastic transformation, but within two weeks, God drastically rocked my world.”

The next week, David and Leila went to church where he publically gave his life to the Lord. Shortly after that, they married, and now share their life together as a family. As a husband, a father, and a professional football player, David has had his share of wins and losses. Either way, he still turns to God for everything.

“It’s not always about the glory. Don’t get me wrong. This is my first playoff win in a long time and my first Super Bowl. And I’ve loved Jesus just as much every year. But it’s about giving Him the glory, despite what the circumstances present themselves. And seeing victory even in the midst of your deepest adversity. He’s already given His life, so what more could you ask for?”

These days if he’s not on the football field, you’ll find David either at church, working with his charity, “next in line”, or hanging out with his wife, and two sons. However, two days after this interview, Leila gave birth to twin baby girls.    
 
“There’s no greater love, there’s no greater joy, there’s no greater peace, for all things that we long and desire to do or accomplish to be. We can only find rest in those things when we have Jesus as a part of our lives. And that’s really what it boils down to... becoming a lover of Jesus. I take great delight in getting to know Him even more, and there’s so much to a relationship with Jesus Christ that words, even words don’t even express.”