How Colt McCoy Redefined Winning After Football

Scoreboards And Winning What Matters

SPEAKER_02 0:00

A leader is a man who can manage his own fears. Being a leader when you're number two, or when you're on the sidelines, or when you're holding a clipboard, it's so easy in our culture to be like, I'm gonna go service me. I'm gonna go help me. Yeah. And I'm gonna do what I want to do.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

So the most miserable person is the person who gets what they think can ultimately fulfill them only to find out.

SPEAKER_03 0:22

It doesn't.

SPEAKER_00 0:22

It doesn't.

SPEAKER_02 0:23

I really wanted to show up and be the same guy every day. Right. Right. My teammates knew they could count on me on Sundays based on my body of work every week. That wasn't gonna change. The great teams that I've been a part of have had a bunch of leaders, but they were they were all comfortable in who they were and they pushed themselves as much as anyone else.

SPEAKER_00 0:53

Well, I want to welcome everyone back to the Lead to Win podcast. I'm really excited today. I have with me Colt McCoy, and I'm excited to have you here on the Lead to Win podcast. I think, I think you're the first athlete, Colt, that we've had.

SPEAKER_02 1:08

I think we have mostly like preachers and different ones you're athletes of uh maybe former athlete was an athlete. Okay. Um man, this is great.

SPEAKER_00 1:17

Thank you for having me. We we call the podcast lead to win because I think everybody has some kind of scoreboard in their life. You know, you you have, you know, now you have your bank accounts on your phone, you have your your sleep measurements. I mean, my wife has the little sleep thing, how well did you sleep? I mean, we're we're we we are a culture that's measuring, and one thing about sports is there's a scoreboard, and you you you look at it and did you win the game or did you lose? And and interesting, interestingly enough, people don't know that the Bible talks about winning. Paul says everybody's running the race, but run in such a way to win. But I think a lot of times it's it's hard for people to translate that into the eternal perspective that he's speaking of. He's speaking of winning at these eternal things, things that matter. So win at, you know, I I had a guy this morning and I gave him a book and just, you know, like win at what matters most. You know, I'm always encouraging people to win at what matters most. But listening are, you know, we we have a big outreach to pastors. We have we have a college. So we have here we have students training for most of them training for ministry. Um, we we have thousands of young people that come on Wednesday night. I know you do some work with helping the next generation. You're a dad. So I think when we think about everyone listening, you know, in our culture, people look at you, even parents would say, you know, I want my kid to get to that level in sports,

From Small Town To NFL

SPEAKER_00 3:00

you know, or whatever it might be, you know. And so talk to me a little bit about, you know, your story. Tell me about your journey. Did did you, you know, did you think you would end up playing 14 seasons in the NFL? I mean, I know it's like a kid's dream, right? But like tell me a little bit about your story, where you come from and yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Uh no, I did not think I was gonna play 14 years in the NFL. Um, I grew up not far from here, like you know, two hours, maybe an hour and 40 minutes south of Abilene, small town, um, amazing community, wouldn't wouldn't trade it for anything. Yeah. Um and long story short, I got recruited to go to Texas to play quarterback and kind of the rest is history. So I I I didn't know I was gonna need to go to college. You know, it's like I'd I was I was gonna be um satisfied with going to Abling Christian and trying to play football. Yeah. You know, and I ended up playing at Texas. And uh that's the that's the quick bit, but but you go to Texas and then you know you you I'm on a good team and you know had great teammates and coaches and you know things kind of worked out and all of a sudden you play 14 years in the NFL. And so that yeah, that that was a uh I look back and I'm I am extremely grateful for what I got to do. Yeah. You know, humbled by it. Um, you know, that kind of that just really doesn't happen um very often. Right. And and so I pinch myself sometimes now. You know, you talk about winning, and you talk about scoreboard, right? There's there are so many things that as an athlete, as a competitor, that I didn't accomplish, right? You set these big goals and dreams and yeah, and and a lot of them didn't happen. And that's disappointing.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:43

Um but at the same time, when it's when it's all over and I I had I retired a couple years ago, you know, I I'm I am so grateful for you know, the the time that I got to have in the NFL and the things I got to do and the people I got to meet and the places I got to play and just just all of that. It it it it it is um I'm I'm I'm very you know, my my heart and my posture towards it all is is uh I'm I'm so grateful for it.

The Alabama Injury And Honest Faith

SPEAKER_02 5:11

Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:11

I mean and and and speaking specifically of you know, you you talk about you dream about the game, the national championship, Alabama, you know, like you you've been open about that. Yeah, man, your comments showed your faith that in the moment, even you're you're you're it's almost like you're like we always do, it's like I'm I'm I'm I'm leaning toward what my spirit knows is true, right? You're like I'm not gonna get angry at God, but then even processing it afterwards, it's like there's disappointment because you got you got injured right there with your shoulder right in the beginning of the game. Yeah, you know.

