This week’s Faith, Family, & Football feature is: Cedric Peerman, Current Cincinnati Bengal.
Cedric Peerman was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the 6th round (185th overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft and is in his 4th NFL season. Peerman began his career with the Browns and Lions, but was claimed off waivers by the Bengals after his rookie season and has found a home with the organization ever since. Peerman plays a key role on the Bengals special teams and has recently earned more opportunities to display his running abilities splitting carries with starting RB Ben Jarvis Green Ellis. In the past 3 games Peerman has logged a total of 18 carries averaging 7.8 yards per attempt, and has consistently made big plays on special teams.
At the young age of 26, Peerman has already established himself as a team leader and a key component of the Bengals locker room. He helps facilitate and lead the team’s weekly bible studies, participates regularly in community outreach, and most importantly, embraces every single person he comes in contact with. Teammates often refer to Peerman as “one of the most humble and loving guys you’ll ever meet.” He embodies the term servant leadership and approaches everything in life with passion, work ethic, and faith. It’s evident in the way he practices, plays the game, and lives his life.
Peerman has taken advantage of the increased opportunities he’s been given on the field and to no surprise, did the same when offered the opportunity to share his Faith, Family, and Football. NFLPE is thankful for Peerman’s participation and delighted to present another phenomenal young man who does things the right way both on and off the field.
PE: Why is faith important to you?
Peerman: Faith is important to me because it is what the God of the Bible requires. If I claim to be a follower of the God of scripture I must follow His word. God is set apart and above creation infinitely and He must be approached in the way that He has commanded for He is the only God. Hebrews 11:6a says this: "Without faith it is impossible to please God..." Throughout the Bible, many have approached God by faith and their faith was preceded and followed by action. Their faith was not perfect but God saw their faith in Him and His word and rewarded them. The same way the people in the Bible approached God is the same way I should approach Him, by faith. He has decreed that all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Rom. 3:23). Because of my sin, I have offended God and am worthy of His wrath and eternal separation from Him. But He has sent His sinless Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for my sin by taking the blame and punishment for my sin. Jesus died in my place but he rose again the third day. God commands that I respond to His Son Jesus through faith for the forgiveness of my sins and so that I can be in a right relationship with God. He rewards this faith which is not even of my own accord but by His grace (Eph. 2:8) He adopts me as His own son and gives me eternal life. In the Christian life, faith is important to me not only because it is what God requires, but because I desperately need a Savior, Jesus Christ and Christ alone (Acts 4:12). And it is by faith in Christ that I can be right in God's sight.
PE: Tell us about your family and the impact they’ve had on your life?
Peerman: There is so much to say about my family. My parents have been married now for about 27 years. I have an older sister and two brothers, one older and the other younger. I grew up living right next door to my dad's parents. My deceased grandfather particularly had a huge impact on my life as a young boy. I grew up on a farm so I could be found with him working by his side. He always told me that whatever I do, even if it is the smallest task, do it as unto God. I'll never forget that. My grandmother, who is still living next door, was a picture of discipline, love, hard work and great cooking. I have eaten plenty of pancakes and scrambled eggs at her table!! My mom and dad raised me to fear God. They made sure we went to church. My parents still impact me through their marriage. To me, their marriage is a picture of God's grace and how a man can love a woman despite her faults and vice versa. Their marriage is a picture of endurance and perseverance to me. My brothers and my sister have always been there to support me and cheer me on. I don't know where I would be without them.
PE: What does it mean to be a father?
Peerman: I am not a father, but hopefully one day I will have that opportunity. However, I can shed some light on what it would mean for me to be a father. I think being a father is one of the scariest things in the world, but also one of the greatest blessings from God. In order to be a father, one must first be a man. In the Bible, God shows me the qualities of a real man. I think about Psalm 1:1 and the importance of surrounding myself with examples of godly men. To me, being a father is more than just "bringing home the bacon" and being tough. I do not mean to say that these are not important but I'm saying that this is not all there is to being a father as our society will make it seem. A father is the spiritual leader, teacher, guider and protector of his family. His responsibilities are laid out in scripture and they are daunting tasks. Without God and His grace working in me they will be impossible for me to do.
PE: How has your faith and family helped you develop off the field?
Peerman: The work that God has done in my heart has radically changed my life. Before God changed my heart and gave me "new eyes" and faith in Jesus Christ, I was just a religious person concerned with looking outwardly good. But now that God has changed my heart, I am concerned with what lies in the inside; the part of me that no one sees. My heart is the place where all my intentions, desires and thoughts arise from. My faith in Christ has affected me to the point where I want to be the same man behind closed doors as I am in front of people. God has used my family to help develop a gracious and patient attitude. I am so thankful for this because I know I can be unloving to people at times. But my family has endured with me and God has used them to develop in me more of a Christ-like attitude.
PE: How do you balance faith, family, and football?
Peerman: Balancing faith, family and football is difficult for me. I find myself at times not being intentional in seeking God in prayer and reading his word. I find myself not speaking with my family on a regular basis. For me, I find that the football season can consume you. You get tired and begin to make excuses. I have to be real with myself over being balanced. It's not always going to be comfortable and easy going. Being balanced in the NFL is a struggle and I definitely need help from God in this.
PE: What advice would you give to student athletes and current professional athletes in regards to their faith, family, and football?
Peerman: A man named A.W. Tozer said this, "What comes to our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us...Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God." Tozer also alluded to the importance of thinking rightly about God. To me, the Bible is the place one goes in order to find out about God. So I would advise people to really consider the Bible as the source that leads to right thinking about God. I believe that when I think about God in the right and true way my problems and concerns really do not matter as much nor are they all that big. I believe that when one thinks and believes rightly about God then that will affect everything else. One will love and appreciate family; one will play their sport passionately and live in an honorable manner. However, thinking rightly about God or doing all the right things doesn't mean that life will go well and we won't fail. So my advice is this: seek to know the truth about God and submit to what he requires and commands.
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