High Calling Magazine
The official publication of The Francis Asbury Society

My Playbook for Life

BY MICKEY MARVIN
 

The following interview was done at the Covenant Fellowship Retreat in 2003. Mickey was interviewed by Ed Bryson.
 

Ed:  Mickey Marvin grew up in the mountains of North Carolina, played football at the University of Tennesse, then went on from there to play 11 years for the Oakland Raiders.  He could carry a football, but he carried his faith as well; and over the years that faith continued to develop.  He comes out of the holiness tradition particularly. It would be interesting for us to learn something about his journey and his experiences from the world of celebrities and football.  Mickey, we’re glad to have you as a friend of The Francis Asbury Society. Tell us what’s the most memorable experience that you had while playing with the Raiders?

Mickey:  Well, during that time and to God be the glory, I will preference my remarks by saying that, to God be the glory for the great things he did for my playing for the Raiders, giving me the talent to play.  It was not something I came of by myself, but God gave me that talent to honor him. The natural answer that most people would give, and would think that I would give, would be the two Super Bowls that I had the privilege to play in. We won both games. Super Bowl 15 and Super Bowl 18 in ’81 and ’83. Those should be crowning moments of a person’s career because you want to get into the playoffs and be a part of the Super Bowl championship. But I remember a game in 1980 that we played against the San Diego Chargers, and it was the game that preceded the Super Bowl, the AFC championship game. They won in San Diego in overtime. Then we beat them in Oakland, and so we played them in the AFC championship game in San Diego; and, of course, the winner goes to the Super Bowl. We had won three games.  We beat Houston, we beat Cleveland, and then we beat San Diego later but didn’t know that at the time. To make a long story short, we had heard that they had already made reservations to New Orleans. Basically, they had their bags packed and they thought the Raiders were a kind of afterthought for them. But we decided to show up for the game anyway. They were heavily favored. As a matter of fact, they had three Hall of Famers’ on that team. But we ended up beating them 34 to 31. And at half time we were ahead like 28 to 7, but they came back in the second half when we had only a three-point lead.  I’ll never forget it because it was the most memorable moment of my football career.  We had six minutes and 38 seconds to go on the clock, and our offensive team was all in a huddle, and it was a proud offensive team. We came into the huddle together.  One of the players said, “Fellows, we have to hold on to the ball.  We cannot afford to give the ball back to the Chargers.” Our defense had not stopped them in the second half, and we were concerned that if Dan Fouts (a Hall of Fame quarterback) got the ball back, they would probably win the game. So we were all holding hands and, of course, I was praying in my heart. As a matter of fact a few years ago Jim said he will always remember my praying in the huddle.  So we kept the ball for six minutes and 38 seconds. And we didn’t have one off side penalty, no holding penalties, no personal foul penalties. The Raiders were known for personal fouls, but we had no penalties and I think Mark Van Eeghen ran the ball 10 out of 11 times. And I’ll never forget because the Chargers started arguing defensively amongst themselves, and I knew then that we had them!  And, of course, we ran off almost seven minutes off the clock. Almost half a quarter. We won the game and then went on to win what was my first Super Bowl victory, the Raiders’ second one. So that game, that six minutes and 38 seconds was precious to me, and I thank God for that game!

Ed: After spending your youth as an athlete, how were you able to make the transition into ordinary life?

