Roy Lewis always brings a level of energy and confidence to practice and game day

Published on September 30, 2010 by Seahawk Fanatic     

Seahawks special teams captain Roy Lewis always brings a level of energy and confidence to practice and game day, but there was something else missing and it took until his rookie year in the NFL before he discovered it.

Out of Narbonne High School in Los Angeles, Lewis originally enrolled at San Jose State but transferred to Washington and starred as a defensive back there, starting all 13 games as a senior.

Lewis signed with the Steelers as an undrafted free agent on April 28, 2008 and shortly after that he discovered “his foundation.”

Everybody needs something they can turn to when life presents a challenge. For Roy Lewis it happened in his rookie year in Pittsburgh.

“I’m not super, super, religious but I am a Christian, I believe in God, there’s this one Bible verse that’s been dear to me ever since I was a rookie.

It helped me get through rookie camp, and make the team, when I was back in Pittsburgh,  I’ll never forget it, it’s Philippians, Chapter 3, verses 12-16, it’s talking about pressing toward the heavenly goal.”

Philippians 3 Verses 12-16

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

“Once I read it a light just clicked on for me and ever since then I share it with all the young guys here, I share it with every young high school player, every college player, and its something I hold dear to me.

“Whenever I think I’m in a rut, I always go back to that. Forget the pa, keep pressing toward the heavenly goal.”

When you have a foundation like that it takes some of the pressure off you. You still have to practice hard, compete and perform but it makes the whole process easier.

“It puts your mind at ease, because you tell yourself, I’ll move on to the next play, always pressing toward the heavenly goal.

“There’s gonna be some ups and downs but the consistent players find a way to maneuver through the ups and downs and stay on that same line.”

So I had to ask, where did this come from. Did you get it from a relative, a coach, a teammate?

“My first morning practice of two a days things were going kind of shaky and I asked the team chaplain to send me a couple of verses and he slid it under my door while I was studying. It was a list of verses but for some reason I picked that book and those verses and once I read it the light clicked on and ever since then its worked wonders for me.”

Lewis keeps a Bible in his locker and refers to Philippians 3, Verses 12-16 often. In the high pressure world of professional football it provides a solid foundation for the Seahawks special teams captain and all the young people he shares the message with.

Tags: Bible Verse, Chapter 3, Christ Jesus, Confidence, Free Agent, Game Day, Games, God, Jesus Brothers, Narbonne High School, Nfl, Philippians, Presents, Rookie Camp, Rookie Year, Roy Lewis, San Jose State, steelers, Win Prize, Young Guys