a Dra Off Life’s Sidelines N ex) a and Become Your ' ot LESeS \e / i,oa aaa STACKED AGAINST HIM— Sa UThaa Asfar back as he can remember, CSTECO (entiseearns RRC pedatarea aNUNISOM ESTEE TAOMeraCoraVe PST term teom unm EseetETOAC Dittersoneteeects nner OeanreateCRene accent ECeMSstnteoh ntoote-TiaEnaoee eee bee)<oeMeonsenEre CeCaM eatcolt peices otqonnarbite mrcmoasaceitetated NFL running back. And hecontinues to accomplish things nobody ever thought he could—even winning Season 24 of ABC’s beyTellinaccentLanse In these pages, Rashad sharesthe decisions that shapedhis life—the kindsof decisions that can shapethe course of your ownlife. Here's the gameplan to reach your goals and hold onto yourfaith no matter whatlife throwsat you. This unique book featuresrare photos from LORESMesihclCeresSen eeemen Feoicestoneectcee Bonusposter also includedon the back lof this jacket. PRAISE FOR RASHAD JENNINGS’ THE IF IN LIFE “The IF in Life ..'Thetitle alone speaks volumes. Asa fellow NY Giant, I've come to know Rashadas a genuine mentor. He taught methedifference betweenbeing an NFLplayer and a pro-athlete. His deeply missed presencein the locker room is a great testa- mentto the incredible obstacles he has tackled to get to where heis today, This book chronicles that story, and gives yougreat principles for handling the IFs oflife along the way! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!” —ODbELL BECKHAM,JR.—NFLAll-Pro WideReceiverfor the NY Giants “Although weall come from different backgrounds and have dif- ferentstories, humanity hasthis in common: we only get one shot at thislife. Rashad haswritten a bookthat will help anybody who wantsto get out of “what could have been” and start making the mostof the opportunities we have. I know The IFin Life will be a blessing to many!” —CARL LENTZ—Hillsong NYC Pastor “In all my seasonson Dancing with the Stars, Ive never had a part- ner so committed to hard work and excellence. 1 know andlove so much about Rashad,but this book reveals things that I could never imagine having to go through. More people need to read this and beaffected byhis philosophyin life. You'll fall in love with Rashad’s story. And you'll be inspired to become your best selft ‘TheIF in Life would be a great movie someday!” _EMMA SLATER—Dancer/Choreographerfor Dancing with the Stars, Season 24 Champion I “In The IFin Life, RashadJennings tackles the obstacles and fav- igates the hurdles he hadto overcometo makeit from a kid with a dream to an NFL team.You will be inspired, encouraged, and motivated to pursue your own dream like never before. Ifyou love a great true story, and you needinspirationfor yourlife, then The IF in Life isjust the book for you!” —MILES McPHERSON—FounderandSenior Pastor, The Rock Church,San Diego; Former NFL Defensive Back; Motivational Speaker “Rashad’s tenacity and determination are infectious. TheIFinLife is a greatstory for all audiences thatis filled with precious prin- ciplesfor living and achieving your dreams. I absolutely love how Rashad’s mom, dad,and brothers rallied around him in his child- hood times ofneed. Itjust shows howmuchthelovingsupportofa strong and committedfamilycando.” —BENJAMIN WATSON—NELTight Endfor the Baltimore Ravens, Super Bowl XXXIX Champion How to Get Off Life’s Sidelines and Become Your Best Self RASHAD JENNINGS WITH MARGOT STARBUCK iB ZONDERVAN’ ZONDERVAN TheIFin Life Copyright © 2018 by RashadJennings, LLC Requests forinformation should be addressedto: Zondervan, 3900SparksDr. SE, GrandRapids, Michigan49546 This title also available as a Zondervan ebook. ISBN 978-0-31076596-7 Scripturequotationsare takenfrom the Holy Bible, New International Version’, NIV", Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc’ Used by permis s ion ofZondervan.All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New InternationalVersion” are trademarksregistered in the United States Patent and Tredemark Office byBiblica, Inc? Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs,etc.) and telephone numbers in this book areoffered as a resource. Theyare not intended in anywayto be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouchfor thecontent of these sites anc numbers for thelife ofthis book. Allrights reserved. Nopart ofthis publication maybereproduced,stored in aretrieval system,or transmittedin any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—exceptfor briefquotations in printed reviews, withoutthe priorpermission ofthe publisher. ‘This is a work ofnonfiction, The events and experiencesdetailed herein areall true and havebeenfaithfully rendered as remembered bythe author, to the best ofhis abilities.Some names and otheridentifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacyofthe individuals involved. Published in association with theliterary agencyofWordServeLiterary Group, Ltd., wwwavordserveliterary.com, Zonderkidzis a trademark ofZondervan. Interiordesign: Denise Froehlich Coverdesign:Ron Huizinga Coverphotographyby:Meg Urbani Printedin the UnitedStates ofAmerica 18 19 20 21 22 /L (1098765432 This, myfirst book, is especially dedicated to my mom, Deborah Jennings, for being the rock our entire family could and can always depend on—no matter what. It is also dedicated to my dad, Albert, and my brothers, Butch andBryan. You are eacha true testament to what it means to be men willing to take the lead in their own various waysto create a greatfamily. I also dedicate this book to that little overweight kid with glasses, asthma, a 0.6 GPA, and an impossible dream. Thisisfor every tearyou cried whenpeople couldn't see inyou whatyou always longed to become.Yougotus offthe sidelines. Improud ofyou! All ofyou together demonstratethe inestimable value ofa family that loves God andloves each other. IF... Idid not haveyou in mylife, Icould not have madeit. CONTENTS Foreword by Michael Strahan Introduction 13 THE DREAMER 15 MAKING PROMISES 31 ASK QUESTIONS 41 YOU DON'T DEFINE ME 59 GIVING ONE HUNDRED 67 THE BIG GAME 15 MORE SURPRISES a1 ‘A SECOND CHANCE 103 THEBIG RUN 119 LEAVING THE NEST 129 COMING HOME 143 GOING PRO 157 THE UPS AND DOWNS 167 FINALLY CONNECTING m1 SHIFTING GEARS 189 Conclusion 203 Acknowledgments 207 FOREWORD t is with great honor andprivilege that I introduce you I. the incredible life story of my friend andfellow former New York Giant, Rashad Jennings. Rashadis one of those professional athletes who stepped onto the NFL stage and never once allowed the fameand fortune to determine the level of his integrity. During his eightyearsin the league he showed us a clear picture of what a consummate profes- sional whoplaces a premium on being humble, teachable, and admirable looks like. ['m proud to know that he is a memberof the Giantsfraternity. I'm even prouder to know himasa friend. But where doesall of this come from? You see, people don't just wake up one day and suddenly find themselves to be people ofcharacter. The kind of hard work,faith, and integrity Rashad showsis formed over time... over years. Andthat’s where Rashad's story, The JFin Life comesin. This hook reminds me of my own journey, and I have a feeling it will sound familiar to a lot of you too. Personally, I was 9 THEIF IN LIFE immediately drawn to its subtitlek—How to Get Off Life's Sidelines and Become Your Best Self—because I could not have becomethe person I am todayifI had let difficulties I facedinlife keep mesidelined. Yousee,life is filled with situations and circumstances thatpresentus with opportunities to consider that big little word—IF. Aswelive, we will be faced with decisions bothbig and small. This bookhelpsussee that ifwe want to become our bestself, we need to carefully consider the empirical truth thatconsistently making good choicesis the onlypath to real success and enjoymentin life. The alternative to this is that one bad decision, one momentaryfailure to respect an“i”in yourlife, canset you back years, or perhaps even a lifetime, whenit comesto yourgoals, Even after having achieved so manyofmy own dreams, lam truly inspired by this story ofa once overweight, asth- matickid, whostruggledacademically. Asateenager,Rashad made the mature decision to Stop letting life happen to him, andinsteadstart makinglife happenfor him. The manhe has becomeis livingproofofwhatyou can do whenyou decide to applyyourselfand let no one and nothingstop you. Tom Coughlin, the great coach under which we both played, once said about the NEL: “Every year thatyou enter this business andthisgame, thegoalis the Super Bowl.” While I totally agree with that asa football player, there is a Super Bowthateverypersonhasto face—life. Thegood thingabout life's Super Bowlis that you don't haveto wait to be called off thesidelines,youcan get up on yourown andgetafterit! 10