My first job out of college was as a speed, strength, and conditioning coach for athletes of various levels. I had the wonderful opportunity to work for a gentleman who had played for the Green Bay Packers for 13 years, and he introduced me to several professional football players. I also had an amazing opportunity to train some of those guys for either the NFL Draft Combine or their upcoming seasons. I spent quite a bit of time with those guys, getting to know them and learning what makes them tick. But, in all those days of training, I have never met or talked to a guy quite like Jordan Pugh.
Jordan is a 5’11”, 210 pound safety who was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in 2010 out of Texas A&M. After spending two years with the Panthers, he was picked up by the Washington Redskins and, later, the New Orleans Saints. I was fortunate to have a conversation with Jordan about his life in football, balancing his faith and work, and his musical tastes.
In what amounted to about a 40-minute conversation, I felt as though I had known Jordan for years. He was transparent, genuine, and real. The public tends to perceive professional athletes as moody, arrogant, self-absorbed egomaniacs. Some of them may be, but let me assure you, Jordan Pugh is none of that. He is a man that has a plan in place, not only for himself but for his community as well. In fact, I truly believe that he will end up in either the pulpit or public office when his playing career is over.
What follows is a transcript of my conversation with Jordan. We cover a little bit of everything from his beginnings in football to the best wide receiver he has ever faced. We also dig into his background to find out about his faith and his relationship with Christ. And, in the end, we cover some of his favorite Christian Hip Hop artists and songs. While I managed to put him on the spot a bit, I think you’ll find that Jordan’s answers to my questions provide all the insight you will need in order to find out just what makes Jordan Pugh tick
