Anything and everything about Liberty Flames football. Your comments on games, recruiting and the direction of the program as we move into new era.

Moderators: jcmanson, Sly Fox, BuryYourDuke, Class of 20Something

By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#124134
Most people know I went to Coastal. There have been jokes made about it all week, and anyone who knows me knows that I was a Coastal student before I came to Liberty. However, most don't know how and why I transferred. Some know this story, most don't. I figured since this was Coastal Day, it'd be a good chance to share it.

A little over two years ago, two years and twelve days to be exact, Coastal came to Lynchburg to play Liberty. At the time, I was a Coastal student and was one of their top fans, just like I am here. In the weeks leading up to that game, I wasn't happy at all. I didn't know what it was, but something wasn't right, and I just wasn't happy. One night it got to the point where I cut all the lights out in my house, laid on the couch, and just had a talk with God. I told Him I wasn't happy, that I knew something needed to be changed, I just didn't know what. I'd never been to a Christian school, but I knew that I needed to get in a more Christian environment than that at Coastal. At the time, I told God I didn't want to transfer because the only Christian schools I knew of were Johnson Bible, Lee, and Southeast and I simply didn't want to go there. After that night, I still wasn't happy, but I knew that I'd admitted how I felt and that God would take care of me in His way and on His time.

The week leading up to the Liberty game I decided I wanted to go to the game. I talked to a couple people and they were up for it at the beginning of the week. As the week progressed, they started to back out because they had things to do to get ready for Homecoming which was the next week. Luckily, they ended up deciding to come anyways. I went home on Friday night, and they met me in King on the Saturday before the game. We drove up to the game, went to our seats, and everything was going like a normal game. As the game stayed close, I started talking to some of the LU kids around me, just joking with them and all of that, being the way I normally am. I kept talking to these guys more and more and ended up really liking them. I still didn't know that Liberty was a Christian school during the game until probably the fourth quarter. The game ended, I got everyone's name that I was talking to so I could look them up on Facebook, and we went back home.

Once I got back to Coastal, I looked up the people I'd met at the game and we kept talking over the next few weeks. I ended up skipping a Coastal home game to come up to Lynchburg for a weekend to hang out with them. I had no intentions of transferring on my way to Lynchburg. On Sunday morning, I went to church with one of them. Everything just felt right. On the way up to Lynchburg, I had listened to Underoath and the line, "Jesus, I'm ready to come home" got stuck in my head. On Sunday morning during church, I said to God, "This is home isn't it?" and it's like He smacked me on the back of the head and said, "Yup, why'd it take you so long to figure it out?" I just smiled and knew I'd be a Liberty student.

I called my parents leaving Lynchburg and decided to go home on Sunday night and back to the beach on Monday instead of straight back to the beach. When I got home, I told them I wanted to transfer, which my mom already figured out. We figured I'd wait until after the spring semester and transfer in the fall. That was the plan all along. Well, until Thanksgiving break. We looked at the numbers, and it was cheaper for me to come here, so I filled out the paperwork and I've been a Liberty student since January of 06.


To a lot of people this game is just a game vs the three-time conference champions. To me, it's a lot more. Liberty football is what got me to this school. Liberty football changed my life for the better. I was a Christian already, but Liberty football opened the doors for God to work in ways that He hadn't before. Yea, Coastal won the game back in 05, but that didn't matter to me. If it wasn't for Liberty football, I wouldn't be here.

If you ever have wondered why I'm such a big fan, now you know. I try to be that kid that someone at another school sees having fun and makes them want to come to Liberty. There's no other way to say it than Liberty football changed my life, and I will always be thankful for it.
User avatar
By bozlady
Registration Days Posts
#124137
......and where would the Flames be without you?! So you're planning to stay in Lynchburg and live here forever right??? please??? :bowdown
(I think I just heard God tell you that! :wink: )
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#124138
I'll be here at least a year after I graduate.
User avatar
By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#124139
Jon, in all seriousness, your testimony nearly brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for sharing that with us. I'm really glad that you were open to God's leading and direction, and that you are one of us now.

On a related note, have you heard anything about how many Coastal fans are coming up for the game today?
User avatar
By El Scorcho
Registration Days Posts
#124140
Well I'm certainly glad you decided to come home. It's been great getting to know you this year and I have to say that I don't think a lot of people realize the impact you've had as a fan. A lot of us do, however, and we're very appreciative. So keep doing what you're doing and stay as long as you'd like. (Hey, I never thought I'd stay here when I was a student, but you never know.)

Oh yeah...

