Meeting with Pat Sullivan, former Heisman Trophy winner

Thursday night, we attended a meeting of the Touchdown Club of our grandchildren's high school. We had the privilege of meeting and hearing Pat Sullivan, former University of Auburn quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner, speak.

This is truly a remarkable man. He is a great speaker, and a great motivator. Several of the football players were in attendance to hear him speak. And, he spoke to them like a fatherly figure. He told them is was nice to receive the rewards he had; they made for great memories. But, you have to put all those into perspective. Your faith, family, friends and education should mean more. It’s okay to want to achieve, but first build on your charcter, stay true to your family and friends and yourself.

Sullivan is a survivor of throat cancer. He told them that it was very important who they married later in life. He talked about how much his wife played a part in his recovery, that she was his best friend, his life partner. And, also, he said your faith is what will truly get you through when you think you can’t make it any longer. He said, when he found out he had cancer, it made him get on his knees. That’s when a person knows they can’t make it alone. And, with God and his wife, he has survived.

He said it was truly amazing that 3 ½ years ago, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He took lots of chemo and it closed his throat completely. 2 years ago, he was still on a feeding tube and lost 60 pounds during all this. But, the other night, he was eating steak! That truly is a miracle, because not everyone with throat cancer survives. I remember all this when it happened, and he wasn’t expected to live. He took pneumonia during this time, and did almost die. But, God saw fit for him to live, and I believe he saw what a work he could do with young men, helping shape their lives, making them better young men when they grew up and got out on their own.

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