Mickey:  Well, the average playing time in the national football league is about four years, but God blessed me and let me play 11. I pretty much knew that my career was over with, but you always have the hope that circumstances would be such that you could play another two or three or four years. But God was done with me there. I will never forget the morning I got cut. I was on my knees at 6:30 a.m. praying. Right before I got up, I had this overwhelming feeling and it was the first time in all the years I had played in high school, in college, or professionally that I had the overwhelming feeling that, man, I just don’t want to get up this morning. I’d just like to roll over and go back to sleep and wake up at lunchtime. I was just worn out. You practice in training camp twice a day.  It’s very grueling. It’s enjoyable, but it’s work. And so anyway, God was preparing my heart for what was about to happen. The phone rang, and it was Coach Shanahan’s secretary. She said, “Coach Shanahan wants to see you…bring your playbook.” I knew he didn’t want to discuss the day’s practice schedule with me at 6:30 in the morning. My roommate, who was a Christian was crying and I was crying. I went over to Mike’s office; and he said, “Mickey, this is the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do.” I was the first Raider that he cut. I said, “Mike, this is not exactly easy for me either.” I just broke up and started crying. We talked a little bit, and then I left his office. God knew what I needed. One of our quarterbacks, Vince Evans, a good Christian, came up and hugged my neck; and he was crying.  He said, “Mickey, you left a strong witness for Jesus Christ in the locker room.” And I said, “Well, to God be the glory. My time is done.” I knew that God was finished with me as a player. As far as the transition of going back into normal life, real life, it was difficult because I had played football for so long.  I knew basically what I was going to do every summer and every fall from 1968 to 1988. But God really blessed me, and opened the door for me to stay in the Raider organization.  Mr. David offered me a job in college scouting. In 1983 he had asked me, “What are you going to do when you get through playing?” I said, “Well, I’d like to go into the ministry in some form.” He looked at me and said, “Well, you could scout and do that, too.” Of course, I do a lot of speaking in churches and schools and go into jails and prisons, from time to time, which I really enjoy. So, having been able to move into the scouting part of it has kept me involved with the team, and I’ve been there ever since, 26 years. I think sports are a wonderful thing to be involved in, and I’ve been able to give a lot of witness for the Lord in that.

Ed: You grew up in the holiness tradition. Share your encounter with God when you were able to give all of yourself to him and get all of him in you.

Mickey: Well, I grew up in the First Church of the Nazarene, which certainly preaches salvation and sanctification. It comes under a lot of different names, entire sanctification, second blessing, and holiness. Having grown up in the church, I got saved when I was a little boy and then rededicated my life to Christ in 1980.  I had never really understood entire sanctification, but I had heard it preached. I grew up under a preacher that was very much a pastor.  He preached heaven and hell, and the judgment and the rapture. I used to sit on the front pew of that church and I was six years old and he used to scare me to death. And I thank God now that he did. I really do, but I just didn’t understand about sanctification, and that’s my fault. But again it was not something I was running from or purposely not trying to walk in the light. But two years ago, I was at Auburn University and I was not having a good day.  I was doing my scouting job for the Raiders. But I was struggling spiritually, and I was under conviction, and so I left Auburn that day and I had to drive to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Tuesday. I wasn’t having a good day on Tuesday either. The Holy Spirit was really dealing with my heart. I left Tuscaloosa to drive up to Birmingham that evening after I watched practice and pulled into a Comfort Inn parking lot, went in, and checked in at the front desk.  That summer in our Nazarene campmeeting (we have an old time campmeeting that has been going on for 48 years, two services a day with preaching in the morning and night and singing; it’s wonderful) Nelson Perdue was one of the evangelists and, of course, he’s a tenured evangelist in the First Church of the Nazarene, a member of the Francis Asbury Society, and a very dear friend, very much a mentor of mine. He had written a little book called Holiness, our Heritage.  I had gotten that book that summer in campmeeting. So I went into my hotel room, got my Bible and opened it up, and I got Nelson’s book; and I began to pore through the pages of both.  Nelson’s book is about the size of one of those God’s Little Instruction Books but filled with profound truth, deep truth, great truth. Every time there was a verse of scripture, I went to the Bible, and then reread what Nelson wrote, going back and forth and praying, but I still wasn’t satisfied. So I got up, I guess it was around 5:30 or so, and I sat on the hood of my car in that parking lot at that Comfort Inn. And for the next three hours I went through that little book and I went back and forth to the Bible. I guess I was all over the hood of that car. I don’t think I left a dent in it; I sat on it, leaned on it. I was crying and praying and praising God. I’ve wondered the last couple of years what people thought of me as they were seeing this big guy on his car raising his hands up to heaven. I can’t recall the exact minute or second, but I know that at some point when I got finished with that book, I was praying, and I totally surrendered my life to God and he filled me with the Holy Spirit. I felt something in my heart that I know is the evidence that God had given me the Holy Spirit, that I had wholly surrendered my life to him. I walked to a little grassy area behind that Comfort Inn. It was dark, and the stars were out, and it was a good night. I had my hands raised up toward heaven, and I was talking to God about a lot of different things. I had to go back and make restitution in some places, and it felt good, and that’s a good thing. Praise God for that.  The first thought that came into my mind was “I don’t want to do anything to offend my Father, my Heavenly Father.” The Holy Spirit spoke to me as plainly as I am speaking to you and he said, “Mickey, just take it a day at a time.” The next day, I went to the University of Alabama, Birmingham, to do my scouting for the Raiders, and I was in such a quiet place.  I was beside those still waters, and from September 18, 2001 to right now, a lot of things have happened in my life and God’s brought me through little trials, a lot of testing, restitution times, but he’s got me in his hands and I know who my Father is. What I’m learning more and more through Dr. Kinlaw’s ministry, through reading his books and listening to his tapes is that it’s all about relationship, about God restoring us to that relationship to him that he had with Adam and Eve in the garden. We don’t know how long it was there before the fall, but it’s about restoration, a restoration of relationship, and it’s through Jesus Christ and in salvation and full surrender and sanctification and letting the Holy Spirit have all of us.

