1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:07,000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:11,780 --> 00:00:14,282 (light music) 4 00:00:20,588 --> 00:00:25,593 (light dramatic music) (water bubbling) 5 00:00:30,898 --> 00:00:32,167 - [Jeff] Football. 6 00:00:35,002 --> 00:00:36,337 A game, a sport. 7 00:00:40,708 --> 00:00:42,910 A small oval ball on a field. 8 00:00:48,883 --> 00:00:51,585 A pastime, a passion. 9 00:00:56,090 --> 00:00:58,560 But could it be more? 10 00:01:00,495 --> 00:01:04,198 Could this game that means so much to so many 11 00:01:04,198 --> 00:01:07,535 be used for something divine? 12 00:01:11,538 --> 00:01:16,510 Maybe, if you have the right coach. 13 00:01:23,050 --> 00:01:24,218 - [Announcer] It's time for the best 14 00:01:24,218 --> 00:01:26,253 in NAIA college football, 15 00:01:26,253 --> 00:01:28,557 an inside look at all the action, highlights, 16 00:01:28,557 --> 00:01:31,425 and personalities of the defending national champions, 17 00:01:31,425 --> 00:01:34,595 the Carson-Newman Eagles on the Ken Sparks Show. 18 00:01:34,595 --> 00:01:35,830 (static buzzing) 19 00:01:35,830 --> 00:01:37,565 - You know, everybody keeps saying legendary. 20 00:01:37,565 --> 00:01:39,000 Does that mean I owe a lot of people money? 21 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:40,502 Or what does that mean exactly? 22 00:01:40,502 --> 00:01:43,572 I know it means you're old and I'm still a nobody, 23 00:01:43,572 --> 00:01:46,007 but I'm still honoring the Lord with what I'm trying to do. 24 00:01:46,007 --> 00:01:48,275 And so I'm excited about all this. 25 00:01:48,275 --> 00:01:49,510 (static buzzing) 26 00:01:49,510 --> 00:01:52,647 I hope our intentions are always to serve 27 00:01:52,647 --> 00:01:55,183 the great God that is unbelievable. 28 00:01:55,183 --> 00:01:57,352 Undefeated, do you know we serve an undefeated God? 29 00:01:57,352 --> 00:01:58,853 Isn't that something? 30 00:01:58,853 --> 00:02:01,088 And so, if we'll do that, everything will be fine, Stan. 31 00:02:03,190 --> 00:02:05,293 - He said, it's more important for us to win 32 00:02:05,293 --> 00:02:09,297 souls for Jesus Christ than it is to win football games. 33 00:02:09,297 --> 00:02:12,533 (light dramatic music) 34 00:02:13,935 --> 00:02:16,905 - This generation, coaches are the missionaries. 35 00:02:21,608 --> 00:02:23,712 - I'm watching all these guys who were my heroes 36 00:02:23,712 --> 00:02:28,182 on the football playing field, cry and talk about Jesus. 37 00:02:28,182 --> 00:02:29,417 - He was a warrior. 38 00:02:29,417 --> 00:02:30,652 That's what he was. 39 00:02:30,652 --> 00:02:32,553 - He was a person that talked to talk 40 00:02:32,553 --> 00:02:34,055 and he walked the walk. 41 00:02:34,055 --> 00:02:36,290 - He always reminded me that the scoreboard in my heart 42 00:02:36,290 --> 00:02:37,525 is what mattered. 43 00:02:37,525 --> 00:02:39,327 And that my life belonged to Jesus, 44 00:02:39,327 --> 00:02:40,828 and I belonged to Jesus first, 45 00:02:40,828 --> 00:02:42,297 before I was a football player. 46 00:02:42,297 --> 00:02:46,868 - He believed in his heart that if he was introducing Christ 47 00:02:46,868 --> 00:02:48,570 spiritually to his players, 48 00:02:48,570 --> 00:02:51,038 that they would become better people. 49 00:02:51,038 --> 00:02:54,342 (light dramatic music) 50 00:03:13,695 --> 00:03:15,297 - Who was Ken Sparks? 51 00:03:17,298 --> 00:03:22,037 Ken Sparks was the fifth all-time winningest coach in NCAA, 52 00:03:23,470 --> 00:03:28,275 and he's above Bear Bryant, and he's behind Bobby Bowden; 53 00:03:29,410 --> 00:03:32,813 two icon coaches in football. 54 00:03:32,813 --> 00:03:36,783 But he was also the winningest coach in NCAA Division II. 55 00:03:38,418 --> 00:03:41,588 But Ken Sparks... 56 00:03:45,860 --> 00:03:49,030 (gentle music) He was my coach. 57 00:03:49,030 --> 00:03:51,098 He was THE coach. 58 00:03:53,735 --> 00:03:57,838 And you wonder why this man showed up 59 00:03:57,838 --> 00:03:59,273 in so many people's lives? 60 00:04:02,443 --> 00:04:07,115 And to understand Ken Sparks and who he was and what he did, 61 00:04:09,283 --> 00:04:11,285 you really have to go back. 62 00:04:11,285 --> 00:04:13,120 So, let's just start at the beginning. 63 00:04:17,658 --> 00:04:20,227 (light music) 64 00:04:21,795 --> 00:04:25,800 - He was born in February 25th, 1944. 65 00:04:28,970 --> 00:04:30,472 And his family was very poor. 66 00:04:30,472 --> 00:04:34,508 A typical Appalachian East Tennessee family. 67 00:04:34,508 --> 00:04:38,378 So the Sparks family were rough, 68 00:04:38,378 --> 00:04:41,815 like they were hard drinkers and moonshiners. 69 00:04:43,550 --> 00:04:45,887 He didn't talk a whole lot about his childhood. 70 00:04:49,823 --> 00:04:52,593 - [Jeff] Seeing an opportunity to get out of poverty 71 00:04:52,593 --> 00:04:54,662 in the days of prohibition, 72 00:04:54,662 --> 00:04:58,032 Ken's father began selling beer at the last liquor store 73 00:04:58,032 --> 00:04:59,700 before entering a dry county. 74 00:05:02,337 --> 00:05:04,972 Needless to say, he was very successful. 75 00:05:04,972 --> 00:05:08,042 And the Sparks family soon purchased a grocery store 76 00:05:08,042 --> 00:05:11,778 where Ken spent his days working as he grew up. 77 00:05:17,385 --> 00:05:18,853 - His dad was a great man. 78 00:05:18,853 --> 00:05:22,923 He worked constantly and hard and instilled in my father 79 00:05:22,923 --> 00:05:24,292 this whole work ethic thing. 80 00:05:24,292 --> 00:05:26,160 You can do anything for try hard enough. 81 00:05:28,295 --> 00:05:30,498 - Always working at the family store, 82 00:05:30,498 --> 00:05:32,567 Ken didn't have much time for sports. 83 00:05:33,702 --> 00:05:35,770 And even if he did have a moment, 84 00:05:35,770 --> 00:05:38,338 there was no local field to play on. 85 00:05:38,338 --> 00:05:43,343 When you grow up in the south, football is everything. 86 00:05:44,512 --> 00:05:47,948 Sports are great, but football is king. 87 00:05:47,948 --> 00:05:52,953 (crowd yelling) (whistle blowing) 88 00:05:54,822 --> 00:05:56,823 - [Announcer] Touchdown! 