How Lorenzo Alexander Got Saved

Washington Redskins linebacker Lorenzo Alexander is one of the hardest hitters in the game. Over the last 6 seasons he's made a name for himself as a playmaker on special teams. He gives God all the credit for his success. Especially because of the path he took to get to the NFL.

"I think before I found Christ I was really just living for myself. And went off to college, wilding out, the drinking... the women... the partying... I was kind of the stereotypical, athlete, 'jock' that people associate us with, how we act off the field."

Football was everything to Lorenzo. After playing 4 years of college ball at the University of California, Berkley, he entered the 2005 NFL draft with high hopes. But his name wasn't called. "I watched the whole draft, thinking I'm going to go 2nd or 3rd round and just, after that I was like, 'Man, I'm done with this.' I just kind of broke down and just went and drunk my sorrows away pretty much and I really didn't handle it the best way."

Lorenzo tried out for 3 teams as a free agent. They all said, 'No thanks.' In 2006, he got picked up by the Washington Redskins on the practice squad. During that time he noticed there was something different about his some of his teammates. 

"They didn't really say, 'I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. You should believe in God.' I just saw the way they walked through the room, the way they dealt with their families, the way they dealt with their kids, how they approached work every day. Guys like Randle El, James Thrash, Bernardo Wynn. I mean, these guys, It was just pouring out of them. You can't miss it. If you know El, Randle El, I mean, he bounces around every day. It could be rain, sleet, snow, or shine, he's walking with God on his shoulder, in his ear, you know, has that Book (Bible) with him. He's just happy."

Lorenzo thought that having football was all he needed to be happy, but he realized he wasn't satisfied. "I think I was missing that in my life, you know, I wasn't at peace. People perceive athletes to have all this money. So you're happy. Everything's good. But the first couple of years in the league, I woke up with a lot of regret. (I) wasn't playing well in practice squad, wasn't really achieving anything. And my heart was broken. I was missing something. And I saw these brothers, I said, 'Man I need to get what they get, what they have, whatever that is, I need it.'"