Tim Brown - The Making of a Man: How Men and Boys Honor God and Live with Integrity

PRAISE FOR THE MAKING OF A MAN

Tim Brown was a great player, teammate, and friend. Now hes written The Making of a Man, which tells the story of his journey to the Heisman, the Raiders, and becoming an NFL star. More important, he tells what it means to become a man who makes a difference. This is a great read into the man behind the legend. I highly recommend this book.

MARCUS ALLEN

Former Heisman Trophy Winner

NFL Hall of Fame Running Back and Super Bowl XLVIII MVP

This honest and up close play-by-play of the amazing life of Tim Brown is a great read and a powerful, compelling testimony. The gift of this story will help men find the true north that God has for them.

C. JEFFREY WRIGHT

CEO, UMI (Urban Ministries Inc.)

Over the years, Ive respected Tim Brown as an NFL opponent, a teammate, and a friend. In The Making of a Man, you will read what has made Tim the man he is today and learn vital lessons on what being a man is all about. Whether young or old, every guy should read this book.

JERRY RICE

NFL Hall of Fame Wide Receiver

Three-Time Super Bowl Champion

Ive had the privilege of knowing Tim for over thirty years now. Ive seen him beat the odds in many different areas of life, especially as a father and a mentor. I believe this book will help bring out your true greatness as you read stories about Tims successes and struggles, and as youre inspired by his commitment to integrity as well as the life principles and the faith that have carried him through.

CAREY CASEY

CEO, National Center for Fathering

fathers.com

2014 Tim Brown

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by W Publishing, an imprint of Thomas Nelson.

Author is represented by the literary agency of Alive Communications, Inc., 7680 Goddard Street, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.TM Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com

Scripture quotations marked NCV are taken from the New Century Version. 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked ESV are taken from the English Standard Version. 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Names have been changed where indicated to protect the identities and privacy of those discussed in this book. Events and experiences are all true. Quoted conversations are not word-for-word transcripts but have been faithfully rendered as the author remembers them.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014903148

ISBN 978-0-8499-4757-5

ISBN 978-0-5291-0219-5 (eBook)

Printed in the United States of America

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This book is dedicated to Gene Brown, my father, the ultimate patriarch. We had our ups and downs, but God had a plan for both of us and it couldnt have turned out any better.

Pop, I would not have become the man I am today without your guidance. Even if I was scared of you half the time, whatever it took to get it done, you got it done. I am so grateful to be your son.

CONTENTS

Y ears ago, when I took over as head football coach at the University of Notre Dame, it didnt take me long to see that Tim Brown had a special talent. I told him then I thought he could be the best player in the country. Once Tim caught that vision, he was on his way. Eighteen months after our first meeting, he and I were together at the New York Athletic Club, where he was presented the Heisman Trophy as the nations top college player. Tim was the best and most intelligent player I ever coached.

Most people underestimate what they are capable of. This is why the task of raising expectations and inspiring people to reach for excellence falls to parents, teachers, and coaches. Some rebel against these efforts to bring out greatness. Others respond positively and thrive, achieving unprecedented levels of success. I was confident that Tim Brown would be the latter, and over the years he has proved me right time and again. His talent, confidence, competitiveness, and commitment allowed him to excel at the college level, made him a leader and a star with the NFLs Raiders, enabled him to set numerous league records, and propelled him to what was unquestionably a Hall of Fame career.

Tim was a great football player but what impresses me most is that he is an even better person. Like any man, he has confronted challenges and temptations and struggled at times in his life. Yet he emerged from that process a man of deep faith, high integrity, and strong values. He is dedicated to his God, his family, and his standards of what it means to live a winning life. I am honored to have coached him all those years ago and proud to call him a friend today. This is a man I respect, admire, and love.

We need men like Tim Brown in our world. Too many boys and teens lack a role model who can show them what being a man is all about. Too many fathers and leaders have forgotten or never learned what true manhood looks like. It isnt hard to find the bad exampleswe see them in the news all the time. But if you look for them, the good ones are out there too. Tim is one of those guys. He is living a life of significance, helping others better themselves through word and deed.

Regardless of your age or gender, you will enjoy and benefit from reading this book. It is a fascinating look at the journey of one of footballs all-time greats, yet it is also much more. If you or someone you love needs a blueprint for manhood, I cant think of a better place to start than The Making of a Man.

Lou Holtz

Former Notre Dame Head

Coach and TV Analyst

H ow do you make a man? You could say that Ive been trying to answer that question all my life.

Every young boy dreams about growing up and becoming his vision of a man. To a boy, a man is probably a leader and a hero. He might be an astronaut, a cowboy, a soldier, a firefighter, or yes, a football player. He might also be a husband and father. When I was a boy, I imagined myself standing in a pulpit, delivering a stirring message as a preacher. Thats not every young boys idea of a man, but it was mine.

But what is manhood, really? How do us guys get thereand how do we know when weve arrived?

My answers started forming as I grew up in South and East Dallas with my parents, brother, and sisters. I added more pieces to the puzzle during all the stadium stops of my football career at Notre Dame and with the Raiders in the National Football League. The picture grew clearer when I finally made a total commitment to God and my faith. Today, as a father, Im guiding my sons as they ask the same question.

The need for an answer has never been greaterand not just for me and my family. Look around. We have ten million moms in America trying to raise their kids by themselves. We have teens who think being a man is getting a tattoo or driving a truck with oversized wheels. We have wives and girlfriends trying to figure out their men, and single gals without a clue of what they should be looking for in a man. And weve got millions of guys, young and old, single and husbands and dads, who after years of searching are