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Neal Jeffrey, former
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aylor University, the Baptist university in Waco, Texas, had won two football games when Texas Christian University (TCU) came into town in November of 1973. The first three quarters of the game were vintage Baylor — they were behind by a score of 34-7, and the clock showed just over 11 minutes to play.
Over the course of the next 11 minutes, Baylor scored 21 points. Using his last time out, Coach Grant Teaff called two plays and reminded his quarterback that Baylor had no timeouts left. With time running out on the clock and all their timeouts exhausted, the quarterback dropped back and threw a completed pass; but the receiver did not get out of bounds. Baylor lined up quickly, and the quarterback took the snap and threw the ball out of bounds to stop the clock. The only problem was that it was fourth down. Baylor lost possession of the ball and ultimately lost the game.
The quarterback was Neal Jeffrey. Despite the fact that reporters called him the "stuttering quarterback" and "the goat of the Southwest Conference" after the TCU game, Neal never quit. Coach Grant Teaff will tell you it was that game that turned the Baylor football program around.
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Neal Jeffrey, former
Baylor University quarterback |
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Neal went on to become one of the most recognized names in Baylor football history — but that is not what makes him unique. If you really want to know about a man, you need to talk to those who see him when the crowds are gone and the lights are dim. That is where Neal Jeffrey shines.
Neal Jeffrey was born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas. The greatest influence in his life was his dad, who had played football at Baylor. In addition to his vocation as an insurance salesman, Neal’s father was a part-time youth minister, a volunteer and, later, president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
"I always wanted to be like my dad," Neal states. "He gave me my love for sports and the example of how to live a godly life." At the age of nine, Neal made a profession of faith and was baptized. Later, in an FCA camp, he had a close, personal encounter with Jesus Christ. From that moment on, his life was directed toward being the man God wanted him to be.
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| Neal Jeffrey |
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"I felt like God was calling me to serve him in some kind of full-time capacity but couldn't see how he could use me," Neal explains. "But, I could play football, and that was what consumed me through high school, college, and into my years with the San Diego Chargers."
In elementary school, one of his teachers had her students write a paragraph about their dreams. "I wrote on my paper that I wanted to play in the National Football League (NFL) and be in the Hall of Fame. Mrs. McCrary wrote across the top of my report in red ink, 'Neal, I think you can do this!' I have never forgotten that," he says.
In spite of the success and encouragement that Neal received as a boy, there was one thing that kept him from really believing in himself. He is a stutterer. In high school, his coach had other players call the play in the huddle and the snap count. According to Baylor Assistant Coach Dal Shealy, Neal didn't stutter when he sang, so they tried having him sing the football plays; but the rest of the team didn't like the way he sang. He could also speak Spanish without stuttering, but the others couldn't understand Spanish. Somehow, he always managed to get the play called and the ball snapped. However, for a long time he wouldn't accept speaking engagements around Waco because he was too self-conscious about his stuttering.
In his freshman year of college, Neal was sitting in a class of around 150 students … just sitting there, really not paying much attention. "There was an older guy sitting next to me. I had never seen him before — and never saw him again after that day,” Neal recalls. “At the end of class, he hands me an envelope. On the envelope were the words, 'Read Exodus chapters three and four.' I stuck the envelope in my pocket and, when I got back to my dorm, I read the story of Moses and how he told God he couldn't talk to the people because he didn't speak well." Later in the semester Neal began to accept opportunities to share his testimony.
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| Neal Jeffrey, in his office |
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No story about Neal Jeffrey would be complete without including what’s known as the "Miracle on the Brazos." In 1974 Coach Teaff's second year as head coach, Baylor began winning some football games. On November 9, 1974, the Texas Longhorns came to Waco expecting an easy game. It didn't matter that Baylor had won several games leading up to this one — Texas was nationally ranked and the Baylor football team was looked on as a fluke.
The first half of the game seemed to reinforce the obvious. The Baylor Bears were behind 24-7 when the half was over. It looked like another long day for Baylor fans, who were leaving the stadium in droves.
