GEORGIA'S MARK RICHT INTERESTED IN NATIONAL TITLE ON HIS TERMS

 Georgia’s Mark Richt Interested In National Title on His Terms 

Georgia's Mark Richt only interested in national title bids on terms that won't compromise his faith. Dan Wetzel  

Tue, Nov 6, 2012 4:39 PM EST 

ATHENS, Ga. - Mark Richt was an assistant coach under Bobby Bowden at Florida State in the 1980s and early 1990s, when season after season the Seminoles fell short of the national title. If it wasn't one thing, it was wide right. 

Mark Richt doesn't want his life to be defined by his coaching career. (AP) 

Finally in the 1993 season, FSU broke through and was crowned champion. Soon after, Bowden held a staff meeting. Richt, now head coach at Georgia, remembers it well. 

"Coach Bowden looked around the room, 'They said we could never win the big one. And now we won it. Now that we finally won it, do you feel any different now?' "Richt recalled on Monday." He went around the room and everybody said, no not really. We all answered no. 

"And Coach Bowden said, 'You know why you don't feel any different? Because that's not really winning the big one. Winning the big one is when you accept Christ as your Lord and savior.'" 

There isn't any way to separate Mark Richt the football coach and Mark Richt the Christian. They are one in the same. Always. 

What a wonderful story of a man's faith that guides his life. Understand, I'm a Georgia Bulldogs fan and also a great fan of their coach, Mark Richt. Throughout his 12 year tenure at the University of Georgia I have been inspired by his example of what it means to be a Christian in a difficult environment. Over the years I have seen the pressure that SEC football puts on the different Universities and coaching staffs to win. I have also been a witness to a number of the universities that have made the decision to win at all cost. And even though the pressure is tremendous: of all those who coach in the SEC I have never heard anything negative about Mark Richt in regard to his integrity. He has had a number of outstanding recruits that have gotten into trouble by breaking the law and without any hesitation, after giving a proper hearing to the player, they were dismissed. 

I guess the question I ask myself and ask of each of you reading this devotional; have you been faithful in your daily walk of faith? Would the decisions you have made in the "pressure situations of life" be pleasing in the sight of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Would you be able to echo Bobby Bowden and Mark Richt that winning the “big one” in your life was when you accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior? As I examine myself today, asking the Holy Spirit to look deeply within my heart, I say without any hesitation that “yes, this is true for me;” the greatest thing that I have ever done in my life is asking Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Savior. Does that mean I'm perfect? Far from it! But thank God I don't have to be. He is the only Perfect One and my perfection is in Him and Him alone. (Colossians 1:28; 1 Corinthians 13:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11).