SPEAKER_02 5:50

Oh listen pissed, okay? Um upset, mad, discouraged, you know, questioning, you know, like what in the world just happened. Right. Um, but I think what I'm you even even looking back now, it's like I still haven't watched a game where you know somebody wins the national championship and they go and they interview the loser. Right. Right. I played, you know, five plays in that game or whatever. Right. Um and it was I was disappointed. I was not expecting that to happen. Yeah. Um but I think all these years later, you know, what came out was like truly what was deep down in my heart was that like, yes, Jesus is my rock. Right. And we don't have all the answers to the test here on earth. And we question why things happen the way they do, and it's frustrating. And you know, I'm angry and I'm hurting actually. Um, but in that moment, it was hey, you know, I'm I'm standing in the truth, I'm standing in the rock, like Jesus is my rock. Isaiah 26, 3. And so um, I am so grateful that that's what that's what came out because the emotions, the feelings, you know, and God's okay with that.

SPEAKER_00 7:07

I mean, we see in scripture, he's okay with us giving him our real self, right?

SPEAKER_02 7:12

But I think I think it's important, and it and it was important for me now looking back, is that your your feelings follow the truth, right? The truth is that that Jesus is the Son of God and Jesus is on his throne, and we we can pursue and push and try to win at so many things, but at the end of the day, if though if those are out of line, then we're out of line.

SPEAKER_01 7:31

Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 7:32

And yeah, I'd love to go back right now and and change that. Um but but we can't, and that and that's life. And and you know, people have have experienced so many, you know, harder things than that. Right. Um, and and I think for me, you know, I'm just I'm very grateful that you know, at the end of the day, like that's that's where my heart was. Yeah. And and you know, we're all gonna suffer. You know, we've been doing a Bible study in First Peter, and you know, Peter talks about that the entire five chapters of First Peter. Like he doesn't say, you know, if you suffer, it's like when when you suffer, when you fall short, when you struggle, you know, it's it's um, you know, what what is what's helping you and consistently through all that, and that's that's the Lord, obviously. And I think that's that's true for in a in a major setting like the national championship game, or you know, when you're trying to be a good dad or a good husband or coworker or teacher or whatever, like the most important thing is the most important thing. Yeah. And um, you know, I'm unfortunately I learned that hard lesson in that moment. I don't I don't wish that on anybody. Um but I've I've certainly grown a bunch through through athletic experiences, right? Like suffered injuries, I've had setbacks, I've had a lot of disappointing things happen. I've had some good things happen. Um, but but I look back and I've I've gained a lot of wisdom through all that.

SPEAKER_00 8:59

What do you

Managing Fear To Lead Yourself

SPEAKER_00 9:00

think about, you know, from a from a leadership standpoint, right? Because most people that listen to this podcast are like, I'm I'm I'm I'm I have some responsibilities, right? I'm I'm and maybe just being a dad or being a mom, or but we have you know, teachers, we have people, and then so they're tuning in saying, hey, what can I what can I learn that can help me with my assignment, you know, and a lot of pastors too, you know, and and and so it's like what what did what did you learn? Because you were, you know, your dad was your coach, you you you had coach Mac Brown, um, you had different NFL teams. What was some things you learned about like being a and of course you in the quarterback position had a a leadership role? What what are some things you learned that was the recipe for winning environments? What what are some some things that are different about winning environments?

SPEAKER_02 9:54

Yeah, that's a great question. Um there's a lot in that. Um listen, I've been on I've been on some really good teams, and I've been on some teams that that that you know struggled, weren't weren't as good. And there's certainly a difference between you know the kind of the the makeup of why why was this one way versus this? And and talent is is a factor in that. Um but at the end of the day, I think there's there's there's several there's several things that that uh make good teams.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

Is talent the the main thing or is it part of the equation?

SPEAKER_02 10:30

Talent ha talent is just part of the equation, yeah. Right? Like I've seen many times, you know, look at yesterday, Oklahoma beat Texas. Like Texas was definitely more talented than though, right? Like there's something there. You know, I think I I'll go back to uh I was a couple years in the NFL. Um I was playing for the Cleveland Browns, and and you know, I was playing my heart out, and we weren't that good. You know, we we it was hard, I mean, it was so hard to win a game. And and um, you know, you're you're as a leader, as a quarterback, you know, you're always trying to figure out and solve things, fix things, provide a solution that we can be better at, and that'll never change. I think that's just part of my DNA. But you know, I I I had a conversation with an old friend, and and this guy was a mentor of mine, and he just asked me, like, what what what what is a leader to you? Like what you know, and I started listening, like, oh, you know, like a leader is a man who you know is uh you know kind of servant hearted, puts others first, you know. Uh I I gave him this this long list of things, sacrifice, um and he was like, Look, a leader is a man who can manage his own fears. So before you can even talk to anyone else, like you've got to you've got to be able to understand you. Like what what makes you tick, what's holding you back, like what what is it that that that you can figure out about yourself that you you can manage the things that inside of you. And I think that's so true. And the the great teams that I've been a part of have had a bunch of leaders, but they were they were all comfortable in who they were and they pushed themselves as much as anyone else because they cared about everyone else. Right. Um, and I think sometimes, you know, one bad apple can bring the whole thing down in some teams or some organizations or in some environments, right? And I think for for me that that really that really helped me understand as a quarterback, like managing my fears, managing the things that I know I need to work on or I need to improve on, or ways that I'm that I'm not, you know, kind of setting the standard um helped me be better. And it's always easier when the ball's in your hand. Right. Right? Like you when when the ball's in my hand and I'm scoring touchdowns or throwing touchdowns and we're winning games, like it's pretty easy to be a leader. You got you gotta caution yourself on some things, but like it being a leader when you're number two or when you're on the sidelines or when you're holding a clipboard, right? Like figuring out ways to be to be a leader in those environments, because you you that's who you are. Right. That's where that's where I've grown a bunch in my faith, um, in my life. Um you know, though though in those settings, we're all gonna have those times in our life. That that's where that's where I really think the Bible jumps out to me when it when it talks about um you know being a servant, you know, loving others. Right. You know, can you know the the the the the least will be greatest. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um and so I think that that that's some of the lessons that I've learned.

