This week’s Faith, Faith, and Football feature is: Mark Carrier, Carolina Panthers Director of Player Engagement and Former Carolina Panther, Cleveland Brown, and Tampa Bay Buccaneer.
PE: Why is faith important to you?
Carrier: It’s the foundation that I live by. Without it I would not be the person that I am, but more importantly, without it I won’t become the person God has intended me to be.
PE: Tell us about your family and the impact they’ve had on your life?
Carrier: My family consisted mainly of my mother, my grandmother and my two sisters. My mother taught us all what love truly is. Now that I’m married with 3 kids, I’ve been blessed to marry a young lady who has the same concept and values that my mom exhibited. With that, we have both been able to pass on to our kids what Love truly is.
PE: What does being a father mean to you?
Carrier: Being a Father is EVERYTHING to me. Growing up without a father has been the biggest motivation for me to become the best father that I could actually be. My goal is to provide to them EVERYTHING by way of Love that I lacked as a child.
PE: How has your faith and family helped you develop off the field?
Carrier: The strength of my Faith and the Love and Support of my Family, has allowed me to be not only successful on the field but more importantly, off the field. Because of that, my transition after playing has been rewarding.
PE: How do you balance faith, family, and football?
Carrier: Easily! First comes my Faith, then comes my family, then I revert back to my faith, then back to my family, then finally to football!
PE: What advice would you give to student athletes and current professional athletes in regards to their faith, family, and football?
Carrier: The only advice I have is to make sure the student athlete recognizes what the top priority is and live by that. Everything else will fall into place.