89 00:06:03,297 --> 00:06:05,232 - [Jeff] Inspired by the work ethic his father 90 00:06:05,232 --> 00:06:07,435 was instilling in him at the store, 91 00:06:09,137 --> 00:06:12,407 Ken was determined to find a way to play ball. 92 00:06:14,242 --> 00:06:16,577 - Driven is an understatement for Ken Sparks. 93 00:06:16,577 --> 00:06:18,747 He was the most driven person I'd ever met. 94 00:06:20,380 --> 00:06:24,252 - Bower Field is a park in south Knoxville, 95 00:06:24,252 --> 00:06:26,153 that a lot of people in South Knoxville know all about 96 00:06:26,153 --> 00:06:28,188 'cause everybody's played baseball there. 97 00:06:31,225 --> 00:06:33,593 That park came about because my father, 98 00:06:33,593 --> 00:06:37,432 who was 12-years-old, went to Mr. Bower, 99 00:06:37,432 --> 00:06:40,100 who owned that land and said, 100 00:06:40,100 --> 00:06:43,303 "Mr. Bower, there needs to be a park in South Knoxville." 101 00:06:43,303 --> 00:06:44,638 And Mr. Bower said, "Okay, how do you plan 102 00:06:44,638 --> 00:06:45,807 on making this happen?" 103 00:06:47,942 --> 00:06:52,647 Mr. Bower, and my dad as a 12-year-old, got a plan together. 104 00:06:57,918 --> 00:06:59,520 12-year-old Ken Sparks did that. 105 00:07:04,025 --> 00:07:05,993 - [Jeff] Sports came natural to young Ken, 106 00:07:05,993 --> 00:07:08,930 and he found what would be a lifetime passion. 107 00:07:16,770 --> 00:07:20,675 Religion and church, on the other hand, didn't come so easy. 108 00:07:20,675 --> 00:07:21,875 (church organ music) 109 00:07:21,875 --> 00:07:23,945 Growing up, he had been to church only once, 110 00:07:23,945 --> 00:07:27,782 and he called it "the most boring hour of my life." 111 00:07:29,150 --> 00:07:32,687 Despite that though, the voice of God was clear to him, 112 00:07:32,687 --> 00:07:34,588 even in his youth. 113 00:07:37,925 --> 00:07:39,760 - He remembered walking on the gravel road 114 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:40,962 outside of his house. 115 00:07:40,962 --> 00:07:44,065 And he said, "I was probably 10-years-old." 116 00:07:47,768 --> 00:07:51,705 And he said, "I had this feeling that God was with me. 117 00:07:52,907 --> 00:07:54,642 And that God had a purpose for me." 118 00:07:59,313 --> 00:08:02,115 - [Jeff] Young Ken still had a lot of growing up to do, 119 00:08:02,115 --> 00:08:05,352 not sure who exactly he or God was yet. 120 00:08:05,352 --> 00:08:08,255 As a teen, he found himself joining a local gang 121 00:08:08,255 --> 00:08:10,625 of ruffians called the Jokers. 122 00:08:10,625 --> 00:08:12,993 (rock music) 123 00:08:19,900 --> 00:08:23,170 He got in fights, spent a night in jail, 124 00:08:23,170 --> 00:08:25,372 ran around with girls and drank too much. 125 00:08:29,143 --> 00:08:33,982 But he soon began to learn it was leading him to nowhere. 126 00:08:36,517 --> 00:08:39,153 And heading into a senior year in high school, 127 00:08:39,153 --> 00:08:41,488 something was stirring in young Ken. 128 00:08:44,392 --> 00:08:46,560 A chance invitation from a Christian group 129 00:08:46,560 --> 00:08:49,030 called Young Life, to the beaches of Florida 130 00:08:49,030 --> 00:08:51,765 for a weekend retreat caught his attention. 131 00:08:53,233 --> 00:08:55,168 The promise of fun in the sun 132 00:08:55,168 --> 00:08:57,372 and girls in their bathing suits had him 133 00:08:57,372 --> 00:08:59,940 hook, line and sinker. 134 00:08:59,940 --> 00:09:02,042 - So he said, "I'm in, how much did it cost?" 135 00:09:02,042 --> 00:09:03,310 And it was some real high price. 136 00:09:03,310 --> 00:09:04,578 Like it was like 200 bucks or something. 137 00:09:04,578 --> 00:09:07,213 But back then that was an astronomical price. 138 00:09:08,615 --> 00:09:10,952 - [Jeff] But once Ken set his mind to something, 139 00:09:10,952 --> 00:09:12,085 it was going to happen. 140 00:09:13,587 --> 00:09:14,722 He crafted a plan. 141 00:09:17,692 --> 00:09:20,560 Ken bought light bulbs at his father's store at cost 142 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:23,097 and then went door to door, selling them at double markup 143 00:09:23,097 --> 00:09:26,667 to raise money for as he said, "sick children." 144 00:09:28,902 --> 00:09:31,872 It was a brilliant con job, and it worked. 145 00:09:33,573 --> 00:09:36,377 - And he says, "So I'm going door to door lying, 146 00:09:36,377 --> 00:09:38,012 telling them what I'm selling this for, 147 00:09:38,012 --> 00:09:42,850 charging 'em double what they can get it for at the store." 148 00:09:42,850 --> 00:09:46,387 And he said, "I raised that $200 to go see these girls 149 00:09:46,387 --> 00:09:50,023 in bathing suits in Florida at this Young Life retreat." 150 00:09:50,023 --> 00:09:52,025 Total wrong motives, the whole thing. 151 00:09:52,025 --> 00:09:55,863 ("This Little Light of Mine") 152 00:09:59,067 --> 00:10:00,600 - Despite what got him there, 153 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,538 at that retreat, Ken encountered a God who loved him, 154 00:10:04,538 --> 00:10:07,642 forgave him and wanted a relationship with him. 155 00:10:18,485 --> 00:10:19,820 He was forever changed. 156 00:10:25,025 --> 00:10:28,328 He gave his life to Jesus, and he never looked back. 157 00:10:30,097 --> 00:10:33,933 ("This Little Light of Mine") 158 00:10:45,680 --> 00:10:47,047 So, he ended up going to UT. 159 00:10:48,548 --> 00:10:53,187 He ended up getting mono, he got sick, his dad got sick, 160 00:10:54,655 --> 00:10:58,292 he had to leave UT and start working for the family store. 161 00:10:59,493 --> 00:11:03,930 And was thinking, where is God in all of this? 162 00:11:05,332 --> 00:11:07,635 He didn't know and didn't understand that God 163 00:11:07,635 --> 00:11:09,870 is working behind the scenes. 164 00:11:09,870 --> 00:11:13,573 - I think trials is where God does some of his best works. 165 00:11:13,573 --> 00:11:15,575 By the way, when I read the scripture, 166 00:11:15,575 --> 00:11:17,912 every time there's a storm, Jesus shows up. 167 00:11:19,180 --> 00:11:23,083 (light eerie music) 168 00:11:23,083 --> 00:11:26,320 - It just so happened that a local Little League team 169 00:11:26,320 --> 00:11:27,588 was in need of a coach. 170 00:11:31,092 --> 00:11:33,860 When asked if he would take on the job, 171 00:11:33,860 --> 00:11:37,432 Ken, with nothing else to do, reluctantly agreed. 