The Super Bowl is a national obsession. You want proof? Seven of the all-time top-ten-rated programs are Super Bowls. Advertisers shelled out $1.2 million dollars for a 30-second commercial on this year's telecast. And the offensive linemen for the champion Denver Broncos suspended their self-imposed vow of silence toward reporters to accommodate the media crush in San Diego.

With the big game front and center on the national stage every January, Athletes in Action (Campus Crusade for Christ's sports division) capitalizes on that spotlight to draw attention to Jesus Christ. They sponsor an annual Super Bowl Breakfast, which draws top business leaders to a non-threatening environment in which they can hear the claims of Christ from their heroes.

"We want to turn this American obsession with sports into an opportunity for the gospel," explains Jim Richards, co-coordinator of the Breakfast. "Sports is a great equalizer in that whether we're talking about inner-city kids or wealthy businesspeople, athletes are still their heroes. The Breakfast is a great way to help reach the top one percent of the American business community for Christ."

It didn't start out that way. AIA originally geared the Breakfasts to local leaders in the host cities. Three years ago AIA broadened the scope through the help of Norm Miller, head of Interstate Batteries--an official National Football League sponsor. The Breakfast received NFL sanction, and AIA shifted it to the Saturday morning before the game.

This year's attendees got quite a show. Among other things, they saw a laser display and video clips of players with the Broncos and the Green Bay Packers. More importantly, they heard a gospel presentation from former coach Joe Gibbs, winner of three Super Bowls. And they heard Christian testimonies from NFL players Brent Jones and Irving Fryar, co-winners of this year's Bart Starr Award. The award, named for the legendary Packers quarterback and voted on by players, honors moral character and community involvement. Though professing faith in Christ is not a prerequisite, the award has always gone to someone who does.

When Irving Fryar (pictured above) played in the 1986 Super Bowl, he would have been a prime candidate for "Least Likely to Ever Win the Bart Starr Award." Run-ins with the law, accentuated by his abuse of drugs and alcohol, earned him headlines that went well beyond his playing exploits.

"I was a prodigal," Irving admitted to the more than 1,500 men and women attending this year's breakfast. "I had it all and wasted it. The reason I'm able to stand here today is because I've been able to understand what God is like."

After the players' testimonies and Joe Gibbs' gospel presentation, 128 people indicated trusting Christ as their Lord and Savior. This response will help AIA continue an ongoing partnership with Pinnacle Forum, a Campus Crusade outreach geared to the Fortune 500 executive community.

"These are people who wouldn't set foot in a church," says Jim Richards, referring to the executives who attend the Breakfasts. "But when their heroes confront them with the decision to follow Christ, they listen."

To order a video of the Breakfast, call AIA at (937) 352-1000 and ask for Terry Bortz.