SPEAKER_00 13:44

That's so good. Yeah, I mean, any any anything, leadership, the starting point, right, is gotta lead yourself, right? Which which obviously with our faith is we we we know we have to be submitted. You know, you you don't you teach what you know, yeah, you reproduce what you are, right? So so I agree with you. It like it all starts with the hardest person you will ever lead is yourself, right? And that's what makes a leader worth following, is if people see not perfection, but sincerity and authenticity, that you you genuinely are are saying, hey, I'm I'm in this with you, and I'm putting my my own uh self in into submission to to what I'm what I'm sharing with you. What you know, along the way, so you so you're you know, you're you step into the NFL, you you know, you you make these

Consistency Without Performing Religion

SPEAKER_00 14:37

steps. I think here's a question I've been wanting to ask you because I see a lot of people who say, you know, God, if you will, you know, help me get to Texas, you know, then I'm gonna be a light, you know, in that place. And you know, boy, if I ever were to, you know, make it to Hollywood, you know, then I'm gonna change. Talk to me about, you know, you know, the the the holding on to your faith and being a light and and going into those settings because as human beings in a season of promotion sometimes is the hardest uh place to really still, you know, stay surrendered and stay submitted. What what how how did you and then also not like we're putting a fish on our jersey and you know beating people over the head with the Bible, how did you balance that with saying I want to be I want to be authentic to my faith, but I'm also here in this environment of whatever it is.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Yeah, that's great. I I I would say one of the things I always try to do is just just consistently be who God called me to be. Yeah. And that's easier said than done, you know, through big wins or or huge losses, like showing up and being consistently the same person everybody knows. You know, um, and and you know, when I when I walk into a room, it's not like I'm walking in with John 3.16 under my under my eyes, you know, and and you know, wearing my Superman cape of of you know, this is my faith. Yeah. I think for me, the way I've all and and I'm not saying that's wrong. Right. For me, you through all these years, you know, I I really wanted to show up and be the same guy every day. Right. And you know, that's you know, loving all my teammates, that's serving others, that's being humble, that's um, you know, working hard, setting an example, saying the right things, the you know, by the way, by the way you talk, by the way you act, by the way you you carry yourself, but you know, the way you show respect. Like there's so many things that you can you can pluck from scripture on, you know, kind of what God wants us to be like. And none of us are perfect. Like we we we all fall short, including me. But I think you know, over time, um, I was always attracted to the person that was kind of the most consistent through it all. Right. The guy who just showed up and and worked hard and even through disappointment, you know, you you knew you could count on him. Right. Like that my teammates knew they could count on me on Sundays based on my body of work every week. That wasn't gonna change. And I think the more the the the teams that I played on that were that were better generally had more guys that just that that showed up and you know through the highs and the lows, they were able to find a balance of of you know just just showing up and and doing it. And and I think I don't know I don't know if that helps, but I think for me that that's always maybe that was from my dad who was a coach, maybe my granddad was a coach, and right and you just you kind of absorb some things growing up, being around different teams, and and you know, listen, football is the greatest team sport. It is. I can walk into a huddle and I'll tell 10 guys what to do. Yeah, but if all 11 of us don't execute the same way and do the right thing and take the right steps and run the right route and all like like it's not gonna work.

SPEAKER_01 18:07

Right.

SPEAKER_02 18:07

And I recognize early on, I think that's one of the reasons why I love football. Yeah, because all of it matters. Yes, not just me.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 18:17

It's it's it's everybody on the same page doing the right thing over and over and over. When you can consistently execute at a high level, you win a lot of games. Um and it's it's kind of like our life, right? If we if I can show up every day as a dad, I'm disappointed at work, but I can come home and I can, you know, put that aside and say, you know what, like this is this is priority number two behind my faith. Right. And I'm gonna, I'm gonna shepherd this, I'm gonna take care of this. No, no matter what. Like, like that's what I mean. It's just I I I constantly pray for consistency in my life to be to be more like Christ.