172 00:11:41,935 --> 00:11:46,940 And these guys won almost every game except one. 173 00:11:55,515 --> 00:11:56,983 - [Chad] He said it was through that, 174 00:11:58,085 --> 00:11:59,487 it was seeing the life change. 175 00:11:59,487 --> 00:12:02,322 He said, seeing these 12-year-old kids that look to me 176 00:12:04,392 --> 00:12:06,460 and we're hearing everything I was saying, 177 00:12:08,595 --> 00:12:11,232 that I realized what Billy Graham later said. 178 00:12:12,567 --> 00:12:15,102 And that the most influential person in a guy's life 179 00:12:15,102 --> 00:12:16,970 next to his parents is his coach. 180 00:12:16,970 --> 00:12:19,907 - They're the ones who are on the front lines. 181 00:12:19,907 --> 00:12:21,942 They know more about race relations. 182 00:12:21,942 --> 00:12:25,312 They know more about violence and hatred and prejudice, 183 00:12:25,312 --> 00:12:27,147 'cause every day they deal with it. 184 00:12:28,482 --> 00:12:30,650 They know about the disintegration of families. 185 00:12:30,650 --> 00:12:32,887 They deal with it every day. 186 00:12:32,887 --> 00:12:34,722 - And he said, "The lights came on. 187 00:12:34,722 --> 00:12:37,090 Now I realize this is what God wants me to do." 188 00:12:40,995 --> 00:12:44,432 - [Jeff] The God he encountered as a child on the dirt road 189 00:12:44,432 --> 00:12:47,535 was ensuring him once again that he had a purpose 190 00:12:47,535 --> 00:12:48,435 for his life. 191 00:12:53,707 --> 00:12:57,077 And one Sunday morning, filled with certainty, 192 00:12:57,077 --> 00:13:00,247 Ken walked down the aisle of his church 193 00:13:00,247 --> 00:13:01,548 and knelt at the altar, 194 00:13:02,950 --> 00:13:06,720 devoting his life to coaching for God's glory. 195 00:13:14,595 --> 00:13:16,263 (gentle music) 196 00:13:16,263 --> 00:13:18,732 - [Jeff] It was during this time that Ken met the woman 197 00:13:18,732 --> 00:13:19,733 that he would marry. 198 00:13:23,103 --> 00:13:26,840 - [Gail] When I met him, he was a new Christian. 199 00:13:26,840 --> 00:13:29,610 I was like 17. 200 00:13:29,610 --> 00:13:31,645 We got married and I was 18 and a half. 201 00:13:31,645 --> 00:13:33,980 So it was a year and a half of dating. 202 00:13:35,048 --> 00:13:37,618 (gentle music) 203 00:13:48,895 --> 00:13:52,567 - [Jeff] The two young newly weds started a family. 204 00:13:57,972 --> 00:14:00,273 And now with mouths to feed, 205 00:14:00,273 --> 00:14:03,443 Ken's drive to coach only doubled. 206 00:14:05,947 --> 00:14:10,317 - [Chad] He knew that I've gotta be the best coach 207 00:14:10,317 --> 00:14:11,352 I can possibly be. 208 00:14:11,352 --> 00:14:13,187 If God wants me to do this, 209 00:14:13,187 --> 00:14:14,822 then I'm not gonna do it halfway. 210 00:14:17,457 --> 00:14:20,627 He decided to get his Master's degree at Tennessee Tech. 211 00:14:20,627 --> 00:14:23,763 He got a great exposure to the real world of football, 212 00:14:23,763 --> 00:14:28,702 college football at Tennessee Tech, because it was godless. 213 00:14:31,605 --> 00:14:33,407 - [Chad] He said, "You know, there was an assistant coach." 214 00:14:33,407 --> 00:14:34,942 And he said, "This guy was a jerk. 215 00:14:34,942 --> 00:14:37,110 He was terrible, he would brag about how many girls 216 00:14:37,110 --> 00:14:38,745 he could get to have sex with." 217 00:14:38,745 --> 00:14:41,382 And he said, "And so I'm around this environment, 218 00:14:41,382 --> 00:14:42,950 and it was all about winning all the time 219 00:14:42,950 --> 00:14:44,083 and they couldn't even win." 220 00:14:44,083 --> 00:14:45,485 He said, "That's the thing." 221 00:14:45,485 --> 00:14:48,855 He said, "And I started realizing that it's not about... 222 00:14:48,855 --> 00:14:51,292 When you make the main thing, that winning's the main thing 223 00:14:51,292 --> 00:14:54,728 and that's your God, you don't get that or anything else." 224 00:14:54,728 --> 00:14:59,065 He said, "But if you make God your God, then you get that, 225 00:14:59,065 --> 00:15:01,135 and God sometimes throws in the other." 226 00:15:05,472 --> 00:15:08,442 - [Jeff] It was this epiphany that would go on to shape 227 00:15:08,442 --> 00:15:11,612 every aspect of Ken's coaching throughout his career. 228 00:15:13,313 --> 00:15:16,750 Put God first, and the rest will fall into place. 229 00:15:18,185 --> 00:15:20,955 Leave God out, and you lose, 230 00:15:20,955 --> 00:15:23,490 even if you do manage to win once in a while. 231 00:15:28,195 --> 00:15:29,663 And then, God opened a door. 232 00:15:33,633 --> 00:15:36,003 Without much experience, he landed a job 233 00:15:36,003 --> 00:15:38,605 as an assistant football coach at the prestigious 234 00:15:38,605 --> 00:15:41,242 Christian college, Carson-Newman College. 235 00:15:51,185 --> 00:15:52,352 And he's got these goals, 236 00:15:52,352 --> 00:15:55,990 he's got these visions in his mind. 237 00:15:57,123 --> 00:15:59,225 And how is he gonna flesh this out? 238 00:15:59,225 --> 00:16:01,928 And so, Coach Sparks got involved with FCA. 239 00:16:04,665 --> 00:16:06,400 - [Jeff] The Fellowship of Christian Athletes 240 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:09,403 is an international sports ministry that's been transforming 241 00:16:09,403 --> 00:16:13,173 the lives of coaches and athletes for more than six decades. 242 00:16:18,445 --> 00:16:21,982 It was this kind of mission that excited Ken 243 00:16:21,982 --> 00:16:23,683 more than a career opportunity. 244 00:16:26,953 --> 00:16:31,592 - FCA happened at our house. 245 00:16:31,592 --> 00:16:35,762 - It was so normal for me to have never know who I was gonna 246 00:16:35,762 --> 00:16:40,533 be fixing dinner for or breakfast for that matter. 247 00:16:40,533 --> 00:16:44,003 And I used to tease Ken that we just need to install 248 00:16:44,003 --> 00:16:47,207 a revolving door because you know, 249 00:16:47,207 --> 00:16:49,710 there's no point to have a door knob or anything, just... 250 00:16:49,710 --> 00:16:54,715 - I remember just being fascinated by the amount of students 251 00:16:55,582 --> 00:16:57,350 that would pile into the room. 252 00:16:57,350 --> 00:17:02,222 - FCA and coaches taught me that you can reach kids 253 00:17:02,222 --> 00:17:04,223 without all the structure on the outside. 