Last summer, I watched a documentary on Netflix that followed three quarterbacks throughout their season. It was so interesting. Watching it with my sister, who knows very little about football, was even more interesting. (Apparently, she thought the quarterbacks just showed up on Sunday—she didn't realize all the work they put in during the week.)
But back to my point: The documentary was fascinating as it looked at the quarterback's work and training, their home lives, and their families. Although they didn't know what would happen when they chose their three players, the show's producers were fortunate because two of the quarterbacks they chose to follow had amazing seasons. One even went to the Super Bowl.
However, with the third quarterback, they were not so blessed. He walked away from his team about 2/3 of the way through the documentary. He just quit. He wasn't even in the last few episodes.
Why?
Well, his team was not doing very well, and they were not going to the playoffs. Knowing their season was basically over, the coaches decided to give the rookie a chance to play and see what he could do. The quarterback in the documentary was going to the bench.
Rather than accepting his new role with humility and grace, he quit the team. He walked away and had elective surgery right in the middle of the season because he didn't want to be second-string.
Sounds reasonable, right? If they weren't going to appreciate him, then why stick around? It wasn't like he'd be playing, right?
Wrong!!!
Real men don't quit even when things aren't going their way. You don't just walk away from a commitment, a family, or a responsibility just because you aren't getting the appreciation you think you deserve. No, if you made a commitment, you see it through to the end.
Why? Because your team needs you.
The second string is still essential. This was proven when one of the other quarterbacks in the documentary got injured, and whether or not his team would make it to the Super Bowl depended on their second-string quarterback. When all of a sudden, the star of the game was injured and needed x-rays and treatment, the quarterback who was called off the bench received his moment to shine.
Boy, did he! Rather than just being a placeholder—that guy scored a touchdown. He was the hero that day because he was there when his team needed him.
Who knows what the story would have been for the quarterback who quit had he been humble and played second string for a few games?
History will never know. Instead, he now has the reputation of a quitter—a guy who walked away when the going got tough.
Guys, don't let this be your reputation.
Don't quit, no matter how hard things get.
Finish the job. Complete the task. Don't let your ego or pride tell you, "I deserve to be treated better. No one appreciates me. I deserve more than this."
Don't leave your team hanging.
Instead, be a team player. Finish what you start.
Have a good attitude and play the role you are given.
Don't take yourself out of the game.
Who knows what opportunities lie ahead for the man who perseveres?
You'll only know if you refuse to quit.
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3-4, ESV)
When the going gets tough, a godly man says, “Lord help me persevere.”
Bibliography: Quarterback. Directed by Matt Dissinger, et al., performances by Patrick Mahomes, et al., NFL Films, 2PM Productions, Omaha Productions, 2023.
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