Beat Coastal.
User avatar
By BJWilliams
Registration Days Posts
#124142
Id like to add my appreciation for what you have brought to this campus. I will say having met you through GMTM and others I really enjoy your fire and you drive to make gameday as great an experience as possible (and your always corrwecting me when I miss a joke, and your regular statements about the marching band, etc)
User avatar
By Fumblerooskies
Registration Days Posts
#124143
That is a great story and testimony, Jonathan. You should be a recruiter for the school.
User avatar
By bozlady
Registration Days Posts
#124145
It brought me to tears. We serve an AWESOME God!
By FlamingChick
Registration Days Posts
#124147
SJ, that is such a great testimony. I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes. Your story reminds me of my brother and how we never expected him to end up at LU, but then he decided to go for an official visit, and he said it just felt right and that's where God wanted him to be. I don't think HE even thought he'd end up there, with all of the other scholarship offers he'd received, but for him, it was just like your experience, the LU family made him feel right at HOME. I'm sure there are a lot of folks who have similar stories, and I'm so glad you shared yours. You just never know what God has in store for you!! :D

P.S.- You should see if Rocco will let you help with recruiting!! Get those guys to COME HOME!! :)
By The NSL
Registration Days Posts
#124151
Wow, SJ...What a testimony! Now I'm really looking forward to come on-campus again! I almost cried as well...Cool reference to Underoath as well!
By Stevev
Registration Days Posts
#124156
That is quite a nice testimonial SJ. Your dedication to LU football is unmatched and the reason this board is where it is today. I just wish I were as half as dedicated as you are.
User avatar
By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#124164
Thanks for sharing the story, SJ. I admit I enjoyed watching your transition over the internet. Remember I was the one dropping the subtle transfer references to you over on the CCU board. :wink:

Its interesting that a lack of exposure led to SJ not starting out here. And his participation here is helping to remedy that problem through both FF.com & LOAL.com.

Before I go I do want to leave you all with one final thought ....




























BEAT
COASTAL
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#124167
The reason I'd never heard of Liberty is I'm not Baptist. I've been raised Pentecostal in the Church of God my entire life. That's how I knew of Lee and not Liberty.
User avatar
By Sly Fox
Registration Days Posts
#124168
Now that you are here its obvious that Pentecostals & Assemblies folk are not only welcome but also fit in just fine. The powers that be at Lee certainly seem fixated on copying us in every way they can.
User avatar
By RagingTireFire
Registration Days Posts
#124171
That's...just....awesome.
By TDDance234
Registration Days Posts
#124186
Good post, SJ. I have heard bits and pieces but never the whole story. Liberty is certainly a better place with you than without.
User avatar
By flafan
Registration Days Posts
#124439
SJ,

A great testimony as to your desire to let God lead in your life.

Glad He brought your to Liberty. It truly is a great place to call home. You certainly have added to the spirit and
enthusiasm of the school.
User avatar
By FlameDad
Registration Days Posts
#124513
Inspirational testimony - thank you for sharing
User avatar
By bigsmooth
Registration Days Posts
#124778
very nice post SJ. i never knew the whole story.
User avatar
By Schfourteenteen
Registration Days Posts
#124879
Ill tell you what it made my week to just see you so excited Saturday. Not necessarily a rarara chant excited, but everything came together. The student side was all together. We beat Coastal. Your sis was there. You just had that kid in a candystore(or Jon in a candy store on a day not named monday tuesday or wednesday) and that was really exciting for me to be a part of. Personally I think LU should hire you here, just because youve invested so much to the school it would be a shame for us to lose a guy like you. The more Im thinking about it the more I wanna stay here, and to be honest Id love to see you either not graduate or just come on to the staff full time. Yeah Saturday was a good day.
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#124888
They shouldn't hire me. I'm try to be a great fan. A lot of times I can think from a marketing stand point just because that's my major and something I like. However, if I worked for the school, I couldn't be the fan that I am. People tell me I should start a competitor to the SFC all of the time because of how organized I make things in the stands now and I always tell them no. I enjoy my work that I do with the football team but if I was on staff full-time, I couldn't be who I am in the stands. I'll be here for at least a year after I graduate, so I'll be here next season. Even if I move away, I don't plan on missing home games.
User avatar
By Cider Jim
Registration Days Posts
#124905
Super, after you graduate, will you be sitting on the Baptist side with Scar, Smoothy, and me? :idea:
By SuperJon
Registration Days Posts
#124907
Not the first year.
User avatar
By Schfourteenteen
Registration Days Posts
#124929
So Jon you got a new mission in 2 years.....
2026 Recruiting Discussion

Roster compl9eted with the addition of 6'5" D[…]

5 for 5 rule Meeting

Very possible that you may be correct. But if the […]

Ohhh 6-7?? Man, wrap it up then 😭

Flames Baseball

The whole point of this character on ASOR is to sh[…]