A few months ago, I gave the invocation at a banquet where the venerated Wayne Woodrow Hayes, longtime coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, was the speaker. Halfway through his address, Woody took off on the evils of the forward pass. He explained the horror of trajectory. That’s what happens to the ball between the passer and the receiver. If it’s perfect, the consequence is a completion. If not, two of the three possible effects of throwing a pass result: an incompletion or, perish the thought, an interception.

Woody explained why some defensive backs get more interceptions than others. It’s a matter of courage and position. As soon as the quarterback drops back to pass, the tension is on. The defensive back has two choices. He can play it safe and simply stay far behind the receiver so as to make the tackle after the catch. Or, he can do the job right and position himself so as to appropriately step between the receiver and the ball at precisely the right moment.

The first choice minimizes risk.

The second maximizes opportunity.

Which one the player chooses depends on the degree of his security. In my opinion, this is also the difference between All-Americans and also-rans. The All-American believes in himself, and not fearing failure in pursuit of excellence, he’ll opt for courage and position every time.

The same principle applies to using the gifts God has given us. We can bury them and stay the same, or risk and grow.