Coach Teaff relates the trip to the locker room at halftime: "Neal was late going up the steps, as I was; and when I looked over at him, he was grinning from ear to ear. I looked at him and asked, 'What are you smiling about? We are down 24-7.' He looked at me and said, 'Coach, we've got 'em right where we want 'em.' By the time we reached the top of the stairs, he had me convinced, and we went in and told the rest of the team."
As it turns out, Neal was right. Baylor came out in the second half and scored 27 unanswered points. They went on to win the first conference championship for the Bears in 50 years.
Neal realized his childhood dreams and went on to play with the San Diego Chargers for three years. During his second year, he began realizing that God really did want him in the ministry. During his second off-season, he attended seminary and, at the end of his third season, he left football to finish seminary.
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| Neal Jeffrey |
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After a time serving as youth pastor at Wilshire Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, Neal joined the staff at Prestonwood Baptist Church, also in Dallas. The dream that he didn't dare dream because of his stuttering is now a reality. He speaks to large groups not only in churches, but also in corporate settings.
Internationally recognized motivational speaker Zig Ziglar says of Neal, "I have been a friend and a fan of Neal Jeffrey for many years. He is always friendly, upbeat and optimistic. He is truly an encourager with strong character values and a deep faith. As a friend and as a fan, I’ve always been impressed with his optimism, his sincerity and his commitment. As we’d say down home, 'he does good!'"
Neal’s oldest daughter Natalie says, "I think one of the biggest things that stands out is Dad’s commitment to his family. I feel that next to his relationship with Christ we are the most important thing in his life. Just like the old cliché ‘actions speak louder than words,’ dad really lives out his love for us.”
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| Neal Jeffrey |
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“Not only did he tell us that he loved us and that we were more important than others, but his time with us backed that up,” Natalie recalls. “As a minister, I know sometimes the lines can become blurry. And many times pastors spend time caring for their congregation at the cost of their own family. Now, I know that that is their job and hopefully their heart, but their first responsibility is to their own wife and kids. I think my dad has really found that balance."
Younger sister Melissa agrees, "My dad always had the time for my siblings and me. I knew that we were important to him because he was always there for us, giving of himself and his time — whether it was him scheduling his speaking engagements around our sporting games and voice recitals so he wouldn't miss anything, or taking us on "dates" to spend one-on-one time with each of us kids.”
“He even takes the time to handwrite us letters,” Melissa continues. “I can't begin to add up all the letters over the years that he has written to each of us for no other reason than to encourage us, saying that he is proud of us and loves us."
James describes being Neal's son this way: "As a junior at Baylor, my friends constantly joke around about how good my dad was as a quarterback, often referring to him as a Baylor legend called 'The Neal.' For those of my friends who don't know, I am always proud to say that he overcame his handicap as a stutterer to the point that it didn't affect his play.”
James adds, “After finding out, they always want to know why and how he decided to be a Baptist minister, speaking at hundreds of events across the United States. It is then that they realize that in spite of all his accomplishments, my dad has his priorities in line and answers to a higher calling than what other people will think about him when he speaks in public. I can honestly say that I strive to live my life in the manner that my father has lived his because I know that he has strived to make the decisions the Lord wanted him to make."
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| Neal Jeffrey, the minister |
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Perhaps the most telling "endorsement" of all comes from Neal's wife Sheila. "As a father, he is fun! … and as a grandfather, hilarious. If you can, imagine a grown man sitting in a closet being draped with necklaces and bracelets by our 21-month-old granddaughter Lily. He loves our children, and they love being with him and doing things with him. He always made time with them a priority. He would dress up as a clown for their birthday parties and juggle; he would be the referee for football games or rollerblade hockey. In our neighborhood circles, kids would come and ask if James and his dad could play.”
“We have more home videos of every event our kids ever did, great or small, and Neal is in so few because he was always behind the camera filming for the archives,” Sheila says. “He was always giving out a 'Good job, Babe' or 'You're the greatest.' And when accused of saying that to everyone, his response was: 'Well at least in the Top Ten.'”
"We entrusted our kids to our Lord before they were born and prayed for every decision we needed to make concerning our family. We stayed in the same house and neighborhood for 18 years, which proved to be a blessing. The Lord has blessed us with stability in rearing them by allowing us to serve in two wonderful churches — four years at one and now 23 years at another — where they were taught about Jesus and had wonderful mentors who truly were interested in them and their spiritual walk. They never resented the church and his duties there because Neal made sure that they felt their importance to his ministry. We involved them and they felt involved. He made it fun.”
