Burrow's Rookie Season Tells the Story of Pastors Everywhere

Pastors everywhere can look to Joe Burrow's rookie season with the Cincinnati Bengals as a metaphor for what they face every day! Burrow's transition from being at the top of the game to a season-ending injury his first season with the Bengals tells every Pastor's own story--even among the best of them. 

The burning question--both for Joe and for pastors--is this: where does the story go from here? But first, a quick retrospective. 

As quarterback for LSU, Burrow made history leading LSU's Tigers to dominate FIVE Top Ten teams in a single season, orchestrating a flawless 2019 team many called "the greatest team to ever take the field in college football." The power-packed team would go on to tie the NFL record for the most players drafted from a single team. Burrow passed for over 5,600 yards with 60 touchdowns that season, the latter being the most in a single season in an NCAA Division, FBS history. 

Showered with awards, Burrow himself went on to win the coveted Heisman trophy even shattering Heisman voting records in the process, handily eclipsing the other three stellar prospects. Not surprisingly, Joe became the number one draft pick for the NFL.

So, let's pause the story here. How does that relate to pastors? 

In every church, pastors are considered the top person among the faithful. Among pastors, he or she might be good; might be great. But they are the quarterback for their team. They scan the field. They run the plays. They motivate their team. Just as though much is expected of quarterbacks because he makes the difference in how high his team can rise, likewise, churches seldom "outperform" their pastors. So much hinges on them.

Making Your Mark

Let's compare Burrow's time at LSU with pastors who are completing their training for full-time ministry. Pastors' spiritual impact has been marked by a history of strong youth ministry experience, well-developed preaching and teaching, faithful work in short-term missions, excellent scores in seminary, and receiving considerable recognition for outstanding and tireless work in ministry over the years. Burrow perfected his skills through high school and college and so do pastors.

Now, they are going to step into the role as Senior Pastor of a congregation with their community as their mission field. This is like when Joe Burrow gets the nod to quarterback an NFL team that desperately needs some wins in their column! Joe is just the guy who can do it.

Or can he?

Baked-In Problems

Early in the season, it is clear that his offensive linemen are ill-equipped to protect Joe. They lack the strength and heart to be a wall. He is fast on his feet and often evades being sacked but over time takes hit after hit, one play after another! How can he squeeze out enough time to make a play with his opponents all over him? Pastors face that same prospect. The men in his church show up, but over and over he himself takes the hits.

Burrow can try a hand-off to one of his team, but the O-line offers no more help to his runner than himself! When a pastor attempts to hand-off responsibility so one of his men can gain yardage for the team, he gets hit before he can cross the line of scrimmage or else fumbles it. Either way, they lose yardage!

And there's another problem. Burrow's receivers can't position themselves to receive a pass. They stay tangled up with the opposition. No one is open for him to pass the ball to gain yardage. So over and over, the much-battered Joe has to ALSO run the ball to at least earn a first-down as best he can. 

A pastor faces the same dilemma. He needs men who are trained to cover just one zone of the field that he can pass the ball to.

Quarterbacks don't get the ball to receivers and running backs because they themselves can't make plays. They pass the football because as a team, they should be able to play to their strengths so, as quarterback, he has energy to last till the end of the game is called!

No quarterback should be expected to carry the whole team. Neither should any pastor carry the whole church.

Playing the Long Game

Pastors need longevity, too. They need men they can count on to do their part to advance the team. They can't do it all themselves. But pastors are both quarterback AND coach. So its up to them to prepare their men. That's where discipleship comes in.

Discipleship is the day-in/day-out practice of discovering weaknesses and building strength. Its one on one. Its in your face. Its exhausting. Some of your guys may puke! So, its messy. And no one is there to cheer you on. But its what transforms men from just being "players" into becoming a team! 

Pastors who overlook doing the grunt work of making disciples, will forever be the one carrying the team on every play, leaving all of his heart on the field with no assistance...and taking all the hits.

BUT, when he invests himself in his men--his heart, his soul, and his vision--he multiplies his team's successes.

How Does This Play Out?

And what about the wonderkid, Joe Burrow, and his promising rookie season? Just when it appeared Cincinnati's team might just be beginning to show a little life, his linemen continued to not do their job and he took one too many bone crushing hits. Joe's knee was snapped. His team was going to have to finish their season without him. 

He gave it his all till he had nothing left to give. Since then, he's spent EVERY day from then until now being repaired, rebuilding, and retraining.

Is that where our pastors need to be? Doing it all until life takes them out?

Our men need to step up and do the tough work of being discipled. They're not on the team to be cheering from the bench! And our pastors need to commit to the day-in/day-out work of making disciples--not developing a booster club.

The Church needs its winning strategy back!

Jack Ortego is Area Director for Man in the Mirror in the St. Louis/Gateway Region for Missouri. A men's leader since 1994, Jack partners with the pastors and men's leaders of churches everywhere who are committed to growing their men into leaders by helping them enhance and revitalize their discipleship efforts.