SPEAKER_00 18:53

That's so good. The the phrase I always think about is do the people who know you best, right? And I think pastors struggle even more today, and you lived with the world of there's a press, there's the people writing, there's people that are, you know, superimposing a perspective on you that could be true or not true, and there's always all of this around you, but it do the people who know you best respect you the most. That's really what matters. And so that that's that's what I hear you saying is if I'm if I'm consistent, that there's gonna be uh varying degrees of perspective the further you move from that. Yeah but who am I? And then who am I with the people who know me best?

SPEAKER_02 19:37

I used to have a coach who said I hate flash players. I was like, what is a flash player? He's like the guy who makes a flash catch down the sidelines, and then you don't hear from him for another two weeks till he makes another splash play, right? Like he was like these the the flash moments, the flash players. He was like, I don't I don't want them. I want the guy who who's gonna who's gonna do it right all the time.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

That's so good. And and and I tell people, I mean, really, I'm a pastor, but I kind of lead our church like a dad or a coach. Because I think church is like football. I mean, we see in the New Testament, you can't say to the right guard, which I played on the line, I never touched the ball, right? So it's like you can't say to him, we don't need you, right? The the ear, the eye, the different gifts, like we need we need everyone. So, really, a great church is really not a group of special people. It's just ordinary people who know their assignment, prefer one another, work together as a team to glorify Christ. That's really what it is. It's just it's kind of like a football team. That's right. Everybody has a role. And and and the deal is we're we're not playing a game that doesn't matter. We're we're talking about heaven and hell here. This this is a this is a reality.

Grace Over Legalism

SPEAKER_00 20:50

You mentioned your dad and your granddad. Talk about your faith. When did you come to faith in Christ? Like how what what what what has been your kind of faith journey uh in terms of that?

SPEAKER_02 21:00

Yeah, no, I I'm my my family is special, and I'm I'm so thankful for for my family. My my grandparents, uh strong believers, um, my parents, um amazing um followers of Christ. We were in church all the time. You know, there was you know the doors were open, we were there, right? And so that was just that was built into me for for most of my life. Um, you know, I think, you know, so I heading off kind of on my own, I had a pretty firm foundation of of of scripture, of of who I am in Christ. Um, but I think you know, we all get to a point in our lives where we we've gotta we've really got to kind of make a choice of like, okay, I've I've learned about this my whole life. Is this really what I believe in? Right, right. Um, I'm also you throwing touchdowns on Saturdays and can kind of do it or be exposed to whatever I want there to be. Right. Um and so I think I think really my faith was tested the most as I as I got into college and your faith. A lot of pressure and expectations. And you're in a place where there's there was more people in my dorm room than there was in my hometown. Right. So like I I mean it was just a lot, right? And I I'll forever be grateful for uh friends that were put into my life, um, teachers, uh, preachers, pastors that poured into me in those seasons. Um, because there's there's a lot going on from when you're 18 to 22 years old.

SPEAKER_01 22:28

It's yeah.

SPEAKER_02 22:28

Um and so there's some really special men uh that that really walked with me, prayed for me, helped me through, you know, maybe bad decisions I made and you know what what that means, how can I grow from this? What can I learn? Um and so it's I I'm I am I am so grateful for that. I think I think for me, just the understanding of grace. Yeah. I think I have a tendency to be, you know, really regimented, you know, really legalistic on yeah, I'm gonna do this so I can get this. And I and that that is the that is the total opposite story of the New Testament. Total opposite story of grace. That's right. There's nothing I can do that's gonna get me to heaven someday. Literally nothing. Don't know how many trophies I win, how many things I do well, how many times I pray, how many, how much I read like like nothing's gonna get me there. That's religion. And so I I think I I'm just I'm I'm in awe of of grace.

SPEAKER_01 23:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 23:26

And and when when I grasped that, when I started understanding that, man, I I I just I felt this this freedom and this and in in life and football and my marriage and being a being a dad, yeah, you name it. Uh because Lord knows we all fall short in a lot of ways. Yeah. Um but God paid the or Jesus paid the price for for all of us. And and you know, understanding that and and living my life that way is just is is amazing.

SPEAKER_00 23:57

So I in December I led my trainer to Christ, and then just I I would say the number one barrier, you know, we we talk about the the isms, you know, the Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, you know, the number one barrier to people coming to faith in our culture is really not a religion of some sort or a philosophical ideology. Most people I talk to is when I say, What are you gonna do with Jesus? They say, I'm a good person. A good person is sometimes harder to lead to Christ than someone of another religion because what you're saying is we all relate to we're we're performance-oriented. So then we bring that to our faith in Christ, and you know, it's like, well, I'm gonna do better and get better, and I'm gonna become more righteous and and and have righteousness, which you know the problem is he's not grading on a curve, right? It's perfection is the goal. Totally. And so I I I agree. That's just the the grace of God, which is being also extended to people who don't receive Christ. There's a common grace that everyone's living under that goodness, even the people that are are are totally rejecting him. You know, that's how good he is.

