Ex-NFL Tight End Ben Hartsock on True Worship: ‘Glorify and Honor God’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Former NFL tight end Ben Hartsock joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast to discuss what he is most thankful for and his mentality regarding true worship.
Jason Romano asked Hartsock what he was most thankful for and what God had done in his life.
“Every day I get, I become more thankful for every chapter I’ve had in history,” he began.
“To have the experience to be led by Tony Dungy, one of the most impactful coaches of my life,” Hartsock said. “Now outside of the game, I’ve had former teammates share with me of an impact I’ve made on them. Not to sit down and go through James together but it was sometimes just as simple as ‘You were the real deal when others weren’t.’ I’m so thankful I’ve had the opportunity to get some of that feedback.”
Hartsock also shared with fans what true worship looks like.
He continued, “It was Romans 12:1 when I was a rookie at the Indianapolis Colts that the team chaplain said and would then become my life verse. That whatever we do, ‘I urge you in view of God’s mercies to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to the Lord.’ That this is worship. And that was so transformative for me that a simple verse of offering myself every day as a living sacrifice. It doesn’t have to be doing communion in the locker room every day. If my heart and my desires are only to glorify and honor God, that is true worship.”
“It didn’t matter what I was doing. Whether I’m lifting weights, working out, running, lifting, studying tape, as long as I’m doing it for the honor and for the glory of God, that is my true and proper worship,” he added. “That was a game-changer for me.”
Hartsock played college football at Ohio State University from 1999 to 2003.
In the 2004 NFL Draft, he was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the third round with the 68th overall pick.
Hartsock went on to have a lengthy NFL career, playing for several teams over the years:
- Indianapolis Colts (2004-2005)
- Tennessee Titans (2006-2007)
- Atlanta Falcons (2008-2010)
- New York Jets (2011-2012)
- Carolina Panthers (2013)
- New England Patriots (2014)
Throughout his NFL career, Hartsock primarily functioned as a blocking tight end. His blocking skills were highly regarded, and he was often used in run-blocking situations to open up running lanes for his team’s running backs. While he didn’t accumulate significant receiving statistics, his contributions in the blocking game were valuable to his teams.
Hartsock officially retired from professional football in 2015 after spending 12 seasons in the NFL.
Now, he is a commentator for college football with SiriusXM on College Sports Radio and the Big Ten Radio.
Hartsock shared on his X account, “Faith plays a much bigger role in sports than many realize.”
@Sports_Spectrum is doing GREAT things. Faith plays a much bigger role in sports than many realize. https://t.co/SI0ksvgfMJ
— Ben Hartsock (@BenHartsock) March 24, 2018
