Sports Spectrum

Marty Tadman

Alone on a California beach, 18-year-old Marty Tadman, a high school All-American with the game and the gumption to one day be an NFL player, anguished about his past and his future. After teen-aged years filled with alcohol, drugs, and chasing women, Tadman realized there was something huge missing from his life. "I said, 'God, if you are here, prove it to me because I think I'm done with this life,' Tadman recalls. "After I said that, I felt God's presence."

After reading through the first six chapters of Matthew, Tadman the party man suddenly became Tadman the Bible man. Today as Boise State's free safety and an All-American, Tadman is sharing his faith in a variety of ways. He leads an on-campus Bible study he started, while also talking about his faith at churches throughout the Northwest. Also, fans of Tadman show up at games wearing "Madman Tadman" T-shirts, which display Galatians 2, with a big 20, which is Tadman's jersey number. The Scripture, "I've been crucified in Christ and through Him I live," is something Tadman lives by. Tadman's tattoos display the gospel message that saved his life on the beach in California. "I came to the beach that night with nothing, and I left with everything."