SPEAKER_04 25:15

That's right.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

So tell me, I want to talk too about something that I'm passionate about. I I I write about it. I I say, so I'm at a phase in life a little further than you where you know my kids are getting up, grown, and married, and you know, and and I and talking about family and parenting, every time I talk about it, I feel like spiritual warfare a lot of times, you know, because I don't want to put myself out there because I'm definitely not saying I'm the standard and you don't want to put that pressure on your kids. I'm not in the same as you, but pastoring a larger church, being in the community, you know, you can you can feel a pressure like you're in a glass house, right? And I don't want to, I don't want to put undue pressure on them, but I do feel like like there there needs to be somebody championing this and talking about this. And and so I want to just say, you know, when I heard your story, even the broadcasting thing and like stepping back, I I have stepped back so much, even what we're doing, this podcast. I just started it, but I'm 53. I never spoke at a national conference till I was 48. I've just been a local church pastor and a dad, you know. And so there's a season for everything. And I think a lot of people today want everything in the same season. And you, you know, so talk to me about talk to me about being a dad, being a being a husband, talk to

Fatherhood Choices And Present Parenting

SPEAKER_00 26:40

me about convictions about that. Like how do you I mean obviously in when you were playing, there's a difference there, and then you know, now so tell me what you say. What do you what do you say to the I think it's amazing your parents had you in church, you know? Nowadays everybody plays ball all the time. I know, you know. I I'd say as a pastor, we ain't fighting the devil, we're fighting select baseball.

SPEAKER_02 27:02

We're fighting e sports, that's what we're fighting. Um yeah, no, that's that's great. I I I do. I mean, I I you know being being a a parent is a lot, I mean, first of all, you get married, that's a lot of responsibility. It is, right? Leading your wife, and you know, you know, it's a it's a covenant, it's uh, you know, marriage, like you know, and and just you know, understanding her and leading her and you know, all she's different football. All that is so there's so much there. And then you then you become a parent, and then then you have four kids, and it's like yeah, um, it it's hard. And there there's nights where I lay down and my wife and I pray together, and it's like I I don't I don't know if I'm doing this right.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:46

I don't, I don't, I'm I lost my patience today, or I said something I shouldn't say, or I offended them, or I I don't I mean, I've lived in a glass box my whole life. And so I think you know, playing in the NFL, you know, I I I was always guilty of my time because I needed to be at work and I needed to be, you know, going through third downs and figuring out what I'm gonna do on Sundays to win the game. And, you know, a lot of my time got neglected with my family, but I I always made time throughout my week. And I think when I had the opportunity to go into the NFL and and you know be a coach or I was on the path to do really amazing things, yeah um, you know, I had to take a step back and I just wasn't I wasn't fully comfortable doing that. And I think a lot of it was, you know, I I want to I want to be a dad and I I need to be a dad. I'm I'm called to be a father. Good for you. And and that was hard. I mean, I'm not patting myself on the back, but that's a good journey of of of kind of you know figuring out what my what what the Lord wanted for me to do. Um and so you know I've I've got four kids, 11, 9, 8, and 5, three girls, one boy. Um they're incredible. But uh but now moving back to Texas and and you know being able to to be at home most nights and be around is is is great. But it's also you know, I think they're the responsibility in that is like not just be home. Yeah, like we're we are shepherding, we are we are leading, right? We are serving, we are we are a picture to them. They're we're the closest picture to them of who Jesus is. That's right. You see, when when I kiss my wife in the kitchen and all my kids, you know, go, ew, whatever. Like they know that I love her. Right. Right. And they know that I love them. That's so good. And and so we're we are I am doing my best to to shepherd, to lead, to love, to, to um teach, yeah, to help. You know, I want to be involved in my kids, yeah. I want in their lives and the choices they make and the decisions they make as they get older. Like I don't, I don't want to, I don't want to look back and you know, I'm not saying my kids are gonna grow up and be perfect. That's not the goal. The goal is to like lead them to where their hearts will fall in love with Jesus. Exactly. Um, and so it's it is it is probably the hardest thing in the world, right? I can I can throw touchdowns on Sunday, but this is this is actually harder.

SPEAKER_00 30:18

Yeah, you're you're illustrating my message, right? It's like what it what happens is guys have trouble admitting that, right? And then they don't get around, you're putting yourself around people to to grow in that. And you know, it's it's interesting. Football, you know, you you get you get people, you get coaches, you watch the game, you invest in it. I was discipling a guy, and he's like, I just can't, I just can't like like remember the Bible. I'm like, but you know, every sports stat from 1970 wants you a little more focused here. You know what I mean? But uh guys don't get a lot of times a lot of input. You're you do know this. I had a great dad. My my parents were first generation Christians, and so I'm so I'm always championing the these young families who are charting a new territory, like your grandfather, or somewhere in those generations, somebody decided, as for me and my house, we're gonna serve the Lord, right? And you're a you're a third generation beneficiary of that decision, right? And so, but I think having that input, you know, a lot of people don't have that, but that doesn't mean that they can't get around the people or get around the environments to grow in it, right? And and and you learn what you're around, you you you what you invest in, you know. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 31:37

