Shorter University football team sees 48 decisions before start of season
By Henry Durand/Christian Index
ROME, Ga. — Close to 50 football players on the team at Shorter University made decisions for Christ this year before the season started, and 17 followed through with believer’s baptism.
Zach Morrison, in his seventh year as head coach, described what happened after players arrived at the school in early August for preseason training and conditioning camp. “We took them to a couple of local churches,” he said, “and about 150 players visited Life Church.”
That Sunday, Morrison recalled, Life Church Pastor Jason Stockton preached and closed with an invitation. Team chaplain Topher Stockton (no relation) said 48 players “felt the conviction to stand and say, ‘I need this.’”
Topher Stockton, who is executive pastor at West Rome Baptist Church, and Jason Stockton chatted and shared ideas about next steps for the players. The following Wednesday the players that had made decisions were invited to stay and formed small groups with local pastors.
David Harper of Hollywood Baptist Church, Jarrod Roberts of West Rome, Shorter campus minister David Roland, and Topher Stockton and Jason Stockton were among the pastors that met with the players. The pastors and players talked through what their decisions meant, and what baptism is and is not. Baptism, the players were told is an outward symbol of an inward commitment, similar to how a wedding ring is a symbol of a marriage.
On Saturday, Sept. 17, after an intrasquad scrimmage, 16 players and one coach stepped forward to be baptized on the practice field. Another player was baptized that Sunday at West Rome.
The first to be baptized, recalled Topher Stockton, was Brent Brown, a junior running back. “I had always struggled with whether or not I was saved,” Brown said. “At Life Church I felt, ‘This is it,’ and made a decision that changed my life.”
Junior linebacker Kobe Butts said he’d felt God leading him to be saved, but “hadn’t heard the right message. That morning I felt chills and knew it was time. God showed up in my and my [football] brothers’ lives.”
The focus now is on discipling the new believers. “They need to get in the word and know what that looks like in life,” Morrison said.
Morrison added that the entire community of believers is gathering around the players to support and encourage them in their walk with the Lord. Hollywood Baptist sponsored Bibles for the players. Calvary Baptist Church brought books for brand-new believers. Pastor Roberts at West Rome challenged the men in his church to step up and mentor the young men on the team.
And it is making a noticeable difference on the team. Morrison said more than 40 guys showed up to attend a small group to study the Bible and hold each other accountable. “They are still dedicated to football and school,” he said, “But they are significantly dedicated to Christ.”
Samford unveils $85 million recreation, wellness & athletic complex
By G. Allan Taylor/Samford University
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Samford University celebrated the debut of its 165,000-square-foot Campus Recreation, Wellness & Athletic Complex—an $85 million project that combines world-class fitness amenities with communal spaces for students and faculty.
“This proudly stands among the best such facilities in the nation,” said Samford President Beck A. Taylor during today’s ribbon cutting. “It’s a game-changer for Samford.”
The massive four-story complex features basketball, racquetball and pickleball courts, along with studios for spin classes, yoga, pilates, Zumba and barre core. There are tonal strength stations, free weights, cardio and circuit training, turf areas, billiards, an elevated jogging track, a coffeehouse and 24-hour market. There’s also an esports lounge designed to launch the university’s new video gaming program.
“This is the first building block of a very ambitious plan to continue elevating Samford as a top residential university in the country,” said Taylor, only weeks after the university announced a 16th consecutive year of record-breaking enrollment. “Our students and families are choosing Samford in record numbers, because we’re all about residential experience.
“Above all, this complex is a place for community. Obviously, students will use the equipment, but they’ll have the opportunity to run into each other, to encourage one another, and to study for an exam between an intramural game. This is going to be a real hub in the West Campus area.”
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Karon O. Bowdre (inactive), chair of the Samford University Board of Trustees, recalled how nearly two years ago Taylor and trustees began shaping a vision to enrich campus life. That master plan, known as Samford Horizons, includes a reimagined dining experience, four new residence halls scheduled to open in 2025, a 550-space parking deck, and today’s debut of the high-end recreation facility, which coincided with Samford’s annual Family Weekend.
“I am delighted that so many students are here to share in this celebration,” Bowdre told the audience. “This is your day, and we are thrilled to be here with you.”
James Jefferson, Samford’s student government president, toured the expansive complex and proclaimed it a milestone moment. “Years from now,” he said, “we will remember this day and how we felt with the new possibilities opening for us.”
Nick Madsen, executive director of campus recreation, was part of a leadership team that evaluated recreational facilities at more than 20 major universities to inform Samford’s design.
