Hall of Famer Tim Brown on Overcoming 'Evil' Sexual Temptations to Find Jesus During Prime of His Career (Interview)

By Samuel Smith, Deputy Managing Editor Monday, July 27, 2015

Brown added that he would often think about the women he had hurt because they desperately wanted a relationship with him. He also said that he began to think about some man treating his nieces, sister or future daughter the way he treated women.

"I had to look at everything I did in the dark because I couldn't stand to see myself in the mirror. It was a difficult process and very difficult to go through that time when you know that you are doing the opposite of what God wants you to do, but you can't stop yourself," Brown continued. "It's like an addiction. It is like 'How do I get out of this?' It took me some years of really praying and asking God to help me. God will help you but you have to help yourself too. You can't put yourself in certain situations and ask God to get you out of it."

On June 26, 1996, Brown finally vowed to live his life according to God's will.

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"I was 29 years old when it finally happened, but I was strong enough to make that stand. It was the best day of my life," Brown asserted. "About 3:30 in the morning, I rolled out of bed in the middle of the night and just got on my knees and said 'Lord, I can't take it anymore. I need you to save me.'"

After declaring his vow, Brown knew that abstaining from sex would be a challenge.

Brown developed a trick to help him turn away women who came onto him. Brown said he would simply tell them that the reason he can't be with them is because he met Jesus.

"That became my battle cry," Brown said. "I realized by saying that to women that the temptation would have to go away because if it didn't go away, you know that you were dealing with the enemy. If you told somebody that you met Jesus and they are still coming at you, you got to know that's is the enemy."

Six months after reaffirming his faith, Brown had the chance to put the strategy to the test when he was aboard a plane to Oakland and the the stewardess, who was the most attractive "hispanic girl" he had ever seen, wanted to hook up with him 45 minutes after the flight landed.

"What I said was 'There is no doubt in my mind what would be happening 45 minutes after we got off this flight, but I met somebody six months ago and it's because of that it won't happen.'" Brown stated. "'She asked if I had a girlfriend and I said, 'yes, I do, but the person I met was Jesus Christ.'"

Brown retired from football after the 2004 season but started a number of charities that help guide and shape the lives of young adults prior to his retirement, such as the Dallas-based Ethos Education Group, an organization designed to help build character development in youth to ensure they make the right choices in life and stay away from negative activities like drugs and gambling. And the Indiana-based Five Star Life, an organization that aims to increase the American school dropout rate down from 7,000 kids per day.

"When I read the Bible, it tells me that we were created for one purpose and one purpose only and that is to magnify God," Brown stated. "I have been trying to find where it says 'You were created be an NFL Hall of Famer or a Heisman Trophy winner, nine-time pro bowler, all-decade player,' but I can't find that in the Bible anywhere. To me, all these things that I have been given is just a platform. It is a platform for me to be able to tell somebody that 'God loves you and He wants you to serve him.'"