254 00:17:04,223 --> 00:17:05,692 It was about a relationship with Christ. 255 00:17:05,692 --> 00:17:08,195 - And that was probably the greatest thing about it. 256 00:17:08,195 --> 00:17:11,698 Some of the relationships that I think about now. 257 00:17:13,067 --> 00:17:15,835 Guys that I witnessed that got saved, 258 00:17:15,835 --> 00:17:17,403 that changed their lives. 259 00:17:20,173 --> 00:17:23,843 And it was through that program, it was through Ken Sparks. 260 00:17:23,843 --> 00:17:27,647 ♪ For you anywhere I can ♪ 261 00:17:27,647 --> 00:17:30,083 - As young men, there's a lot of different things 262 00:17:30,083 --> 00:17:31,252 that are going on. 263 00:17:31,252 --> 00:17:32,787 There's a lot of things that you're into. 264 00:17:32,787 --> 00:17:37,490 Coach Sparks wanted to help you understand what it meant 265 00:17:37,490 --> 00:17:39,427 to be a good man. 266 00:17:39,427 --> 00:17:41,695 What it meant to be a Christian. 267 00:17:41,695 --> 00:17:45,298 - My dad was so involved in the student life there. 268 00:17:48,768 --> 00:17:51,272 - [Jeff] Ken was determined to share with his players 269 00:17:51,272 --> 00:17:53,073 the salvation and transformation 270 00:17:53,073 --> 00:17:54,942 that he experienced himself. 271 00:17:57,143 --> 00:17:59,513 ♪ It all started with a spark ♪ 272 00:17:59,513 --> 00:18:03,617 - He was fervently devoted to their wellbeing so much 273 00:18:05,252 --> 00:18:07,487 that it even cost him his job. 274 00:18:11,225 --> 00:18:12,827 It's not well known, 275 00:18:12,827 --> 00:18:17,063 but Coach Sparks was fired by Carson-Newman. 276 00:18:18,432 --> 00:18:21,868 - And so there was this struggle with, between Wyche, 277 00:18:21,868 --> 00:18:24,270 the new head coach and probably my dad, 278 00:18:24,270 --> 00:18:27,273 who was a little bit of big for his britches at that point. 279 00:18:28,908 --> 00:18:31,345 I remember this moment that happened. 280 00:18:31,345 --> 00:18:33,413 A player had had a knee injury 281 00:18:33,413 --> 00:18:35,715 and Wyche wanted him to go in the ball game. 282 00:18:38,585 --> 00:18:40,720 Well, Wyche's up in the press box. 283 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:42,890 Well, dad's telling him on phone, 284 00:18:43,923 --> 00:18:45,658 "Hey, we're not putting him in." 285 00:18:45,658 --> 00:18:49,095 Well, Wyche takes the mics off and quit listening to him, 286 00:18:49,095 --> 00:18:50,730 and told him, "I want him in." 287 00:18:53,967 --> 00:18:56,970 I'll never forget the moment when my dad turned around 288 00:18:56,970 --> 00:18:58,805 and yelled from the field. 289 00:18:58,805 --> 00:19:00,507 He got motivated and he said, 290 00:19:00,507 --> 00:19:02,642 "Let me tell you something, Wyche! 291 00:19:02,642 --> 00:19:04,277 You're not gonna put that kid in 292 00:19:04,277 --> 00:19:05,412 because he is gonna be hurt!" 293 00:19:05,412 --> 00:19:08,148 I mean, he just basically yelled at him 294 00:19:08,148 --> 00:19:10,650 that over his dead body was that kid going in 295 00:19:10,650 --> 00:19:12,718 'cause he cared about the kid. 296 00:19:12,718 --> 00:19:14,287 Well, Wyche's sitting here thinking we gotta get 297 00:19:14,287 --> 00:19:15,622 some more points on the board. 298 00:19:15,622 --> 00:19:17,257 And he cares about the kid. 299 00:19:17,257 --> 00:19:18,492 And that was the end. 300 00:19:22,262 --> 00:19:23,563 He became the track coach. 301 00:19:27,968 --> 00:19:29,570 - [Jeff] It was a terrible blow. 302 00:19:30,870 --> 00:19:33,473 Could he have failed at his mission already? 303 00:19:33,473 --> 00:19:36,042 (somber music) 304 00:19:42,048 --> 00:19:45,052 - Sometimes it's really hard to believe in an invisible God. 305 00:19:46,487 --> 00:19:48,688 Sometimes it feels like the heavens are brash and closed. 306 00:19:48,688 --> 00:19:51,258 And sometimes you feel like God doesn't hear you or see you. 307 00:19:51,258 --> 00:19:53,893 But I think it's in those moments to where we go back 308 00:19:53,893 --> 00:19:56,897 to those days where the Lord has really been faithful to us. 309 00:20:01,067 --> 00:20:02,970 - [Jeff] Disheartened, but not defeated, 310 00:20:02,970 --> 00:20:07,107 Ken decided to give track all he had and to do it for God. 311 00:20:13,747 --> 00:20:17,783 And true to form, he went all the way in. 312 00:20:19,418 --> 00:20:23,423 - [Chad] We would drive down to Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, 313 00:20:23,423 --> 00:20:24,892 down to the deep south, 314 00:20:24,892 --> 00:20:26,927 and go to these schools in the deep south. 315 00:20:26,927 --> 00:20:28,528 And he would go to the principal of the school and say, 316 00:20:28,528 --> 00:20:30,463 "Hey, I'm from Carson-Newman College. 317 00:20:30,463 --> 00:20:32,398 We're a college up in Tennessee. 318 00:20:32,398 --> 00:20:34,735 Could I get all the males in this school 319 00:20:34,735 --> 00:20:35,902 out on the football field? 320 00:20:35,902 --> 00:20:37,537 I just wanna see who's got some speed. 321 00:20:39,072 --> 00:20:42,642 And somehow get the principal to go along with that, 322 00:20:42,642 --> 00:20:43,643 and they would line up. 323 00:20:43,643 --> 00:20:44,845 I'm not kidding you, 324 00:20:44,845 --> 00:20:47,680 every kid in that school on a goal line. 325 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,285 I can remember going to those places with him, 326 00:20:51,285 --> 00:20:55,022 and watching these barefoot kids in these rural schools run. 327 00:20:55,022 --> 00:20:56,523 And some of those guys, 328 00:20:56,523 --> 00:20:59,660 they're still like on the Wall of Fame at Carson-Newman 329 00:20:59,660 --> 00:21:03,130 of breaking records, being All Americans, 330 00:21:03,130 --> 00:21:05,198 still sometimes hold records today. 331 00:21:12,105 --> 00:21:14,340 - [Jeff] An opportunity to coach high school football 332 00:21:14,340 --> 00:21:18,078 at a small country school for a team with an average record 333 00:21:19,412 --> 00:21:21,615 might not have been glamorous. 334 00:21:21,615 --> 00:21:24,083 But when Ken was offered the job, 335 00:21:24,083 --> 00:21:27,020 he saw only potential and jumped at the chance. 336 00:21:29,422 --> 00:21:32,525 He was soon the football coach at Farragut High School, 337 00:21:32,525 --> 00:21:36,363 a job that would end up changing his life forever. 