{"id":14143,"date":"2019-03-27T11:52:53","date_gmt":"2019-03-27T15:52:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=14143"},"modified":"2022-03-24T10:23:14","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T14:23:14","slug":"highest-paid-center-nfl-history-left-behind-god","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2019\/03\/highest-paid-center-nfl-history-left-behind-god.html","title":{"rendered":"He Was the Highest Paid Center in NFL History and Left It All Behind For God"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NBC<\/a>
NBC Nightly News\/YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jason Brown had what many people dream of. Some might even said he had it all.<\/p>\n

He was the highest paid center in NFL history when he signed a $37.5 million dollar contract.<\/p>\n

While he was in a position to do what so many others want to, Brown felt empty.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were living the lifestyle? When I got to the top of the mountain, we were lonely,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI had bought into the idea that money could buy happiness. I thought I was special, just like everyone else thinks they\u2019re special. I was no different. I was gaining the world, and losing my soul.\u201d<\/p>\n

While he knew money could buy a lot of things, he realized he was missing something significant in his life.<\/p>\n

Brown marked his 27th birthday a turning point in life. He felt like he should be on top of the world but felt empty inside.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t happy about what I saw in the mirror because 27 was the same age that Lunsford (his brother) was slain in service,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI began to measure up my life and everything I had accomplished over 27 years in contrast to Lunsford\u2019s life. There was no comparison. He had lived a life of service, while I was living a life of selfishness and entertainment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown\u2019s brother had been killed in action while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom back in 2003. This moment was both heart-breaking and life-changing.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kicker was when I looked in the mirror\u2026and I saw his reflection looking right back at me, and he asked, \u2018what are you doing with your life Jason that\u2019s so great? What are you doing with your life that\u2019s so special?\u2019 And I couldn\u2019t answer. And in the first time in a long time, my heart is wide open. All of those seeds from my youth that had fallen on rocky soil \u2013 about love and loving thy neighbor and being selfless. All of a sudden they began to take root and germinate.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brown realized his priorities weren\u2019t straight and he was ready for a major change. However, he wasn\u2019t sure where to start. There is one thing he did know.<\/p>\n

\u201cGod was preparing me for something greater, but I had no idea what it was,\u201d Brown said.<\/p>\n

The next several months and years he decided to listen to God\u2019s voice and follow His lead. God called him to quit the NFL in his prime and become a farmer.<\/p>\n

He traded the football field for the farm field. When he chose to follow God, his life was changed forever.<\/p>\n

Learn more about his journey in the video below.<\/p>\n