The Washington Redskins cut Chris Godfrey. So did the New York Jets. And the Green Bay Packers. Godfrey, a star defensive lineman for the University of Michigan, nearly quit football.
“I fell to my knees,” he said. “I prayed. God made me a promise.”
The same day, legendary Packers coach Bart Starr called to offer Godfrey a roster spot. The Detroit native went on to win a NFL Super Bowl with the New York Giants in 1986.
On Monday, March 16, Godfrey stopped by Our Lady of Assumption School on Parkview Avenue to share lessons in football and life – sexual relationships in particular.
During his UM days, Godfrey played football, studied and partied. No time for God, he said. A series of injury knocked Godfrey back to Detroit and the unemployment line.
“Outside I was big and strong, but inside I felt small,” he told a gaggle of OLA seventh and eighth graders.
That’s when Godfrey seized on a snippet of scripture. “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” Hard work and faith won Godfrey a Super Bowl ring.
“God kept his promise,” he said.
When Godfrey moved on to the topic of sex, his OLA audience tittered.
“Sex affects us spiritually,” Godfrey said.
According to Godfrey, sex is a spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical act. He slapped tape on six OLA students. They tore off and swapped the tape – again and again.
“What do you see on your tape?” he said. “Hair? White stuff?”
According to Godfrey, chaste couples stay together. Promiscuous people lose their stick.
“Two fresh strips of tape,” he said. “You can’t pull them apart. If you sleep around, how will you and your future spouse bond?”
Godfrey enlisted six more OLA students. He handed each a cup of water. Two students received Oreo cookies.
“Eat your cookies,” Godfrey said. “Now take a drink of water, hold it in your mouth and spit it out.”
A pair of cups turned brown with Oreo crumbs.
“Pour your friend a little water,” Godfrey suggested. “Again.”
A half-dozen cups turned brown.
America is suffering from an STD epidemic, Godfrey told the students. Sex is risky. When you sleep with someone, you’re sleeping with all of his or her sexual partners too.
OLA eighth grader Chris Gjuraj, 13, enjoyed Godfrey’s talk.
“The tape exercise was really enlightening,” Gjuraj said.
Seventh grader Nicholas Ferrer, 12, snagged an autograph. Seventh grader Natasha Sanchez, 12, agreed with Godfrey.
“I already do what he told us to do,” Sanchez said.
