Students and residents across Mobile County got an up-close visit from a hometown football legend this week when former NFL running back Shaun Alexander stopped at Alma Bryant High School to speak at a rally hosted by the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter.
Alexander, a former University of Alabama standout who went on to a decorated career with the Seattle Seahawks, including an NFL Most Valuable Player season, has been making stops across the Gulf Coast this week as part of a speaking tour that blends his football background with his Christian faith. The Alma Bryant stop drew students, faculty and community members eager to hear from the athlete-turned-speaker.
“I love Jesus, I love playing football, and I love teaching people,” Alexander told the crowd, describing the three pillars that have shaped his life since he hung up his cleats.
For many students in attendance, the visit felt larger than a typical school assembly. Kenneth Smith, a student at Alma Bryant High School, said hearing that Alexander was coming to speak felt like a dream come true, and he expected the former NFL star to leave a lasting impression on his classmates.
“It brings in a lot of people that normally wouldn’t come to this, and if they hear this then it might get them thinking maybe I should live this way,” Smith said of the rally’s potential impact on students who might not otherwise attend a faith-based event.
The Alma Bryant chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes organized the rally, part of a broader effort by the national organization to use sports and athletics as a bridge to reach young people with messages about faith and character. Alexander, who has spoken to groups across the country, said the substance of his message matters more than the platform that brings people through the door.
“I think people have no idea that character can take you way further than even talent, but if you have both of them,” Alexander said, encouraging students to invest as much in who they are becoming as in what they can accomplish on the field or in the classroom.
Despite speaking to crowds nationwide, Alexander said he doesn’t script his remarks ahead of time. Instead, he described leaning on faith to guide him in the moment, reading the room and trusting that the right words will come as he speaks.
“I always go in and say God, I’m going to go in and feel the atmosphere and there will be something that you want me to tell at least one person. And I’ll go plant the seed,” Alexander explained.
Alexander said he considers it a blessing to have opportunities to speak into the lives of young people through stops like the one at Alma Bryant. He said his overarching goal in these appearances is to encourage students to pursue significance rather than simply chase success, a distinction he said has guided him well beyond his playing days.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapters are active in schools throughout Mobile County and across the Gulf Coast, organizing similar events that pair athletics with mentorship and faith-based programming for student athletes and their peers.