Um I brought my son here,

L3H3 Family Values In Practice

SPEAKER_02 31:40

Judd, come here for a second. Come up here. He's about to lose his middle tooth, so he's a little um listen. I I don't really know exactly how to be a good parent or how to tell you this is this is what you need to do to be a great. I don't I mean, we're all different. All of our families, kids are different. My my oldest is so much different than my second. That's so good. Than my third, than my fourth. Like they all have their own personalities, right? But they're all looking to us. Right. We're the closest thing to them. Yeah. And so my wife and I sat down and we're trying to figure out we want like a mission statement, or we like how are we gonna like get across to our kids? Like, this is what this is what me and mommy are trying to to be like or to do, to you know, why do we go to church? Why do we why do we serve, why do we open up our homes, people to come in? Like what who I mean, kids are asking all these questions all the time. So I wrote out this long, like, you know, this is this is our kind of values, this is our mission statement, and it was it was impossible to like, it was beautiful, but it was impossible to like navigate. And so I just we I just narrowed it down to to to L3H3. Okay. And Judd, can you tell us what L3H is? This is very impromptu. I hope you remember what we're talking about. What is L3?

SPEAKER_04 33:01

Love God, love family, love.

SPEAKER_02 33:03

And what's H3? There you go. Love it. Good job, my man. You're good. Good job. Thank you. We just say L3H3, and it's kind of like our our deal, you know? It's like around the table, like, hey man, um you know, love God, love family, love others. How did you how'd you do that today? Give me what happened? Did somebody love you today? How you know, or humility, honor, and hard work. How did you how did you show honor to to someone today? That's good. How was school today? Did you work hard? Yeah, you know, like there it's just it provides ways for us to just engage and and have conversation. And um, you know, as that's been, you know, that that's not all of it, but like there, there's a lot in there that that allows us to kind of set a set an example and set a standard of of kind of what we think God's calling us to be.

SPEAKER_00 33:57

That's so good. That's so good. I mean, it it's just you're prioritizing it, right? Like you said, you're not perfect, you're not, you don't, you sometimes feel like you're but the encouragement I'm always giving and what we're giving to everybody, and what you're really doing is saying, this is important to me. So I'm going to grow in this area. I'm gonna prioritize in this area. I'm gonna, you know, yeah, it I the deal is as a pastor for 30 plus years, I've sat with people at the end, and when they're on their deathbed, what they're not talking about is their football championships, their business deals, or their 401k. They are talking about that little guy or their golf game.

unknown 34:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 34:39

They're talking about that that guy, right? They're talking about your wife. They're talking about the people, you know, and so I it's just it and and I think in our world, and then as the algorithm-driven iPhone now has has changed our culture too, because now I also have another scoreboard, which is everybody else's life, that usually isn't painting that as the target,

Real Estate Work And Foster Care Mission

SPEAKER_00 35:04

right? It's it's it's inspiring you to go. What what are you um tell us about like what are you also you're passionate about your family and you're doing real estate? But what tell me tell us like just what what would you, you know, the next generation? I'm passionate about that. Tell me, tell me something. What are you passionate about? Like what if you could, if you know, the audience here, you know, it's like, yeah, Colt, he's a football player, but he loved husband, dad. But like when you think about the world today and you think about giving back, what is kind of your you simplified it there with your kids, but like if you were speaking to, you know, hundreds of young people right now, or even a pastor who feels discouraged, like you know, a pastor sometimes like a quarterback, he studies for the game and then everybody drops the ball. Yeah, you know, right? What would you say? Like, what are you passionate about in our world? What are you thinking about? What would you if if if if time were no object, money were no object, and God just said, here, Colt, what would you what would you do to make a difference?

SPEAKER_02 36:08

Yeah, there's so many things. Uh, you know, I think number one, I think God calls us to work. You know, I I I'm very grateful. I moved back to Texas. We we live in Fort Worth, and you know, I started a real estate company with a with a lot of guys, and uh it's been awesome. It's it has been so great, so different from football. Yeah, but there's a lot of the same things that that apply, you know, of being on a good team and leading and serving and helping and growing and cultivating. Um, and that's been a that's been a I've always loved um real estate and starting a company and kind of building that and growing that has been has been really cool. Yeah. Um but I think you know business is is is great. You know, home is you know where you it's you it's your faith, it's your family, and then it's kind of you know your your work because you gotta you gotta provide and you gotta you gotta you know serve and help in your community and all those things. But I think you know I I love the fact that now you know my wife and I have been able to do some things together. Right for a long time, you know, it was hey Rachel, like you, you get the kids, you move the kids, we're moving to this city, and like I'll see y'all when you get here and I'm on a mission, you know, for years and years and years, right? For 20 years. Yeah um and now it's like hey, okay, I've uh we we're kind of somewhat settled. You know, we live in an amazing place that we love. We kind of planted our flag in in Texas and in Fort Worth and started a business, and that's going well. But like, you know, Rachel and I have been able to to to serve on some boards together. We we're very passionate about uh church, we're very passionate about um you know the the foster care system. Okay. You know, we we're we are we are doing things and engaged with some groups who are trying to end the child welfare crisis in America. So like and and there's a big faith component to that, right? Like we we we want to you know be a be a part of helping solve some of these some of these problems, and and they're it's everywhere, it's uh it's around us. But there's there's so many cool missions like that, you know, um that that that people are serving for and and helping and aiding and giving money to. And you know, I think for a long time in my life it was like football, football, football, football. And now it's now it is it is uh it's been really great to just kind of come alongside my wife, who's amazing, and and kind of you know do things together that that are that are truly making a difference. And and uh that's been special.

