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| Born: | October 5, 1961 Wheaton, Illinois |
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| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Defensive tackle |
| College | Northern Illinois, Azusa Pacific |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1984–1985 | Chicago Bears |
| 1985–1986 | Los Angeles Rams |
Steve Connor (born October 5, 1961) is an author, speaker, leadership coach, and former NFL football player. He is the founder of Sports Outreach International.
Founded by Steve Connor in 1996, Sports Outreach International is devoted to developing leadership and fraternity through the avenues of sports and competition. They work with youth and sports organizations in countries across the globe. Sports Outreach International is associated with several different sports ministry organizations, including Intersports, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Athletes in Action and Christians in Sport. While living in England and Scotland (1990–2004) Connor helped pioneer youth sports ministries helping establish Christian sports camps (SportsPlus) in England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. [1]
Connor has given lectures at many institutions, including Oxford University, Sandhurst Military Academy, Eton College and Joe Gibbs Racing.
Connor has published eleven books, including A Sporting Guide to Eternity (2004), which reached Thomas Wesley best-seller status and was short-listed for “Harvest” Christian book of the year in 2004. Connor designed a copyright free Coaching Character Curriculum that has been adapted for use in Africa, as well as by coaches, youth workers and organizations in Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America.
Connor attended Wheaton North High School in northern Illinois, where he was a prominent football player. He first attended Northern Illinois University, as a Division 1 scholarship athlete in football. From there, he transferred to Azusa Pacific University, where he was twice named an All-American player (1982 and 1983) and was inducted into APU's Hall of Fame in 2008. [2] After college, Steve was a free agent for the 1984 Chicago Bears, ending his season on the injured reserve list. In the 1985 season, he was picked up by the L.A. Rams as a free agent, where he suffered a career-ending knee injury. [3]
After his time as a player, Connor moved on to coach football and work in sports ministry and sports leadership. He first coached at Western Washington University (1986). Later he became the Southern Indiana Area Director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was Chaplain of Indiana University's varsity football team from 1987 to 1989 under Coach Bill Mallory, whom Connor had first met when Mallory coached at Northern Illinois University. Connor then coached the Oxford Saints American Football Club in England from 1990 to 1995. He was also Assistant Head Coach for the United States Air Force team at RAF Upper Heyford. In 1992–93, He has had various roles in chaplaincy to players in the Scottish Premier League and England's Premier League. He was Chaplain for the NFL Europe Scottish Claymores from 1999 to 2004. He returned as Chaplain for Indiana University's varsity football team under Coach Kevin Wilson. He facilitated the network of sports ministries in North America 2006-2015 and teaches leadership globally, establishing ministry organizations on every continent.
Connor lives with his wife in Rockaway Beach Missouri. [4]
Azusa Pacific University (APU) is a private evangelical research university in Azusa, California. The university was founded in 1899, with classes opening on March 3, 1900, in Whittier, California, and began offering degrees in 1939. The university's seminary, the Graduate School of Theology, holds to a Wesleyan-Arminian doctrinal theology. APU offers more than 100 associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs on campus, online, and at seven regional locations across Southern California.
Daniel Carl Wuerffel is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Florida Gators, where he was a prolific passer under head coach Steve Spurrier. Wuerffel led the NCAA in touchdown passes in 1995 and 1996 and set numerous school and conference records during his career. During his senior year in 1996, he won the Heisman Trophy while leading the Gators to their first national championship. In 2013, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is an international nonprofit Christian sports ministry based in Kansas City.
Bryan Ezra Tsumoru Clay is an American decathlete who was the 2008 Summer Olympic champion for the decathlon and was also World champion in 2005.
William Guy Mallory was an American college football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio from 1969 to 1973, the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1974 to 1978, Northern Illinois University from 1980 to 1983, and Indiana University Bloomington from 1984 to 1996, compiling a career head coaching record of 168–129–4.
Joe Novak is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at Northern Illinois University from 1996 to 2007, compiling a record of 63–76.
Donald Earl Davis Jr. is a former American football player and former team chaplain for the New England Patriots.
