An alert came across my phone this week.

Former Cleveland Brown great Bill Glass dies at 86.

A flood of memories came over me. Bill Glass was a truly great defensive end on the only Browns team to win an NFL Championship.

I was just a kid developing my sports loves when Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, QB Dr. Frank Ryan, and All-Pro defensive end Bill Glass led the Browns to a title against the Baltimore Colts. Current Browns fans will see the irony in the location of that opponent. Little did I know that 57 years later I would still be waiting for the next championship moment.

I obviously have fond football memories of Bill Glass. He is also in the College Football Hall of Fame as a Baylor Bear star.

That just added to his status when I adopted the Baylor Bears later in life.

His influence on my life was profound and Bill Glass had no idea how God used him. He was an outspoken Christian who actually practiced what he preached. My perception of Christian men was not necessarily positive in my early years. It seemed like no strong men that I admired were Christians. And then one of my football heroes changed my perception forever.

Bill Glass hated the notion that “Christians are weak.” He spoke boldly that the opposite was true. Being an authentic Christian was a hard journey that forced you to make difficult decisions about priorities in life. When he wasn’t studying playbooks and scouting reports Glass was immersed in seminary courses at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Cleveland sportswriter Terry Pluto wrote a moving tribute to Glass. He recalled a conversation with Glass.

I first encountered Glass in 1997, when I was writing Browns Town 1964 about that championship season. We talked on the phone.

He laughed when I said several of his teammates told me stories of Glass drilling a QB for a sack, then picking up the poor soul and asking the QB if he was OK.

“That’s true,” said Glass. “I did hit them hard, but I never wanted to hurt them. I hate dirty plays.”

Pluto recalled a life lesson from Bill Glass that we should all embrace in today’s divided world.

“If you don’t know whether to go negative or positive in a situation, go positive. You can always be negative later if needed.” He also said “Look for reasons to bless people.” He meant to compliment them. Look for something good about them. “You spread the love of Christ that way,” he said.

Amen.

Bill Glass went on to have an influential public speaking career. I heard him speak and his message left an impact on my heart that was key to me trusting Jesus as my Savior. Bill planted a seed and overcame some false impressions I had about Christians. He had no idea that some young Browns fan in Southern Ohio would change his life in part because of the words of his sports hero.

I think that will be one of the biggest blessings in Heaven when God reveals how he used us when we had no clue He was moving. Those expressions of unselfish service that the Holy Spirit uses without any awareness on our part are moments that give every bit of the glory to God. I am sure that is what Bill Glass would say about his influence on my life.

Glass started down a path to have large public evangelism events like Billy Graham. But God led the ultimate team guy to a much less glamorous calling. Bill Glass developed a prison ministry called Behind the Walls where he spent the last four decades plus of his life serving.

“I was thrown into it kicking and screaming, but the response from the inmates was just unbelievable.”

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I look forward to seeing my childhood hero in Heaven some day. I will get to thank him for speaking boldly but, more importantly, living a life that earned my respect. I suspect I will still be looking for that second Cleveland Browns championship so I will give him an extra hug for that first one.

Bill Glass leaves a great reminder for leaders and people of influence at any level. How you live your life matters. How you treat people and how you are willing to serve and care makes an eternal impact. How you impacted the bottom line or climbed to the top does not matter in the algorithm of eternal significance. Bill Glass was a difference maker. The beauty of the glorious grace of Jesus is that everyone of us can choose to follow Him and make a difference no matter what season of life we are in.

Terry Pluto remembered this longing from Bill Glass.

“One of his greatest wishes was to hear the words from Matthew 25:23: “Well done, good and faithful servant” after he died from his Lord.”

I am certain my childhood hero had his wish come true this week. Thank you Bill Glass for your faithfulness and selfless service.