________________________________________________________________
 

Pursuing a Higher Goal

Tom Barnard

 

ome stories of personal achievement result in “Oscars” being awarded to actors who portray the lead characters in motion pictures. Other stories do not. This is one of those. The athlete’s name is Jimmy Graham. He is hoping to play for a National Football League team starting next fall.

 

Graham grew up in Goldsboro, a small town in North Carolina. His home life was described by Boston Globe staff writer Monique Walker as being “the most troubling of circumstances.” His older sister was placed in a group home until she was 18. His mother did not play a significant role in his life; his father played none.

 

But a church did. It was the Abundant Life Church, located about two miles from Graham’s home. The staff writer said the church “is where believers gather, and it is where Jimmy Graham found people who believed in him.” As a high-school student he knew he could count on the church for a free hot meal when he needed one. “It was like everybody there believed in me,” Jimmy recalled. “They told me I was too smart and too talented. My whole life, I always felt different and out of place, and I finally felt like people cared about me and people wanted me to succeed.”

 

In the Boston Globe story, here is how Ms. Walker summarized the role of the church in Jimmy’s life: “A teenager basically raising himself, Graham gained a foundation through his weekly visits to the church. He discovered fellowship, a pastor who would become his high school basketball coach, a guardian who gave him stability in an unstable life, and a congregation joyful with encouragement.”

 

Carlos Peralta was a pastor at the church and coached basketball at a private high school on the side. He took Jimmy under his wing and mentored him in things he needed to know to play basketball. Another member of the church—Becky Vinson—was a single mother and Gulf War veteran. She became Jimmy’s legal guardian before his sophomore year of high school and raised him along with her own daughter in a very modest trailer. Things were very tight financially; for two years they didn’t have heat and had to be creative to stay warm in the winters.

 

Jimmy was tall and athletic, and by the time he was a senior in high school, he was offered a scholarship to play basketball at the University of Miami. In four years at Miami, Graham developed a reputation as a proficient shot blocker. Professional basketball teams from overseas came calling, and the offers reached six figures. But Jimmy had an “itch” to play football. So, instead of playing professional basketball this year, he agreed to play football for the 2009 season at Miami. At 6 feet 6 inches and 260 pounds, he was an awesome tight end, scoring 5 touchdowns in 13 games for the Hurricanes. Pro football scouts found him to be an interesting prospect. Analysts say it is likely Jimmy may be selected in the middle rounds of this week’s NFL draft.

 

Pastor and writer John C. Maxwell says, “Learn to say ‘no’ to the good so you can ‘yes’ to the best.” That could have been Jimmy Graham’s goal in life. It certainly was reflected in his decision to turn down a lucrative offer to play professional basketball so he could continue his quest to play football. It is one thing to say ‘no’ to the bad, but it is something much different to say ‘no’ to the good. Setting a high standard for oneself calls for reaching past immediate gains to pursue a higher goal. 

 

Jimmy Graham started very early in search of his dream. He could have settled for lesser goals, blaming his circumstances and lack of opportunity. But he was driven to succeed. As a middle-school student he wanted to play football. But practices were held 5 miles away, and there was no one to drive him there and back. So he ran the 5 miles to practice and walked home afterwards. He never complained. It wasn’t until one of the coaches noticed that Jimmy was walking home each day after practice that rides were arranged for him. That’s why Jimmy Graham will succeed in life—he’s got higher goals to reach!

 

The article from the Boston Globe is entitled “Graham Powers Forward with Gamble.” It was written by Monique Walker, a staff writer. It appeared in the April 18, 2010 edition of the paper and is considered copyrighted material. Any re-print of the quotes requires permission of the publisher.