338 00:21:42,902 --> 00:21:47,440 And back then, Farragut was farmers. 339 00:21:47,440 --> 00:21:50,777 And that was the nickname, Farragut farmers. 340 00:21:50,777 --> 00:21:53,180 And that football field was just, 341 00:21:53,180 --> 00:21:55,448 I mean, it was like a cow pasture (chuckling). 342 00:21:58,385 --> 00:22:01,287 And just like he did at 12-years-old with Bower Field, 343 00:22:02,922 --> 00:22:05,225 Ken set his sights not on what wasn't, 344 00:22:07,160 --> 00:22:09,863 but instead on what could be. 345 00:22:14,667 --> 00:22:17,103 - I can remember being out there on that field with my dad 346 00:22:17,103 --> 00:22:19,305 and him saying, "Son, lemme tell you what's gonna happen. 347 00:22:19,305 --> 00:22:20,707 We're gonna have a new field, 348 00:22:20,707 --> 00:22:22,042 and it's gonna be sitting right over there. 349 00:22:22,042 --> 00:22:24,812 God's gonna really do a great work here. 350 00:22:24,812 --> 00:22:27,447 And there's gonna be a lot of people that are gonna come 351 00:22:27,447 --> 00:22:29,917 to him and we've gotta hope and pray 352 00:22:29,917 --> 00:22:31,217 that that's gonna happen." 353 00:22:34,287 --> 00:22:39,258 - [Jeff] I wanted to be a professional football player. 354 00:22:39,258 --> 00:22:40,960 I was on track, going that way. 355 00:22:42,528 --> 00:22:47,533 When I was 11, I ended up being in a neighborhood 356 00:22:48,968 --> 00:22:51,938 that there was a guy there that sexually abused me. 357 00:22:54,573 --> 00:22:59,145 It took me off track and it played a part in my life, 358 00:23:01,013 --> 00:23:03,383 and how I thought about myself, 359 00:23:06,185 --> 00:23:08,088 but I continued to play football. 360 00:23:09,455 --> 00:23:13,393 I think it was a way to get out. 361 00:23:18,232 --> 00:23:21,267 So the first time I met Ken Sparks, 362 00:23:21,267 --> 00:23:23,870 we had been assembled in the gymnasium. 363 00:23:26,005 --> 00:23:30,043 And this young coach comes out and said, 364 00:23:34,147 --> 00:23:35,915 "Things are gonna change around here." 365 00:23:35,915 --> 00:23:38,485 (light music) 366 00:23:45,658 --> 00:23:47,560 And with what felt like a blank slate, 367 00:23:48,928 --> 00:23:51,632 Ken was suddenly free to coach however he felt led to. 368 00:23:53,667 --> 00:23:57,537 Then we would do hand-to-hand combat. 369 00:23:57,537 --> 00:24:02,275 He got Football players to do ballet. 370 00:24:03,443 --> 00:24:05,545 It had never been done before. 371 00:24:05,545 --> 00:24:10,550 Besides that, he ignited something in a lot of people. 372 00:24:15,988 --> 00:24:19,692 You could tell that it wasn't necessarily about football. 373 00:24:23,028 --> 00:24:24,530 It was about us. 374 00:24:24,530 --> 00:24:28,000 - [Alan] He always realized that each one of those players 375 00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:33,005 were young men who were going to be one day, 376 00:24:34,407 --> 00:24:38,445 most likely husbands, they were gonna be fathers. 377 00:24:38,445 --> 00:24:40,813 They were going to be... 378 00:24:40,813 --> 00:24:43,717 And his prayer would be they would be men of God. 379 00:24:43,717 --> 00:24:45,652 - Because if you don't care about what happens 380 00:24:45,652 --> 00:24:46,920 to that kid off the field, 381 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:48,555 then you don't know what he is gonna deal with, 382 00:24:48,555 --> 00:24:49,788 and what he brings to practice 383 00:24:49,788 --> 00:24:52,458 is what he deals with off the field. 384 00:24:52,458 --> 00:24:54,995 - We would play racquetball. 385 00:24:54,995 --> 00:24:58,063 We would talk about life. 386 00:24:59,432 --> 00:25:03,770 - Coach Sparks, always, anytime I saw him, 387 00:25:03,770 --> 00:25:05,238 "How's your heart?" 388 00:25:05,238 --> 00:25:08,542 He always wanted to know how your heart was 389 00:25:08,542 --> 00:25:12,245 and what you were doing and what was going on in your life. 390 00:25:16,015 --> 00:25:20,287 - So I was third string and our star quarterback 391 00:25:20,287 --> 00:25:21,722 went down with a knee injury. 392 00:25:23,188 --> 00:25:27,593 And Ken Sparks decided to put me in at first string. 393 00:25:28,462 --> 00:25:31,030 (light dramatic music) 394 00:25:31,030 --> 00:25:35,602 He knew that I was a broken guy. 395 00:25:38,838 --> 00:25:43,843 And he was going to mold me with confidence. 396 00:25:54,220 --> 00:25:55,188 Why me? 397 00:25:56,923 --> 00:26:01,928 It's amazing where God will step in to do His will. 398 00:26:08,435 --> 00:26:11,972 And He's using a game called football 399 00:26:12,872 --> 00:26:14,340 to change people's lives. 400 00:26:18,278 --> 00:26:22,548 Ken Sparks stepped in, became a spiritual father. 401 00:26:26,452 --> 00:26:28,688 - The most important word spoken in the average school 402 00:26:28,688 --> 00:26:30,957 today is "Coach says." 403 00:26:33,593 --> 00:26:37,263 I don't remember who taught me freshman English. 404 00:26:39,132 --> 00:26:44,137 I don't remember who taught me history. 405 00:26:47,407 --> 00:26:49,308 I do remember what my coach taught me. 406 00:26:55,148 --> 00:26:59,852 - [Jeff] And what he taught us was God's gonna get the glory 407 00:27:01,020 --> 00:27:04,223 and the score will take care of itself. 408 00:27:05,658 --> 00:27:07,527 Ken's new methods in philosophy 409 00:27:07,527 --> 00:27:09,328 soon began to prove themselves. 410 00:27:11,563 --> 00:27:16,035 And the perennial losing team became an outstanding winner. 411 00:27:16,035 --> 00:27:19,005 We were the District Champs, the Regional Champs. 412 00:27:20,140 --> 00:27:21,875 We broke all the school records, 413 00:27:21,875 --> 00:27:24,277 and lost only three games in three years. 414 00:27:25,612 --> 00:27:29,682 While also fostering future NFL star Bill Bates, 415 00:27:29,682 --> 00:27:31,985 who would then go on to play for the Dallas Cowboys 416 00:27:31,985 --> 00:27:33,285 for 15 years. 417 00:27:36,122 --> 00:27:40,293 Things had changed for the better at Farragut High School. 