I’m a ferocious note taker.  I heard years ago that an idea that is not written down is an idea that is lost. Over the 11 years I played for the Raiders, I had the same playbook every year, and I’ll never forget, toward the end of my career, I was looking at that playbook, and there were years and years of notes.  I knew all the plays; but yet I was still trying to become a better player. I was still in search of the perfect game, the perfect performance on the football field. God is not looking for perfect performance—he’s looking to perfect us in our hearts. Hallelujah! I was sitting in church a few months ago, listening to the preacher, and I wrote two statements: Salvation showed me who I was without Jesus Christ. Sanctification showed me who I can be in Jesus Christ. That’s become my slogan.  The journey has never been better; it’s never been richer. The Bible has just come alive to me and I’m so thankful for that.  I’m just learning more and more each day.  It’s about surrender each day, too.

Ed:  You mentioned relationship. You met your wife Lisa after joining the Raiders. How has faith helped you form a holy home?

Mickey: Well, I grew up in a Christian home, even though my Dad was not a Christian.  He got saved about 4 years before he died from cancer, in 1986. My Mom’s faithful example was and is so strong.  Lisa and I attend the Nazarene Church.

Ed:  She was a cheerleader?

Mickey: Yes, she was a cheerleader for the Raiders.  She got saved, and we dated for nine months.  We’ve been married for 25 years. Our son Jonathan is 20, playing football and going to school in Florida. Paige is 19 and she’s going to school and playing volleyball at the University of North Carolina. Just like I was raised in church and I was there literally every time the door opened, we’ve done the same things with our kids. We got them involved from very early ages in Sunday School and in the programs for the children and care ministry in our church and in Christian Scouting. Lisa teaches Sunday School and she’s been President of our Young People’s Society and she’s on the church board. We have family altar. When the children were small we used to have a routine that we’d go through. We’d wave our hands and give Jesus a wave offering and put our hands together and give him a clap offering. I’ll never forget, one time Jonathan was three and Paige was just two years old, We were on our knees praying and that night we went through the whole routine but at the end Jonathan just kept his hands raised up toward heaven. From a three year old I heard these words, “Big God, I want to follow in your big footsteps and see which way you go.”  And I tell you we all started bawling. So we’ve raised our kids in church and they’re both saved and doing really well. Paige and three or four of her classmates started the first FCA group on the UNCW campus, and Jonathan is involved in FCA in Florida. As a matter of fact, he just told us he got to give his testimony for FCA at the church on Sunday night, and he was excited about that. I said, “Well, son, that’s great. To me that’s better than your winning any trophies.” So, we’ve had a Christian home. Even though my dad wasn’t a Christian, my mom was so strong. Dad didn’t hinder us. Dad always went to church. I have a rich heritage. 

You know, I have two Super Bowl rings, and I was a world champion twice, and to God be the glory, great things he has done. He gave me my talent, and I’m thankful to have those memories and to have played professional football, but in the last few months the two things that I’m so aware of and that I’m more appreciative of than anything else are the prayers of my mother and grandmother. I know that my mother wet her pillow with tears praying for me.  And I ask her every day, “Mom, are you still praying for me?” “Yes, I’m praying for you every day. I pray for you and Lisa and Jonathan and Paige.” My grandmother probably prayed for me more than anybody in the family. And those prayers are still being poured out, and praise God for that. So it’s such a heritage that I have.  But as wonderful as that heritage is and as rich as it is, that heritage would mean nothing unless I embraced it myself.  You know, I had to make it personal for me, and then pass it on to my children.

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