SPEAKER_00 38:44

You know, when it comes to the next generation, you know, you hear I I I find people are in two different categories, you know. You hear talk about work, you're in the marketplace, right? And it's just like, well, young people don't want to work, or you know, a guy the other day, millennials, I'm like, you do realize they're like 40 now, right? So it's like so there's there's sort of can be this camp of it's just different, you know, they've they've got technology, you know, we've we've lost the grit, you know, everybody's writing about grit. Then you have this other category of people who are connected with young people, but what what do you think, you know, what what are some of the messages to the next generation?

Community Over Isolation For Next Gen

SPEAKER_00 39:25

What are some things you're like, we don't want to lose this? What do what do you ever think about that? Like if you were coaching a a team, you know, which I'm sure with this young guy, you're gonna be in there with different little leagues and different whatever or whatever he gets into, you'll be around it. But what do you what do you what do you what do you think? Is there some things you think that you see that needs to be emphasized? That that maybe is underemphasized?

SPEAKER_02 39:50

Yeah, well, I I I do. I think I think these things can be a problem, but they could there's there's also a lot of things you can solve with things. Um I think I think just a couple things, and this may sound like I'm the I'm the old man in the room here, but I I think just engagement. I think I think just um being in community, you know, that that's what church is, and and eye to eye and and talking through problems and and sharing things that you're going through and and having, you know, uh Joby Martin talks about mat carriers, you know, guys who are in your corner that you can do life with. I think I just don't want to lose that. I see a lot of uh of of our younger generation just plugged in on their phone and and you know missing out on on actual engagement with other people. And that that sounds kind of old school and and corny, yeah. But I but I think that's real. Man, I I I do. I I think I think community is a is a very powerful thing. Yeah. And we all grew up with that. Yeah um I think it in my in my job and my work, it's like it's a it's about relationships, it's about it's about eye-to-eye contact, it's about you know solving other people's problems or coming alongside and helping them find a solution. And um I I you know sports is great. I can give you sports analogies all the time, but what what makes great sports teams? Well, they all care about each other, they sacrifice for each other, they're disciplined, you know, they show up early for workouts because everybody else is counting on them. Right. You know, and I think like some of that needs to just continue to go as we as we grow up and as we start working, as we start providing. Um, and so I'm I I I want more of that. I want, I want, you know, it's I it's so easy in our culture to be like, I'm gonna go service me. Right. I'm gonna go help me. Yeah, and I'm gonna do what I want to do. And I and I I do think that that uh some of that is probably okay, but but you know, the the the real community of of people and love and and service and sacrifice and you know, having you know a group of mat carriers or your church or or people that you're engaged with to do life with is is what God wants.

SPEAKER_00 42:02

That's so good. Yeah, isolation. I mean, it that's the power of of sports, right? Like, and I'm not saying everybody's gonna be sports oriented, right? But team, even your the debate team, the band, the you know, getting your kids involved with church and getting them involved with community, because it's so much easier to isolate, right? Is what you're basically saying. And just just just we we we have a tendency to to pull back and this this pushes us beyond our insecurities. It causes us to care about as someone discipling people, pastoring people, and even employing young leaders, like bringing young leaders into ministry. I do find that young people who have been involved in team activities of some sort are more effective. It's just bottom line. They're more effective in life. They're better if they've been involved in that, right? That's right. So kind of find their niche and get them, get them engaged. I I think that's a good one. What was your second one, you think? What else?

SPEAKER_02 43:03

Oh, you know, I I don't I mean, there's a lot.

The Real Enemy And Daily Playbook

SPEAKER_02 43:06

I would say this may be this may be changing the subject a little bit, but I'd just say, like, you know, you the way to win, that the book that you wrote, I'm I can't wait to read it. I'm sure it's amazing. Um, but just kind of understanding that like, you know, we we all are wired to to win.

SPEAKER_01 43:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:25

And I think being a Christian, and one of the messages that I I want to get out is that like, hey, hey, none of us are perfect. In fact, throughout the Bible, Jesus uses the least dudes to like change the world. That's so true. And and but but we still have it in us to to go compete, like to to go win, whether that's in in work or in the home in my home or in my job, or yeah, you know, if I'm playing cards, like yeah, you want to you wanna win. But I think you the the the idea that then the understanding that we win in the end. Is amazing. We win. Right? We win. We we've already won. We've and we've already won. But right now, while we're here, like there is an opponent. There is an opponent. And it's not what you talked about. You're 401k and and I need to have a better golf game and I need a better car and and a bigger house. Like the opponent is the devil. Exactly. In first Peter it says that the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for you for someone to devour. Right. Right? At every turn. Right. Pride, anger, all the things that fear, insecurities, like that is what we're fighting against on a daily basis. And so I I think for for me, it's like, sure, I want to win. Well, who am I fighting against? Right. I'm not fighting against the other real estate company that got the deal that I wanted to go get. So good. I mean, I I'd love to get it. But and I'll compete. But my real enemy, my my real like day-to-day battle is with an opponent who's like trying to devour me.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

So true.