418 00:27:40,293 --> 00:27:44,297 The worn down football field had been replaced by a new one, 419 00:27:44,297 --> 00:27:47,867 and seeds for a great future for the whole community 420 00:27:47,867 --> 00:27:50,537 were planted in Ken's wake. 421 00:27:51,772 --> 00:27:54,707 (triumphant music) 422 00:27:58,243 --> 00:28:00,180 - He attempted great things for God, 423 00:28:00,180 --> 00:28:03,348 but he always expected great things from God in the mix. 424 00:28:07,387 --> 00:28:09,822 - [Jeff] Suddenly, everyone was aware of this young coach 425 00:28:09,822 --> 00:28:11,290 who was doing the impossible. 426 00:28:14,393 --> 00:28:16,730 And job offers started rolling in. 427 00:28:18,330 --> 00:28:21,133 - And 'cause he had no money and he had no scholarships, 428 00:28:21,133 --> 00:28:23,437 and he won with kids that nobody else wanted. 429 00:28:25,672 --> 00:28:28,307 - [Jeff] And just like that, Carson-Newman College 430 00:28:28,307 --> 00:28:31,043 saw what they were missing and wanted him back. 431 00:28:32,645 --> 00:28:35,815 They offered him the job, not only as Head Football Coach, 432 00:28:35,815 --> 00:28:37,617 but his Athletic Director as well. 433 00:28:38,918 --> 00:28:41,120 He was only 36-years-old at the time. 434 00:28:42,055 --> 00:28:44,457 (rock music) 435 00:28:52,998 --> 00:28:56,402 So coming to Carson-Newman was a huge deal. 436 00:28:58,705 --> 00:29:00,740 It was an epic point of arrival for Ken, 437 00:29:00,740 --> 00:29:04,643 and his striving for excellence was a mile high. 438 00:29:05,945 --> 00:29:07,947 He would be the best coach. 439 00:29:07,947 --> 00:29:08,782 They would win. 440 00:29:10,150 --> 00:29:13,052 And more importantly, he would minister to his players. 441 00:29:20,827 --> 00:29:22,328 - I'd been through the recruiting thing, 442 00:29:22,328 --> 00:29:24,997 I'd been everywhere and it's not very often 443 00:29:24,997 --> 00:29:30,002 a 6'6" 300-pound lineman comes walking in your door, 444 00:29:30,002 --> 00:29:31,770 so all the coaches got up. 445 00:29:34,007 --> 00:29:37,110 I think Coach Sparks came out and he wanted me to go 446 00:29:37,110 --> 00:29:38,343 to his office and talk. 447 00:29:38,343 --> 00:29:40,880 And so I went to his office, 448 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:43,315 and Coach Sparks and I started talking, 449 00:29:43,315 --> 00:29:47,820 and we never really talked about football. 450 00:29:47,820 --> 00:29:50,157 We didn't talk about how fast you ran the 40 451 00:29:50,157 --> 00:29:52,292 or how much you bench press. 452 00:29:52,292 --> 00:29:56,062 And didn't talk about any of those things. 453 00:29:56,062 --> 00:30:00,867 We talked about life and then he stops 454 00:30:00,867 --> 00:30:02,868 right in the middle of the conversation. 455 00:30:04,303 --> 00:30:08,273 And he said, "I sense that you are a Christian." 456 00:30:09,475 --> 00:30:11,677 And he said, "Are you a Christian?" 457 00:30:12,845 --> 00:30:14,613 And I just broke down on the spot, 458 00:30:14,613 --> 00:30:16,382 I was so broken at that time. 459 00:30:19,352 --> 00:30:21,453 I said, "Yes, sir, I am. 460 00:30:21,453 --> 00:30:23,088 I am a Christian." 461 00:30:23,088 --> 00:30:24,823 And I was struggling, 462 00:30:24,823 --> 00:30:26,492 and I think he sensed that I was struggling. 463 00:30:26,492 --> 00:30:30,697 So we spent the next hour or so just talking about 464 00:30:30,697 --> 00:30:32,432 our relationships with Christ. 465 00:30:34,700 --> 00:30:38,672 A long story short, I ended up signing 466 00:30:38,672 --> 00:30:40,707 with Carson-Newman that day. 467 00:30:40,707 --> 00:30:43,375 And I didn't know anything about Carson-Newman. 468 00:30:43,375 --> 00:30:46,312 I drove back home, I picked up my clothes, 469 00:30:46,312 --> 00:30:50,317 told my parents and I was in school the next day 470 00:30:50,317 --> 00:30:51,617 at Carson-Newman. 471 00:30:51,617 --> 00:30:54,053 - When I walked in the door, to my surprise, 472 00:30:54,053 --> 00:30:56,890 Coach Ken Sparks is sitting there with my mom and dad 473 00:30:56,890 --> 00:30:58,290 at my dinner table. 474 00:30:58,290 --> 00:31:00,192 I sat down at the table, he introduces himself. 475 00:31:00,192 --> 00:31:03,930 The first thing he does with me is he passes 476 00:31:03,930 --> 00:31:07,333 a car bumper sticker across the table to me; 477 00:31:07,333 --> 00:31:10,068 orange and blue had a big eagle head on it, 478 00:31:10,068 --> 00:31:12,705 had this statement, "Athletics with a purpose." 479 00:31:12,705 --> 00:31:14,473 He said, "You know, at Carson-Newman, 480 00:31:14,473 --> 00:31:17,310 we're about developing young men just like you 481 00:31:17,310 --> 00:31:22,048 to be better fathers, husbands, coaches, businessmen." 482 00:31:24,183 --> 00:31:27,220 - Ken Sparks was at Carson-Newman, I talked to him, 483 00:31:28,487 --> 00:31:31,390 why wouldn't I want to play for Coach Sparks? 484 00:31:31,390 --> 00:31:33,258 I would do anything for Coach Sparks. 485 00:31:36,295 --> 00:31:38,632 - All of a sudden we got a nice house, 486 00:31:38,632 --> 00:31:40,198 and we've got two cars, things are cool, you know? 487 00:31:40,198 --> 00:31:42,335 And my dad's getting a lot of... 488 00:31:42,335 --> 00:31:43,903 He's a little bit of a local star, 489 00:31:43,903 --> 00:31:45,405 you know, it feels like to me. 490 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:49,042 - [Jeff] But the demands of the job 491 00:31:49,042 --> 00:31:51,377 were more than the family had anticipated. 492 00:31:54,313 --> 00:31:58,250 - Coaches have a tough life; they're fathers, 493 00:31:58,250 --> 00:32:01,920 they're teachers, they're coaches, they're mentors, 494 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:03,488 and sometimes their families suffer. 495 00:32:03,488 --> 00:32:05,958 - It was typical during football season 496 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,863 that the kids never saw him through the week. 497 00:32:12,598 --> 00:32:15,435 (light eerie music) 498 00:32:15,435 --> 00:32:17,637 There were recruitment travels 499 00:32:17,637 --> 00:32:19,405 and there were coaches conferences, 500 00:32:19,405 --> 00:32:21,873 and there was always something. 501 00:32:21,873 --> 00:32:23,843 - I just remember him being gone a lot. 502 00:32:23,843 --> 00:32:28,147 It was his time was always very limited. 503 00:32:30,182 --> 00:32:31,650 - [Chad] He's the Athletic Director, too. 504 00:32:31,650 --> 00:32:34,287 And so he's gotta be at most of the basketball games. 