Heart of an Athlete
November 2009

Kyle Adams Purdue University Tight End

Chosen Attribute: Friendship

Dictionary definition: "The state of being a friend. Harmony, accord, understanding, support."

My definition: "To be a good example of Christ in my day-to-day interactions with people regardless of the situation — whether people come to me with problems, happiness or sadness."

Favorite Scripture that deals with friendship: Matthew 19:19 – "...love your neighbor as yourself."

Why I chose this passage: "That verse is a common saying everybody knows, whether they are Christian or not. But truly living out the principle of treating others as you want to be treated and loving them as much as we love ourselves is difficult.

"Our team chaplain, Marty Dittmar, always reminds the Christians on our team that we are the only Bibles most people will ever read. We are the only Christians they may ever know. Understanding that is key when people approach me, whether they are teammates, classmates or just people on campus. No interaction should be taken for granted; it should be viewed as an opportunity to share and reflect the Lord."

"...we are the only Bibles most people will ever read."

How friendship affects my life outside of football: "During the season I don't have a lot of time to hang out with people who aren't on the team, but I do have a close group of friends who help take my mind off football when I'm not on the field. To me, that's incredibly important. I'm kind of cautious with new acquaintances, but that doesn't mean I can't or shouldn't be friendly and treat everyone with the same respect I give my close friends."

How friendship affects my interactions with teammates: "It can be especially hard to 'love your neighbor as yourself' on a team when you are competing for positions and under the pressure to perform. But I have to remember that, when the pressure is on or I'm having a bad day, I don't have any excuse to stop being a positive, Christ-like example.

"Developing relationships with other Christians on my team is huge, too. There is an immediate connection with guys who are brothers in Christ. We have a bond that we don't get anywhere else. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not friends with guys who don't share my faith; but the relationships with my Christian brothers are irreplaceable. They help me keep my eyes focused on Christ and stay close to Him."

About the Athlete Hometown: Austin, Texas Class: Junior Position: Tight End Career Highlights: • Starting tight end for the Boilermakers • 2008 Noble E. Kizer Award recipient for the team's top grade-point average • 2007 Academic All-Big Ten selection FCA Involvement: When Kyle Adams arrived at Purdue, he professed faith in Christ but says it was more of a label than a relationship. Through the campus FCA Huddle, however, Adams' perspective changed regarding what it meant to be a Christian. Said Adams: "It is about our relationship with God and being saved by grace." Now a member of the Purdue FCA leadership team, Adams has teamed up with fellow Boilermaker Huddle members to reach not only the school campus, but the world, taking mission trips to Haiti in each of the past two summers. "Getting involved with FCA, stepping into a leadership position and taking the mission trips has really strengthened my faith," he said. "It's made me get serious about my walk with God." Chaplain Quote: "It has been wonderful to see Kyle's growth in the Lord over the last couple of years. He has developed a deep burden for young people in Haiti after going on two of our Purdue mission trips. He enjoys going into our local schools and speaking at FCA Huddles, and he has the ability to communicate God's love to the students. The Lord is really using Kyle's testimony to reach young people." – Marty Dittmar, Purdue Sports Chaplain

--For more stories about faith and sport, visit www.sharingthevictory.com, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. To subscribe to STV, click here.

Photos courtesy of Purdue University Sports Information.