Faith and Football Lessons Help Westminster Alumnus Comfort Others

Rev. Michael A. Dunlap, a 1983 Westminster College graduate, never thought the lessons he learned on the Westminster football field would help him in a national crisis, but they did.

"With the mine collapse only five miles away and the Sept. 11 plane crash only eight miles away, this year has been a special burden for me," said Dunlap. "It's easy to thank God when you are in trouble&it's humbling to thank Him and praise Him, but when it's over, people don't talk about God.

"Every Christian is called every day because every day is a gift from God," continued Dunlap. "I learned this on the Westminster football field. Sports can be prideful, and we teach our children to have passion for sports. But I began to play different at Westminster. Dar Huey taught me to keep winning in perspective. I played so that He could be glorified, and learned how to treat an opponent and teammates. He made me a better football player and now coach. Dar once told me that winning coaches never have to talk about winning, but use their God-given talents to the best of their capacity.'"

Dunlap's faith brought him to the mine where several men were trapped this summer.

"I tried to keep the people encouraged," said Dunlap. "Not only the miners who were trapped, but the ones no one talked about on television - the ones who helped their buddies by going down under the water to clear the pumps, so that the water kept moving out. Some of these guys say they will never go back into a mine because they are so terrified."

"When I heard the mine owner thank Mike Dunlap on CNN, I got goose bumps," said Huey, chair and associate professor of education and former defensive football coach at Westminster. "Knowing him, the quality of his character, and the depth of this faith, it didn't surprise me that he would rush to the crisis like that."

Dunlap continues to provide counseling service.

"I held guys in my arms who were crying. These guys are not used to asking for help," Dunlap said. "Not even their wives had ever seen them like this, and it's not easy for them to seek help from strangers."

"It was a privilege to be involved in the families," said Dunlap. "What we need to do is receive God every moment of our lives."

For more information, contact Dunlap at (814) 629-7358.

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