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The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference. The Hoosiers have played their home games at Memorial Stadium since 1960. The team has won the Big Ten Championship twice, once in 1945 and again in 1967. The Hoosiers have appeared in 12 bowl games, including the 1968 Rose Bowl. Six Indiana players have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including Zora Clevinger, Bill Ingram, Pete Pihos, George Taliaferro, John Tavener, and Anthony Thompson, who was also National Player of the Year in 1989. The Hoosiers are currently led by head coach Curt Cignetti.
Bill Lynch is a former American football coach. He was most recently the head football coach at DePauw University, a position he held in 2004 and re-assumed in December 2012 until his retirement after the 2019 season. Lynch also served as the head football coach at Butler University (1985–1989), Ball State University (1995–2002), and Indiana University Bloomington (2007–2010). He was inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in 2005.
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Kevin W. Mannoia is the Pastoral Coach at the Rock Church, San Diego. He is a Professor of Ministry and formerly the University Chaplain at Azusa Pacific University. He was the President of the National Association of Evangelicals from 1999 to 2001. Prior to this, he served as Bishop of the Free Methodist Denomination overseeing the western U.S. and Asia. In addition to his principal role at Azusa Pacific University, he is Founder and Chair of the Wesleyan Holiness Consortium, a contemporary manifestation of the Holiness movement comprising denominations and institutions sharing a common heritage in the Wesleyan and Holiness tradition. He also serves as President of the International Council for Higher Education, an international organization of institutions of higher learning focused upon integrated learning in the Christian tradition.
Ralph Kim Drollinger is an American clergyman and former professional basketball player. He led the "White House Bible Study Group", a study group sponsored by 10 cabinet members which held weekly meetings each Wednesday during the Trump administration.
A sports chaplain provides pastoral care for the sports community, including athletes, coaches, administrators and their families. In 2017, a Global Summit of Sports Chaplaincy ministries defined sports chaplaincy as “ongoing pastoral and spiritual care, by permission, to those of faith or no faith, for the holistic well-being of all involved in the community of sport.” Different sports and cultures may adopt the practice of sports chaplaincy but under different titles, such as sports mMentor, life coach or character coach. Consequently, the practical outworking of sports chaplaincy in wide in scope, but broadly fits into 5 models of delivery and is primarily a relational approach.
Mike Mallory is an American football coach and a former player. He is currently a special teams analyst for the University of Michigan. Previously he was the Special Teams Coordinator for the Denver Broncos NFL football team in 2022. Before that, he most recently worked as assistant special teams coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football as a linebacker for the University of Michigan from 1982 to 1985. He was the Most Valuable Player for the 1984 Michigan team and was a finalist for the Butkus Award in 1985. Since 1986, he has been a college football coach, including stints as the defensive coordinator for the Rhode Island Rams (1993–1995), Northern Illinois Huskies (1996–1999), Illinois Fighting Illini (2004–2005). He was also the assistant special teams coach of the New Orleans Saints from 2008 to 2012.
Victor Dalmuth Shealy is an American football coach and former player. He was most recently the head coach at Houston Christian University. He was previously the defensive coordinator and cornerbacks coach at the University of Kansas. From 1995 to 1998, Shealy served as the head football coach at Azusa Pacific University, compiling a record of 27–14–1. In 1998, he coached the team to the NAIA Football National Championship. For his efforts that season, Shealy was named the NAIA Coach of the Year and the American Football Quarterly Schutt National Coach of the Year.
The Azusa Pacific Cougars football program was a college football team that represented Azusa Pacific University. From 2012 to 2020, the team was a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference of NCAA Division II. Prior to the 2012 season, the Cougars had been an independent program in the NAIA. The Cougars had 10 head coaches since their first recorded football game in 1965. Azusa Pacific University decided to end its football program in December 2020 due to financial restructuring. The most famous player to play for the Cougars was Christian Okoye.
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Doug Mallory is an American football coach and former player. He is the defensive backs coach for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He has been a football coach since 1988. He was the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Indiana University from 2011 to 2013. He has previously held defensive coordinator positions at Western Kentucky University, Louisiana State University and the University of New Mexico. Mallory also played college football as a defensive back at the University of Michigan from 1984 to 1987.
Jack Easterby is the former executive vice president of football operations for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). Prior to joining the Texans in 2019, he served chaplain and character coaching roles. From 2013 to 2018, Easterby filled various leadership roles with the New England Patriots.
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