- February 19th, 2007, 11:08 pm
#61895
Cool development ...
Broncos kicker Elam to study religion at Libertyhttp://www.newsadvance.com/servlet/Sate ... 5861&path=
By Ron Brown
rbrown@newsadvance.com
February 19, 2007
National Football League Pro Bowler Jason Elam plans to get fresh kicks out of studying at Liberty University’s seminary this year.
The Denver Broncos place kicker enrolled at the Lynchburg-based school last week.
“After talking to him, he greatly impressed me as a dedicated Christian leader, who is going to have a great impact on a lot of young people,” said the Rev. Jerry Falwell, LU’s chancellor.
Elam, 36, has been kicking for the Broncos since being drafted out of the University of Hawaii in 1993.
Elam, who has been a Pro Bowl selection three times, is tied for the longest field goal in NFL history with a kick of 63 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Oct. 25, 1998.
His 51-yard field goal in Super Bowl XXXII is the second longest in Super Bowl history.
Ergun Caner, the president of Liberty Theological Seminary, said Elam is seeking a masters of arts degree in global apologetics, which is an in-depth study of the world’s 12 major religions. LU plans to have a doctorate degree in global apologetics by 2008.
“We are the only school in the nation that offers that degree,” said Caner, a Sunni Muslim who converted to Christianity. “You learn those religions from the inside out. Then you adapt a way to present them the (Christian) Gospel.”
Elam has been pursuing a master’s of divinity for years, Caner said.
Elam will initially take distance-learning courses at Liberty, which will allow him the flexibility of completing the courses while he is actively involved in his pro football career.
LU’s distance learning courses, which involve more than 15,000 students, allow those enrolled to receive instruction on their home computers via the Internet.
“He will be able to come in when he can and continue to study throughout the season,” said Caner, who has conducted chapel services for several NFL teams, including the Broncos, the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins. “Our course is perfect for him, it fits his schedule.”
Elam came to Lynchburg last week and met with Caner and Falwell, LU’s co-founder.
“He is committed to taking classes face-to-face when he can,” Caner said.
Elam considered several other seminaries before setting on LU.
“We’re very happy that he ended up choosing Liberty,” Caner said.
