Former NFL Coach speaks at annual FCA Banquet
- J Sharp
- May 9
- 2 min read
Former NFL Coach Chan Gailey was the guest speaker Thursday evening at the annual Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Banquet.
The evening began with introductions from Newton First Baptist Pastor Kenny Rawls, followed by a classic southern barbeque meal consisting of smoked brisket, sausage, potato salad, baked beans and peach cobbler.
Gailey, 73, took the stage in an energetic and jovial way saying that "it's probably easier to name the NFL Teams I didn't coach than the places I did coach." Gailey had a long coaching career starting in the mid 80's with the Denver Broncos, a two-year stint with the Dallas Cowboys and concluded as offensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. In all, Gailey coached on 8 different teams during his NFL career.
Despite his accomplishments, Gailey spent little time discussing his personal achievements or coaching strategies. Instead, he focused on questions from his speaking tour and centered his message on Christ and the mission of FCA.
When asked about working with Dallas Cowboy's owner Jerry Jones,
Gailey said, "First of all, I want to say, that Jerry treated my wife and me very well as people, I'm still the only coach that coached there and went to the playoffs both years ... and got FIRED!"
When asked "Who's your favorite player?" Gailey said, "Let's define what you are asking, are you asking who my favorite player was or who was the best player I coached or who was the best athlete I ever coached?" Gailey said that the best football player he ever coached was John Elway. "If we could keep the game close up until the 4th quarter, John would find a way to win."
Gailey closed by encouraging attendees to stay focused on God, warning against simply “checking the boxes” of Christianity. He cited the Book of Samuel, referencing how the Israelites lost sight of God and suffered loss as a result. As one of FCA’s early members, Gailey praised the organization’s growth and impact. Locally, FCA recently hosted a Fields of Faith event in Jasper that drew more than 1,300 attendees, with 87 salvations and 24 rededications. The group also holds weekly huddle meetings in Jasper, Kirbyville, and Newton high schools, with more than 150 students participating.
First Baptist of Jasper hosted the evening with Advanced Financial Serivecs donating to cover the meal.
If you would like to support the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in spreading the Christian message on high school campuses use the QR code below.
.png)