505 00:32:35,488 --> 00:32:37,690 And so, his life is consumed. 506 00:32:39,458 --> 00:32:42,428 - That football field is just immaculate. 507 00:32:42,428 --> 00:32:44,230 Our house is like... 508 00:32:44,230 --> 00:32:46,532 You know, our yard is like up to here. 509 00:32:46,532 --> 00:32:48,702 If I can't get a mowed, it doesn't happen. 510 00:32:51,637 --> 00:32:53,272 - [Jeff] He gave everything he had to the game, 511 00:32:53,272 --> 00:32:57,143 to the players, and it came at a cost. 512 00:32:59,812 --> 00:33:02,648 - Early on, he was inflicted with what a lot of men are, 513 00:33:02,648 --> 00:33:04,350 and that is just workaholism. 514 00:33:04,350 --> 00:33:05,885 And it had good motivations, you know, 515 00:33:05,885 --> 00:33:07,387 it was all about Christ. 516 00:33:07,387 --> 00:33:12,192 But he tended to leave my mom out. 517 00:33:14,693 --> 00:33:17,463 - I had experienced a lot of loneliness. 518 00:33:18,932 --> 00:33:21,900 And we were just kind of out like this. 519 00:33:21,900 --> 00:33:25,070 And I think that's where it starts. 520 00:33:25,070 --> 00:33:27,107 Kids were starting to be teenagers, 521 00:33:27,107 --> 00:33:29,008 and there was a lot going on. 522 00:33:29,008 --> 00:33:30,610 I was teaching full time, 523 00:33:31,810 --> 00:33:34,913 and I felt like I had it all on me. 524 00:33:36,782 --> 00:33:41,787 I went to a Christian marriage counselor. 525 00:33:43,622 --> 00:33:48,360 He made a statement that's been with me from then on. 526 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:52,030 He said, "Bless your heart. 527 00:33:52,030 --> 00:33:54,600 You're just starved for love." 528 00:33:55,568 --> 00:33:56,635 That was true. 529 00:33:57,770 --> 00:34:00,205 But there was an answer to that because God 530 00:34:00,205 --> 00:34:03,542 never starves us for love and I was His. 531 00:34:06,445 --> 00:34:10,450 Those were the days when "I'm woman, hear me roar." 532 00:34:10,450 --> 00:34:13,152 And people are still saying things like that. 533 00:34:13,152 --> 00:34:15,253 Just listen to any advertisement. 534 00:34:15,253 --> 00:34:19,692 And just all these enticements to get you 535 00:34:19,692 --> 00:34:20,693 focused on yourself. 536 00:34:24,797 --> 00:34:28,200 I started listening to the world 537 00:34:28,200 --> 00:34:30,368 instead of what I knew to be true. 538 00:34:35,608 --> 00:34:39,312 - [Chad] I remember getting pictures made before the season, 539 00:34:39,312 --> 00:34:40,447 that goes into all the programs 540 00:34:40,447 --> 00:34:43,282 and all the handbook and stuff. 541 00:34:43,282 --> 00:34:45,383 And we looked like the perfect family. 542 00:34:45,383 --> 00:34:48,153 And I know in my heart that something's big time wrong. 543 00:34:48,153 --> 00:34:49,788 - I knew that mom was unhappy. 544 00:34:49,788 --> 00:34:53,827 I knew that she was sad and I would come home from school 545 00:34:53,827 --> 00:34:56,228 sometimes and she would be emotional. 546 00:34:56,228 --> 00:34:57,863 - I had thought about suicide. 547 00:34:57,863 --> 00:35:02,535 You know, I can go away and nobody will ever know 548 00:35:02,535 --> 00:35:04,870 anything bad and the kids'll be okay. 549 00:35:04,870 --> 00:35:07,207 And all the things you tell yourself. 550 00:35:09,408 --> 00:35:11,310 - [Jeff] Ken's devotion to his job 551 00:35:11,310 --> 00:35:14,080 and determination to meet its demands, 552 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:18,683 blinded him to what was happening in his marriage. 553 00:35:18,683 --> 00:35:22,020 - I told him one time, one of our last conversations, 554 00:35:22,020 --> 00:35:25,157 I said, "Coach, you've got the ball. 555 00:35:25,157 --> 00:35:27,360 And if you drop it, it's done." 556 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:31,363 (somber music) 557 00:35:38,570 --> 00:35:41,740 - [Jeff] Gail's loneliness had become too much to bear 558 00:35:41,740 --> 00:35:46,212 and a relationship between she and a man in the church choir 559 00:35:46,212 --> 00:35:47,447 began to take hold. 560 00:35:49,948 --> 00:35:54,220 - You don't wanna be telling your problems to anyone, 561 00:35:54,220 --> 00:35:55,622 especially not a man. 562 00:35:57,088 --> 00:35:59,758 It just leaves a door open that shouldn't be opened. 563 00:36:04,763 --> 00:36:08,133 - [Jeff] When Ken discovered the truth about the other man, 564 00:36:08,133 --> 00:36:09,468 it was too much to bear. 565 00:36:11,370 --> 00:36:13,907 The relationship was beyond repair, 566 00:36:13,907 --> 00:36:15,775 and they decided to end the marriage. 567 00:36:20,178 --> 00:36:25,183 - But I remember when dad sat us down and told us 568 00:36:26,385 --> 00:36:27,753 that he and mom were gonna get a divorce. 569 00:36:27,753 --> 00:36:30,790 - And remember asking my dad, "Do you love mom?" 570 00:36:31,757 --> 00:36:33,358 And he said, "Yes, son, I do. 571 00:36:33,358 --> 00:36:34,560 I love your mom." 572 00:36:34,560 --> 00:36:36,362 And I said, "Well, mom, do you love dad?" 573 00:36:37,730 --> 00:36:40,800 And she said, "Well, son, it's not that easy." 574 00:36:43,835 --> 00:36:48,540 - The world will tell you you've been abandoned. 575 00:36:48,540 --> 00:36:51,210 This person doesn't have any time for you. 576 00:36:51,210 --> 00:36:53,012 You're always last. 577 00:36:53,012 --> 00:36:57,383 All of those typical human weaknesses. 578 00:36:57,383 --> 00:37:01,620 And if you agree with that and act on that, 579 00:37:01,620 --> 00:37:02,822 it's not gonna go well. 580 00:37:06,358 --> 00:37:09,195 If Satan can get our children, 581 00:37:10,295 --> 00:37:12,865 if he can get in between husband and wife, 582 00:37:16,868 --> 00:37:21,740 if he can bust up families, it's one of his finest hours. 583 00:37:26,178 --> 00:37:28,380 - [Jeff] Emotionally unstable and suffering, 584 00:37:29,782 --> 00:37:32,585 Gail moved out and the children stayed with Ken. 585 00:37:35,387 --> 00:37:39,458 - His number one concern was Chad and Chanda. 