Chad Hennings and John Carney:

TWO NFL STARS TALK TO TEENAGERS

by

Mike Nappa

Nearly 1,000,000 high schoolers play football each year, but only 150 will go on to play in the NFL. For every player that makes a pro football team, more than 6,000 are passed over!¹

Chad Hennings and John Carney are two guys that not only beat the odds to make it in the pros, but have also risen to the top of the league. As a defensive lineman for the Dallas Cowboys, Chad owns three Super Bowl championship rings. John is the highly regarded place-kicker for the San Diego Chargers, and has been to the Super Bowl as well. We wanted to find out what these guys thought about football, faith, and you! So we asked them...here’s what they had to say:

•••

CHAD: I grew up on a farm in the eastern part of Iowa. We grew corn and soybeans, but the mainstay of the income was from a cattle feeding operation.

JOHN: I had a very fortunate childhood. Great mother and father and two older sisters. We moved around a little bit, starting in Connecticut, then moved to Florida. Spent a lot of time around the water in Florida.

CHAD: I was intrigued by the military lifestyle, and by the discipline it takes to be able to go four years at the Air Force Academy. And I wanted to fly also.

CHAD: Yes, I flew the A-10 (the "Warthog").

CHAD: It was a lot of fun. I was stationed two years in England, flying out of the United Kingdom. What we primarily did was escort the C-130 tactical airlift support aircraft as they were dropping supplies to the Kurds. We [also] did reconnaissance type missions where we’d fly around, making sure the Iraqis were doing what they were supposed to be doing.

JOHN: A great experience. Kind of got there on a wing and a prayer, really. They accepted me as a walk-on place-kicker and punter. So I felt extremely fortunate and tried to make the best of my opportunity. The education experience was unparalleled [and] to play for a school with a rich football tradition like Notre Dame was a great experience.

JOHN: Yes, my sophomore year. It was a big day for me and my parents!

JOHN: I went out with several of my friends in our bathing suits and a surf board to take a picture when there was snow on the ground! It was zero degrees!

JOHN: The challenge, the skill level, and the intensity are very attractive about the NFL. Along with the pay scale! [Also], the camaraderie amongst your teammates. Those bonds you build with your teammates last for years.

FamilyFans: Chad, what do you like best about playing for the Cowboys?

CHAD: Their winning tradition. Having played on three Super Bowl championship teams in the last four years has been an experience second to none.

CHAD: Basically as a role model. It’s a responsibility for me to live my life according to my Christian values and morals. I try to exemplify those both on and off the field. I take my position as a Christian role model and as a professional athlete very seriously.

JOHN: With the pressures and anxieties, you need to find a foundation to keep you steady and maintain a perspective. We’re fortunate here [in San Diego], and many teams are set up in a similar fashion. We have a Protestant chaplain and two Catholic monsignors that perform services throughout the season. We have a chapel Saturday night, mass Sunday morning and a Bible study on Monday morning which is great. We get a lot of the Word, a lot of good counsel from Christian perspective.

JOHN: Yeah. It does. It keeps you in the Word. Keeps your mind and your eye on the Lord’s way and not the world’s way.

JOHN: People really look for peace in their lives. I find peace when I make my worry list my prayer list and depend on God to help me through tough situation. When you surround yourself with Christians, plug yourself into a church or Bible study, get into the Word on a consistent basis, many of the answers to your problems will be revealed to you and you’ll be confident that you’re on the right track. That confidence and faith that God’s got a plan for you will give you peace and direction in your life.

CHAD: Always be committed and never give up. That can be applied to schoolwork, to your family, life at home, to your Christian life, to your extra-curricular activities, what-have-you. Always, always try your best, and if you find out it’s not for you, then fine, move on to something else. But never give up if you face adversity. There are no short-cuts to success. If you want any lasting happiness and lasting success in your life, and if you want to be looked upon as a quality individual or a person that other people look up to, you have to work for it.

SIDEBAR 1

"First, when you line up, you’re thinking about the pass-rush move you’re going to use, where you’re going to be, your responsibility, where you’re going to go. My favorite pass-rush move is probably a bull-rush—just straight ahead, then go into a move [to get away from the offensive lineman].

"You start to get excited once you beat your guy and you’ve got a straight shot at the quarterback. We think about getting a good clean hit on the quarterback. Wrapping him up and being able to take him to the ground so he doesn’t spin out or scramble away from you. So you’re always going for his up-field shoulder.

"Getting a sack is a lot like a receiver or a running back scoring a touchdown. That’s a defensive lineman’s version of a big play. It’s a great feeling."

SIDEBAR 2

Step 1: "A consistent starting point is a must. Step off your angle and step off your steps prior to the field goal so you’re at the exact angle and the exact approach every time.

Step 2: "After you’ve stepped off your approach, take one last look at your target. Hopefully by that time you’ve figured out the wind conditions and all those factors. Don’t rush yourself."

Step 3: "Approach the ball as the holder is putting the ball down."

Step 4: "Keep your head down, kick with the top of the foot (where the laces are)."

Step 5: "Follow through."

SIDEBAR 3

•Full Names: Chad William Hennings and John Michael Carney

•Nicknames: Paul Bunyan (Chad); Chili Con Carney (John)

•Helmet and Shoe Sizes: 81/2 helmet, size 14 shoe (Chad); 65/8 helmet, size 8 shoe (John)

•Favorite flavors of Gatorade: Orange (Chad); "The blue kind" (John)

•Favorite Bible Verses: Philippians 4:13 and Psalm 90:12 (Chad); Philippians 4:6-7 (John)

•Chad’s Hidden Talent: Memorizing lines from John Wayne movies.

•Funniest Thing John Has Seen Happen In The Chargers Locker Room: A coach attempting to knock over a large cooler of Gatorade to get the players’ attention during a half-time speech. (It took the coach two tries before the cooler moved!)

•First Pro Quarterback Chad Ever Sacked: Philadelphia Eagles QB, Randall Cunningham, in a 1992 game at Texas Stadium.

•John’s Favorite T-Shirts And Hats: Anything from Ransom Soul Wear (a Christian apparel company).

•One Product Chad Would Love to Make a Commercial For: Jet ski’s or snowmobiles. Says Chad, "It would be fun filming the action."

•Addresses for Fan Mail: Chad Hennings, c/o Dallas Cowboys, One Cowboys Parkway, Irving, TX 75063; John Carney, co/ Jack Murphy Stadium, 9449 Friars Rd., San Diego, CA, 92108.