The late Erk Russell in 2004 (AP Photo/Stephen Morton)
“Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 12:12
Big Team, Little Me
Erskine “Erk” Russell (1926-2006) was a legendary football coach for the University of Georgia from 1964-1981, and Georgia Southern University (then Georgia Southern College) from 1981-1989. He coached UGA’s defense with fellow Auburn alumni and head coach, Vince Dooley. He coined a term at Georgia that is still used today — the “Junkyard Dawgs” — referencing his defense.
Later, following UGA’s national championship in 1980, Erk made a move to GSC in Statesboro from Athens, and revived a dormant football program as head coach.In nine years, the Eagles soared from a team that “didn’t even have a football,” as Russell quipped, to a perennial national championship contender in Division I-AA.
With all his success, perhaps the most memorable quality Erk possessed was his use of clever phrases and gimmicks that helped his players believe they could rise above any challenge. Blessed with a colorful sense of humor and a great football mind, he was described by UGA cornerback Scott Woerner of the 1980 Bulldog squad as “the greatest motivator in college football.” One fabled gimmick of Russell’s was a T-shirt with the word “TEAM” printed in large letters above the word “me” in smaller letters below it. This communicated to his young men that they could accomplish far more by putting their team before themselves.
As God’s people, we are called to put the “team” of Jesus Christ, the Church, above ourselves. Several Scripture passages illustrate this concept of the parts of the body all working together. Paul, gifted with words like Erk Russell, wrote to the believers in Corinth, “But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body” (1 Corinthians 12:18-20).
We may not all preach or sing, but we all have a role to play as Christians in putting God’s team above all.
— Allen Kent, Kathleen, Ga.
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING MOHAMED MASSAQUOI
Mohamed Massaquoi is a former NFL wide receiver who played five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by Cleveland after a stellar career in college with Georgia, where he was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2008.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks to Mohamed Massaquoi about his college choice of Georgia, lessons learned from playing with the Browns, his draft day experience, transitioning out of the NFL, the accident that caused him to have four fingers amputated, and how God has remained constant in his life through the highs and lows.
“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” — Galatians 4:4-5 (ESV)
We mostly see athletes when they’re in action on the field or on the court, but what we don’t see as much is that they spend a significant amount of their careers waiting. Waiting for the season to start. Waiting for rehab to finish. Waiting for the scout to notice. Waiting for the call-up, the callback or a comeback from an injury.
Waiting is one of the most unglamorous parts of sports, but also one of the most essential. Strength is built in the offseason. Trust is formed in the huddle. Championships are often won in the moments when no one is watching.
And every December, the world enters another kind of waiting: Advent — the season when we remember Israel waiting for a Savior, and we renew our own longing for Jesus to come again.
In Luke 2, we meet two people who embody faithful waiting: Simeon and Anna. Simeon was “righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel” (v. 25). Anna had been worshiping, fasting and praying in the temple for decades (vv. 36-37). Neither knew the exact timing, neither knew how God would fulfill His promise, but both stayed faithful in the waiting — and both saw Jesus.
Athletes know this truth: What you do while you wait shapes who you become when the moment arrives.
At Christmas, we remember that Jesus came not when people demanded it, but in “the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4-5, ESV). God waited until the time was right to send Jesus. And we remember that God still works that way — not on our timetable, but His.
Maybe you’re in a season of waiting right now. Waiting to get healthy. Waiting for clarity about your future. Waiting for a roster spot. Waiting for God to open a door. Waiting for a prayer to be answered.
Christmas reminds us that we don’t wait alone, and we don’t wait in vain. The God who took on flesh is still Emmanuel, God with us, even in the waiting room.
Like athletes training in the dark for a season they can’t yet see, we wait with hope. We stay faithful. We keep showing up. Because the same God who fulfilled His promise by sending Jesus is the same God working in your life today.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. (AP Photo/Wade Payne, File)
Diego Pavia has always believed in himself, even when others might not have. All he needed was a chance — a theme that would resurface again and again on his way to stardom at Vanderbilt, and eventually, to discovering a faith that reshaped his entire life.
That journey began long before SEC stadiums or Heisman Trophy chatter. It started at junior college, where football was present but clarity wasn’t. Pavia carried big dreams, but also big questions.
“I went to JUCO. I had questions about God. It was like God wasn’t really in my life, and it was like, where am I?” he said this week on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark. “I met these two dudes — Dalton Bowles and Carson Sullivan. One’s a preacher right now and one’s a coach. These dudes led me to Christ. The first time I ever prayed, really, on my hands and knees, tears were dropping from my eyes. I got up and it was just tears of joy — coming to the Lord and Savior. Ever since then, it was like, this is what I needed. It was a relationship with God.”
And as he moved on to New Mexico State in 2022, God kept placing people in his path. At NMSU, Pavia crossed paths with tight end Eli Stowers, whose faith wasn’t loud or performative, but steady and unmistakable. Stowers’ conviction and example through how he lived his life made an imprint on Pavia, so much so that Pavia believes they weren’t teammates by accident — both at New Mexico State and eventually at Vanderbilt.
“It was just like, Christ is real, and this is the reason why I am here right now,” Pavia said on the podcast.
But his belief in God didn’t mean his football path suddenly smoothed out. His road to the SEC was anything but easy. When he entered the transfer portal, interest was minimal.