"Neal is a real man and a real athlete,” Sheila says. “He had so many great sports accomplishments and he enjoyed some nice honors, but he will tell you that his family gives him his greatest sense of pride. He is a goal-setter, and always has been, which got him so far in athletics. He realized after three years in the NFL as a back-up quarterback that he needed to move on to what God had called him to do in the ministry. He had started seminary during the spring off-seasons, so he was already on track getting his Masters of Divinity. Even as a stutterer, in seminary he was recognized with the Outstanding Preaching Award. He is also intelligent, very studious and an avid reader.
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| Neal Jeffrey, former Baylor University quarterback |
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Sheila says her husband is “well balanced. He enjoys all types of sports and can talk to the sports-minded young and old but also relate to the history buff who loves to talk about the Civil War. He relates well to men. The Lord has blessed him with insight and wisdom to help men with the things that they struggle with. He makes time for them and counsels as many as his schedule permits. His biggest compliment is when a wife comes up to him or me and says, ‘I want you to know what a change I have seen in my husband since he has been going to the Friday morning Men's Bible Study.’ All of this comes from his personal time and walk with the Lord.”
"Neal is real!” says Sheila. “He is humble, and that is his greatest asset. He gives all the credit to the Lord for all he does or has done. He knows he could not get through a sermon or talk without depending on the Lord to help him get through it so others can understand him. I think this constant dependence on the Lord has benefited our family and made him the great person that he is."
The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word “champion” as a warrior or a fighter, a militant advocate or supporter, one that does battle for another's rights or honor, and a winner of first prize or first place in a competition. It is significant to note that the first three definitions involve what a champion is rather than what the champion has done. In today's "win at any cost" mentality, our young people look up to sports figures, entertainers and businessmen who feel they are above the laws of God and man. Fortunately, there are men like Neal Jeffrey who have dedicated themselves to being the best at what God has called them to be.
Dal Shealy was an assistant coach at Baylor the year Baylor won the conference championship. He was also a close friend of James Jeffrey, Neal's dad. "When I got to Baylor, I set up meetings with all of the players to talk about a personal inventory — goals, strengths and weaknesses.
In addition to his goal of winning the conference championship and going on to the NFL, Neal had a goal that pretty well sums up the kind of man he is. He wanted to have the opportunity to share the Gospel with his high school football coach." Dal says he received a call from James Jeffrey after the football season was over. "Jeff asked if Neal and I would come and speak at an FCA event and bring the films of the Texas game with us. We went to the event and, after I had shown the film, he got up to share his testimony. He shared his heart that night, and one of the people who made a profession of faith was his high school coach." Such is the character of a man who is God's champion.
Jack Graham, senior pastor of Prestonwood Baptist Church, put it this way: “Neal Jeffrey possesses the heart of a champion. As an All-American student athlete, he excelled as a quarterback and demonstrated dedication, commitment and perseverance. Neal then took his heart for football and gave it to fulfill his faith and follow the call of Christ to ministry. Neal is a powerful preacher, a gifted communicator, a compassionate shepherd and a dynamic servant of God.”
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| Neal Jeffrey |
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In his presentations on "The Man I Want to Be," Neal distills the way to a life that counts into six simple steps that apply to men and women of all ages:
1. One Who Believes – Make Every Day Count in God's Ultimate Plan
2. One Who Builds – Leave a Legacy of Faith for Those Who Follow After
3. One Who is Brave – Turning Disappointments of Defeat into the Joy of Triumph
4. One Who is Blessed – Reaching Your Potential When God Is in Control
5. One Who Behaves – Overcome the Fatal Flaws That Can Take You Down
6. One Who is Beloved – Staying Plugged In to the Power of God
Neal's son, James, says that the verse that comes to his mind when thinking about his dad is Matthew 25:21: "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'"
The video and workbooks for Neal’s series, “The Man I Want to Be,” are available at:
Sampson Resources (www.sampsonresources.com), 4887 Alpha, Suite 220, Dallas, Texas 75244. Phone: (800)-371-5248; e-mail: info@sampsonresources.com.
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