SPEAKER_02 45:05

It's not like a little um man in a red suit with a cool little pitchfork. Like that's not that's not what we're fighting against. We're fighting against we're fighting for our kids.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

We are.

SPEAKER_02 45:16

We're fighting for our families. We're fighting for the eternity. Exactly. And and and that's the real battle. And and you know, so if you're isolated or if you if you just scroll on your phone all day, if there's no engagement, if there's no teaching and learning and understanding and growth all the time, then then then we're gonna you you're gonna lose.

SPEAKER_00 45:35

That's true. A lot. Exactly. Right? Yeah, I mean the Bible uses those languages. I love that the Bible, I I didn't want to be a pastor because I thought you had to you had to play to survive. I didn't know you could play to win, right? I I I'm not meaning that in a mean way. I just hadn't seen, and and I'm but the Bible does give Paul said, I've I've fought the fight. I've I've finished the race. I've I've I've you know, he he he wasn't saying he was perfect, but he said, Look, I I completed. Winning is not that you never have losses. Winning is not competing against someone else. It's ultimately what is winning according to scripture is an eternal mindset that you want to become the person God has called and created you to be. That you want to put your your full engagement with him and the people around you to to accomplish everything that he's called you to accomplish and be in him, right? It's it's it's it's running your race to win from an eternal perspective, which can include business. I mean, again, b marketplace, we work as unto the Lord, right? I mean, I'm doing we're doing it to glorify him. And so I um I love that, man. I I love that, and and I think, you know, specifically also for men, I think men get so many more inputs to win at stuff that matters, but doesn't ultimately matter. They just get the wrong scoreboard. And that's why, like Solomon, right? I mean, he had, I mean, this guy would have been today's multi-gazillionaire Hollywood celebrity, drink, food, party, money, women. And yet he sits there and says, This is all meaningless, you know. So the most miserable person is the person who gets what they think can ultimately fulfill them, only to find out it doesn't. It doesn't, you know.

SPEAKER_02 47:31

And so I think I think the question is is like, so so what do we what do we do if we like how do I do that? Right. Like what what yeah, you know, and and I I mean this is gonna sound very uh kindergarten, but it's but it's like man, if you're not if you're not reading your Bible every day, so good. There there that it's it's gonna be really hard. So good. You know, and that's a playbook. I'm preaching to myself. Like I getting in the word, yes, is is is that's that is your that is that's the that's your tools. That's your yeah, that's your football to go throw touchdowns. That's your that's your that's your guide. That's like that's your connection to the Lord. And then and then prayer. Like read your Bible and pray. Like man, spend time in that. Like do it. Pray for your family, yeah. For the people at your work, pray for your kids, pray for like bring it all to the table. Peter says, like, cast all your cares on him, right? Right? All your anxieties, all your worries, all your fears, like talk to him. We have a direct line. I think we sometimes forget about that. You know, whatever. Like it, like, but that that's that's it. Like that's that is what what we what that is the priority.

SPEAKER_00 48:46

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_02 48:47

How am I gonna be a better dad?

SPEAKER_00 48:49

It's like Vince Lombardi.

SPEAKER_02 48:51

But like I need to, I need to pray and read my Bible. Vince Lombardi, this is a football. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:56

It's like, hey, we gotta go back to blocking and tackling. I agree with you. I mean, if I get busy or travel and I miss that, like I can find myself losing patience. I can find myself, you know, you can tell when you're you when you're used to going to that source and you somehow kind of let it wane a little bit, you can you can tell. And that's that's home base, man. You know, you can't give what you don't don't have.

SPEAKER_02 49:20

You can't outwork something. You know, it's like just re read and study and ask questions and find people around you that that can can help you and pray with you. And yeah, what does this mean? Well, let's go figure it out. Like, like that is so powerful. Yeah, and that will that will that will like seep into everything else that you're doing in your life.

SPEAKER_00 49:41

Man, it's awesome. In a good way. Let's go good.

Final Encouragement And Subscribe Request

SPEAKER_00 49:44

Well, I want you to know I'm I'm you know, I I think about you as a dad, I'm cheering you on for just that that target and vision. And thank you for being who you are. Thank you for representing Christ. And you don't, you're not asking for that, you're doing it to honor God. But you know, just thank you for being somebody who has had the assignment you have, but still representing Christ. And we're gonna go uh and we're gonna actually go and try to encourage a bunch of men. That's gonna be exciting. So, man, thank you for being here. You bet, man. They'll probably encourage me. I wanted to personally say thank you for checking out the lead to win podcast. I love bringing this conversation to you, and I hope it adds value to you. If you wanted to do something to help the lead to win podcast, hit that like button. Even more importantly, hit the subscribe button and check out our next episode because we have some great ones coming up just for you.