Legacy of Influence: A Journey from Coach to Christ-follower

Tommy Butler has been 0-9 and one yard short of a state championship. Neither mattered as much as he expected. In this episode of the Stories of His Glory podcast, the Central Cass coach shares how Jesus rebuilt a kid who once thought he was dumb.  A Kid Who Shut Down Tommy grew up poor in an affluent Oregon town. When a classmate discovered he couldn't spell the word "the," the room laughed—and Tommy decided he'd never speak again. His GPA fell below 1.0. Rather than ask for help, he learned to cheat, all the way through college. Sports were the one place he was good, so his identity lived there. His future wife was the first person to see through the act and help him catch up. He fell in love with learning, and the kid who couldn't spell became a teacher. Seeds, a Surrender, and a Cancer Diagnosis Tommy didn't find Jesus because he was looking. A wrestling coach on fire for God broke his assumption that Christians were lame. A friend walked him through the Ten Commandments and showed him he was lost. At an altar call he stood to go forward and couldn't move; something pushed him forward. This year his wife faced breast cancer. He asked his best friend, What am I going to do if she dies? The answer came back tenfold, almost audible: You've never raised those babies on your own, and you never will. At Central Cass, he tells kids he loves them because he doesn't know if they hear it at home. Before home games he and his offensive coordinator run a chapel—four kids the first year, fifty-six last season. He preaches it as though they've never heard: Jesus died for the kid you are right now, not some future version of you. Rivals on Friday, Brothers the Rest of the Week Tommy and Kindred's coach, Nate Safe, are one and two in the region every year. He'll tell you straight: he wants to go 12-0 every season, and he'd love to hand Kindred a loss. His daughters give the rivalry two thumbs down. But he also knows the rivalry makes both programs better—two coaches pushing each other, both refusing to settle for second. When he coached Kindred's players in the Shrine game, he called Nate and admitted, I really wanted not to like your kids. They're awesome. He runs a great program, so of course they are. That's the balance. Tommy wants to win. But he says plainly: if he goes 12-0 and never tells those kids about Jesus, shame on him. A state title is awesome, but the next day is a regular day. What matters is what changed eternally. Conclusion Tommy spent years trying to be a quiet, mild Christian coach like someone else. A mentor asked him who gave him his passion, and whether God would want him to waste it. That unlocked him. He's fierce on purpose—God made him that way—and the work is managing the fire, not extinguishing it. If someone asks him why he's different, his answer is simple: somebody came into his life and radically changed it. Jesus wanted the drunk, the thief, the cheater, exactly as he was. And He doesn't call anyone to stay there. Call to Action Listen to Tommy Butler's full conversation on Stories of His Glory—on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website. Visit fcand.org to get involved with FCA.

Ev spent nearly four decades in coaching (and Terri spent four decades as a coaches wife) before joining FCA staff at UND. Their story shows how differently God works in two people, and how long He is willing to wait. Two Roads to the Same Savior Terri grew up in a Christian home and walked forward at altar calls every summer, but never understood it was a relationship. She spent years trying to be good enough. That ended at a wellness convention in Texas, of all places. At an optional church service, Michael W. Smith sang a song tied to her family's history. She went to a prayer room, told God to prove He existed, and walked out changed. Ev felt God calling for years and ignored Him. He built his identity around toughness. He watched the change in Terri, and watched two believing coaches on his own staff. In 2004, on a school bus bound for a Bismarck playoff game, he finally surrendered. He was nearly 50. A Seed That Waited 28 Years In 1976, Ev was coaching in Philip, South Dakota, when a local FCA group shared the gospel with him at a pastor's ranch. He forgot about it. Twenty-eight years later, that seed came due. FCA was already woven into his life long before he ever joined staff. Ministry of Presence at UND Ev came on staff in 2013. When Bubba Schweigert returned as UND's head football coach, he opened doors. But the breakthrough was less dramatic: Ev simply showed up. He attended basketball practices for weeks before Coach Jones spoke to him. A player eventually brought him a chair. Presence comes before platform. Terri joined him in 2015 and started a Bible study for the basketball team. God answered her fear of not knowing sports: They're just little girls in big girls' bodies who happen to play basketball. She knew how to love young women—she had raised four daughters. Their home became the hub. The ministry grew from seven athletes to around a hundred. Athletes baptized each other in bathtubs. At 20 below zero, they set up an ice-fishing tent and read the entire New Testament aloud, hoping someone would ask why. They took ten students to Guatemala. And they both learned something about athletes they'd gotten wrong—that sport consumes a college student's life, and everyone wants to see how you act when you lose. Conclusion Ev once said his whole idea of coaching flipped—from creating athletes and winning to building authentic relationships. It took decades to learn. He now watches athletes thank God on national television and thinks, I could do it again. The Nelsons prove that no faithful seed is wasted and no surrender comes too late. Call to Action Listen to Ev and Terri Nelson's full conversation on Stories of His Glory—on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our website. And if God has been calling you for years, stop waiting. Visit fcand.org to get involved with FCA.