NFL star QB Russell Wilson recently teamed up with legendary pastor and high school football coach Denny Duron, whose “God, family, and football” formula helped Evangel Christian Academy in Louisiana return to national prominence.
The new Amazon Freevee series “God. Family. Football” follows Duron, assistant head coach Fibian Carter and the Evangel Eagles during the 2022 season on their road to redemption after coming off their worst season in school history. Duron is a 71-year-old former coach and player who came out of a 30-year retirement from coaching to lead the football program he founded at Evangel Christian Academy in Shreveport.
The six-episode docuseries premiered exclusively on Amazon Freevee and explores the diverse, rich personal stories of football and faith set against the dramatic backdrop of the 2022 Louisiana high school football season. “God. Family. Football” is filled with the values most Americans hold dear, including Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson, who jumped on board to executive produce the series.
Duron told The Christian Post, “I can’t even tell you what it means to have Russell Wilson involved. Russell really, really loves Jesus and is so open about his faith. My conversation with him just a couple of weeks ago was fire. I mean, he is so excited about this. I think he was more fired up than I was, honestly.” Wilson, an outspoken Christian, cosigns coach Duron’s “recipe for success: God, family and football.”
“He said, ‘I’m going to war with you guys,” Duron continued. “‘We’re going to believe that God is going to use this to touch people’s lives.’ He was just really preaching.” The coach and minister maintained, “I got off of that phone call like: ‘Man, God has really put this vision of God, family, football in Russell Wilson’s heart. He’s proud of the series; that makes us proud. He is just committed with everything that’s within him to seeing this thing succeed.” Duron was first called to ministry when he was 17. At that time, he also had a chance to play quarterback at Louisiana Tech University, where he led them to two NCAA Division II national championships.
Duron told The Christian Post, “I just assumed that because I had this call to ministry, I was not going to play more football. But when I was recruited by Louisiana Tech, the Lord really spoke to my heart and said, ‘I’ve called you here to play football for My glory.'” In the series, the Evangel players are taught to put God first in their pursuit of success on a football field. The coaches see the players’ desire to play on the football field as a great opportunity to draw them in and offer them the message of eternal life in Christ.
Since its founding, the Evangel football program has won 14 state championships under six different coaches. Duron said the school has had five players make it to the NFL, which could increase to eight by next year.
“What I tell coaches is what we have to do is remember the Lord and remember why we do this because those accolades and trophies and championships, they pass away,” Duron said. “You can’t even hold onto the glory of it five minutes after you receive it.”