Collins senior Brody Haggard (8) seeks to expand God’s Kingdom in all he does
By John Herndon, 110forChrist.com
LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. — It would be difficult for the most casual of fans to miss Brody Haggard on the football field.
He wears No. 8. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s not often that you see a guy wearing a single digit jersey number battling it out in the trenches.
But that didn’t stop Haggard when his Collins Titans visited Anderson County last Friday. The Titans prevailed, 58-30, to snag a key Class 5A, District 6 victory. Throughout the night, Haggard was able to fight his way through the line to make his presence known in the Anderson backfield. Brody was credited with being in on three tackles, one of the Titans’ better totals as they limited Anderson to 32 offensive snaps.
But ask anyone around the Titan camp and you will learn that stats don’t begin to measure the senior’s presence and influence on a Collins team that has consistently been ranked among the state’s Top 10 in Class 5A all season.
”Brody is just a special young man,” Collins coach Jerry Lucas said. “He’s a member of our 1000 Pound Club (in the weight room). He’s an extremely hard worker. But the main thing is that Brody is a kid that absolutely loves the Lord.”
Brody Haggard’s high school football story has included stints at linebacker and running back along with his time in the line. It’s the story of a player using the game he loves to glorify the God he loves much, much more.
“My faith is the most important aspect in my life,” Haggard said after his team improved to 6-3 and 1-2 in district play. “It always has been. I think just growing up in a Christian household with two amazing parents and called to the Lord, it has always been such a big part of my life.”
Brody’s father, Jason Haggard, serves as Missions and Outreach Pastor at Shelby Christian Church in Shelbyville while Brody’s mom, Melinda, teaches in the Shelby County Public Schools.
Just chatting with Haggard, it becomes obvious that he’s speaking from the depths of his heart. During a short postgame meeting, he led the team in prayer, a practice that has been common during his four years at Collins.
“From Day One as a freshman, he has been a kid who leads us in prayers,” Lucas said. “He has led our FCA multiple times for our team this year.”
Once, a last-minute conflict prevented the team’s character coach from making the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting. No problem. Brody took over.
A devout Christian himself, Lucas says his program is careful to not run afoul of the guidelines in place. “We run our program as a public school program,” he said.
And having young men like Brody Haggard around ensures that the light of Christ is being shared by students. The most visible result came several weeks ago when Brody was able to baptize one of his teammates at Shelby Christian.
”That was a really cool moment,” Brody said. “One of my teammates, Jericho Hinkle, made the decision to get baptized and I got to baptize him in front of the whole church.”
The joy in Brody’s voice as he described the moment was apparent. “We have had a couple other of my teammates baptized over the last few months,” he added.
It’s all to glorify God. When asked about his favorite verse of Scripture, there was no hesitation. “John 3:30. ‘He must increase. I must become less,’” Haggard said. “That is really a good reminder that while we are here on earth to expand His kingdom. It’s just a really good opportunity out here on the football field to do that, whether I am making plays or just being a positive influence and leader on my team.”
Brody knows his next step. He plans to study for youth ministry next fall but he’s still in the process of deciding. He wants to play football, if possible, and has visited Kentucky Christian University with another visit upcoming.
However, his 5-foot-8, 210-pound frame could limit his football options. If nothing works out on the gridiron, he will likely attend Johnson University, near Knoxville, Tennessee.
Regardless of where his college path takes Brody Haggard, his coach believes he will continue to impact lives. “He is such a special kid,” Lucas said. “You just know he will do awesome things for the Lord.”
