This week’s Faith, Family, & Football feature is: Visanthe Shiancoe, Former New York Giant, Minnesota Viking, and New England Patriot.
PE: Why is faith important to you?
Shiancoe: Faith is my foundation and link to my being. It’s my stronghold. No matter what stage of life you are in or what you’re going through, your faith is something you can reference back to.
PE: Tell us about your family and the impact they’ve had on your life?
Shiancoe: My family and I are real close. For my culture family is everything. Often times we care for each other more than we care for ourselves. We were always taught from day one that it was God first, then family and everything else.
I also have an older brother that had a big influence on me. Growing up in the Metro Washington, DC area there were a lot of different roads you could go down, but he kept me on the straight and narrow. It’s really important to have a positive male figure in a growing adolescent male’s life. How would a lion know how to be a lion if he didn’t follow another lion?
PE: What does being a father mean to you?
Shiancoe: To me, being a father means that you are to guide, protect and lead in every way while nurturing the growth of your offspring through faith.
PE: How has your faith and family helped you develop off the field?
Shiancoe: Faith and family gives you the confidence that you need to move forth in times of adversity. If you have a central foundation and grounding in your faith you will have that stronghold and can move forth with confidence. You’re not looking for acceptance or guidance in worldly things because you have a foundation in your faith and your family.
PE: How do you balance faith, family, and football?
Shiancoe: You have to be involved. It’s all a bundled package. It’s like having a tripod to hold up a camera. If one of the legs is missing you’re going be crooked or you will fall.
PE: What advice would you give to student athletes and current professional athletes in regards to their faith, family, and football?
Shiancoe: Don’t put all your marbles in one basket because you will be solely dependent on whatever you put all your marbles in. You have to be well-rounded and satisfy all parts of your aspirations. Don’t just have it all in football, you have to develop your faith and family just as much as you do your profession.
Also know that everything is about Understanding. You have to have a personal relationship and understanding with God.