“When I hit the transfer portal, no one wanted me,” he said. “My biggest offer was Washington State. No disrespect to Washington State, I thought I was better than that.”
He committed to Nevada at first, unsure he could complete the 21 credits Vanderbilt required for admission. But everything changed when Pavia received a phone call from Jerry Kill, his head coach at New Mexico State who had recently retired. Turns out, Kill wasn’t totally done in football yet. He told Pavia he was joining Vanderbilt’s staff as a chief consultant, and he didn’t mince words.
“You’re coming with me,” Kill told him.
That was all Pavia needed.
“I’m a loyal dude,” he said. “I feel like you took a chance on me coming from JUCO to New Mexico State, with this opportunity in the SEC, I’m going to take it.”
The chance he had long been waiting for had finally arrived — and he made the most of it.
He broke onto the scene last season, leading Vanderbilt to a 7-6 season and a win in the Birmingham Bowl. But this fall, Pavia became one of the most dynamic players in college football. He led Vanderbilt to a 10–2 record, claimed the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award last week, and was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, two days after he was named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, which will be revealed at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Pavia amassed 4,018 yards of total offense with 36 total touchdowns while leading the SEC in pass efficiency (171.5), touchdown passes (27) and completion percentage (71.2%). He ranks second nationally in total offense (334.8 yards per game) and became the first Vanderbilt player ever to top 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in a single game (Nov. 8).
Yet for all the production, the statistics only reinforce the belief he’s carried his whole life.
“I was like, ‘I can win wherever I go. I just need a chance. I just need an opportunity,'” he said on “The Pivot.” “The NFL as well — just give me a chance. I just want an opportunity and I can show you that I’m going to play. That’s just who I feel I am deep inside. I’m a true competitor who, at all costs, I’m going to beat you out. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do, where you came from, I’m going to win. That’s how I grew up being.”
His confidence and authenticity have never wavered — not when he was overlooked in recruiting, not when schools passed on him in the portal, and not even when he stumbled publicly. After Vanderbilt stunned No. 1 Alabama last year, fans stormed the field and emotions exploded. Pavia, overwhelmed by the moment, praised God on live TV.
“It’s literally all God’s timing,” he said on SEC Network. “Literally from the jump. God gave me a vision when I was a little kid, and He don’t let back any promises. It’s God’s timeline. I’m super thankful.”
By the next morning, he knew he hadn’t represented himself or his faith the way he wanted to. His apology came quickly and publicly:
“I’m sorry for cussing last night but, God you are the TRUTH AND ALL THE GLORY GOES TO YOU!! For yall that don’t know him, get to know him. HE IS MAGICAL!!”
Now, after finishing the 2025 season 10-2 and just outside of the College Football Playoff field, Pavia and the No. 14 Commodores will face No. 23 Iowa in the Reliaquest Bowl at 12 p.m. ET on Dec. 31.
Back in 1974, I started my coaching career. I loved my job so much I remember asking myself if it could get any better — followed by, “No way, this is the greatest job any human could ever have.”
Unfortunately, I was young and immature in my thinking and it took me several years to realize I was coaching for all the wrong reasons. Years into my coaching career, the days got longer, the issues coaches must deal with became greater, and the joy of coaching became smaller. I concluded that it was a job, not a ministry.
Fast forward 25 years, I was given the opportunity to be the head of athletics for a start-up Christian high school in Southern California. Thank the Lord I was continuing to grow in my walk with Him. The school grew quickly and I started to really enjoy my job again.
There were a lot of individuals who poured into my life, but three men in particular — all coaches — had the most influence on my coaching career: John Wooden, Bobby Bowden and Joe Erhmann. Each of these men lived a life that honored God, and they were not shy about sharing their faith. Coach Wooden’s books guided me into being a better coach, Coach Bowden’s testimony pushed me into spending more time in God’s Word daily, and Coach Erhmann’s book “InSideOut Coaching” helped me gain the courage to share Jesus with anyone at any time.
Ehrmann’s book has also helped me mentor young coaches into being transformational and not transactional. Using what Coach Erhmann shared on how to coach from the heart in a transformational way completely changed my coaching career. Listening to Coach Bowden share how he would get up early, usually around 4:30 a.m., do his devotions, read God’s Word and spend time in prayer ignited something in me that I did not think was possible. I started getting up at 5 a.m. for devotions, reading God’s Word and spending time with Him through prayer. Doing this every morning helped me use what Coach Wooden had shared about God, family, players and life.
Through these other coaches, Jesus showed me why He guided me into coaching: I am to use the platform God has given me to share Jesus with young people through the sport they play, and teach them the best way possible to help them succeed in their sport and their life with Jesus as their Guide, Lord and Savior. Winning games is important, but knowing Jesus and living a life to honor Him is the ultimate.
For me it all clicked when I began starting my day with Jesus. Psalm 118:24 (NKJV) says, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
How do you start your day?
I would never have thought after 50 years of being a coach (I took one year off) that I would be coaching coaches and mentoring teachers and students as an athletic chaplain. Thank you to Coach Wooden, Coach Bowden, Coach Erhmann, and, most of all, to Jesus my Lord and Savior for guiding me down the right path for all the right reasons.
I can honestly say every morning when my feet hit the floor: Psalm 118:24! Thank You, Jesus!