586 00:37:39,458 --> 00:37:42,528 - For years, I would tell him "Happy Mother's Day." 587 00:37:42,528 --> 00:37:44,697 And you know, because for years, 588 00:37:44,697 --> 00:37:49,335 it was such a combo job that he was trying to do. 589 00:37:51,403 --> 00:37:56,408 You know, dad really was pretty strong at the time to say, 590 00:37:57,777 --> 00:38:00,545 "There's nothing that's gonna make sense in the world, 591 00:38:00,545 --> 00:38:03,415 except for God and what God has for us." 592 00:38:04,683 --> 00:38:07,285 (somber music) 593 00:38:10,422 --> 00:38:13,125 - [Jeff] Ken was suddenly alone, heartbroken, 594 00:38:13,125 --> 00:38:15,662 riddled with guilt for the mistakes he'd made. 595 00:38:18,497 --> 00:38:22,267 And with two confused and hurt teenagers to look after. 596 00:38:23,568 --> 00:38:25,003 How could this have happened? 597 00:38:27,105 --> 00:38:28,707 - It was the hardest thing that he had ever gone through. 598 00:38:28,707 --> 00:38:32,277 I've seen him lose a lot of great big games. 599 00:38:32,277 --> 00:38:33,878 I've seen him be fine. 600 00:38:35,815 --> 00:38:38,950 But nothing crushed him like that. 601 00:38:38,950 --> 00:38:40,352 And it didn't just happen, 602 00:38:40,352 --> 00:38:42,187 and a crushing happened for a week. 603 00:38:42,187 --> 00:38:44,423 It crushed him for months and years. 604 00:38:49,762 --> 00:38:53,932 - [Gail] But I thought he's not gonna be able to do this. 605 00:38:54,833 --> 00:38:55,768 And he did. 606 00:38:58,637 --> 00:38:59,672 And he did it great. 607 00:39:01,540 --> 00:39:03,642 - My sister and I would get angry and we would say, 608 00:39:03,642 --> 00:39:04,910 "Well, she's so dumb. 609 00:39:04,910 --> 00:39:06,312 Where is she, why did she do this?" 610 00:39:06,312 --> 00:39:07,947 And just be blaming her. 611 00:39:07,947 --> 00:39:10,315 And my dad would stop us and say, 612 00:39:10,315 --> 00:39:12,585 "You're not to talk bad about your mom. 613 00:39:12,585 --> 00:39:13,785 You're not gonna talk bad about your mom. 614 00:39:13,785 --> 00:39:15,387 You're gonna pray for her." 615 00:39:15,387 --> 00:39:16,688 And he would start to cry. 616 00:39:18,157 --> 00:39:20,727 "We're gonna love her and we're gonna pray for her, 617 00:39:20,727 --> 00:39:22,227 and you're never gonna say anything negative 618 00:39:22,227 --> 00:39:23,295 about your mom." 619 00:39:23,295 --> 00:39:24,330 And he wouldn't. 620 00:39:27,467 --> 00:39:31,103 And you would go, wow, this guy is like sharing 621 00:39:31,103 --> 00:39:33,005 in the sufferings of Christ here, you know? 622 00:39:33,005 --> 00:39:35,842 And it was like, we're not gonna take it that direction. 623 00:39:35,842 --> 00:39:37,477 You know, we're not gonna be bitter. 624 00:39:39,112 --> 00:39:41,880 - [Jeff] Ken was well aware of how his neglect 625 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,717 played into the destruction of his marriage. 626 00:39:48,020 --> 00:39:49,822 - Never forget one night, I said, 627 00:39:49,822 --> 00:39:51,990 "The question is not what you ought to do. 628 00:39:51,990 --> 00:39:54,393 The question is will you ever forgive yourself?" 629 00:39:55,862 --> 00:39:57,797 I said, "I need to have a long explanation with you 630 00:39:57,797 --> 00:39:59,865 about what grace really is. 631 00:39:59,865 --> 00:40:02,502 You carrying all his guilt around about what you've done. 632 00:40:02,502 --> 00:40:04,103 You've been set free from that." 633 00:40:05,905 --> 00:40:10,910 - God takes things we do and bad decisions that we make 634 00:40:13,912 --> 00:40:18,917 and restores, he forgives. 635 00:40:21,087 --> 00:40:23,588 He restores, and he redeems. 636 00:40:28,727 --> 00:40:30,628 And that's what happened. 637 00:40:30,628 --> 00:40:33,232 (somber music) 638 00:40:41,107 --> 00:40:44,710 - [Jeff] In his darkest hours, Ken found strength, 639 00:40:44,710 --> 00:40:47,647 forgiveness, and hope in God. 640 00:40:48,880 --> 00:40:52,383 Never again would he let his work get in the way 641 00:40:52,383 --> 00:40:54,620 of his duty to his family. 642 00:40:58,957 --> 00:41:01,460 But he still had a job to do. 643 00:41:02,795 --> 00:41:07,398 With renewed vigor, he returned to the football field. 644 00:41:07,398 --> 00:41:08,833 (light music) 645 00:41:08,833 --> 00:41:10,368 - You knew if something ever defeated coach, 646 00:41:10,368 --> 00:41:12,705 then he was gonna come back and find a way to win. 647 00:41:12,705 --> 00:41:15,007 - Ken Sparks was always this guy who seemed to be able 648 00:41:15,007 --> 00:41:16,242 to rise above the storm. 649 00:41:18,743 --> 00:41:19,978 - [Jeff] Ken set his sights on 650 00:41:19,978 --> 00:41:21,980 the 1983 National Championship. 651 00:41:23,515 --> 00:41:27,853 But like himself, the team was facing major setbacks. 652 00:41:30,222 --> 00:41:32,157 - You know, we had a great football team, 653 00:41:32,157 --> 00:41:34,025 but we had some battles, we had some struggles. 654 00:41:34,025 --> 00:41:36,962 And there were some times where many of us were wondering 655 00:41:36,962 --> 00:41:38,463 are we gonna make it? 656 00:41:38,463 --> 00:41:41,633 - Starting out the season, we were ranked in the top five, 657 00:41:41,633 --> 00:41:43,635 and we lose the first game. 658 00:41:43,635 --> 00:41:45,037 We lose the second game. 659 00:41:47,005 --> 00:41:51,210 And then we go through the rest of the season 660 00:41:51,210 --> 00:41:53,445 and we lose the last game of the season. 661 00:41:53,445 --> 00:41:58,450 - There had never been a team with three losses 662 00:41:59,485 --> 00:42:01,320 that's ever been to the playoffs. 663 00:42:06,492 --> 00:42:08,760 - But Coach Sparks was always one of those guys 664 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:11,197 who knew how to rally a team 665 00:42:11,197 --> 00:42:13,032 and help you to believe in yourself. 666 00:42:14,400 --> 00:42:16,802 - He challenged us to be faithful, 667 00:42:16,802 --> 00:42:17,937 just as he was being faithful. 668 00:42:17,937 --> 00:42:19,672 - I mean, anybody can celebrate 669 00:42:19,672 --> 00:42:20,907 when you're on the mountaintop, 670 00:42:20,907 --> 00:42:23,008 but Coach Sparks had this ability to get us 671 00:42:23,008 --> 00:42:25,143 to rally together and believe in ourselves, 672 00:42:25,143 --> 00:42:27,512 and believe in the program, and believe in the team, 673 00:42:27,512 --> 00:42:29,615 even when we were in dark days. 674 00:42:29,615 --> 00:42:33,352 - I do remember it was keeping the faith. 675 00:42:33,352 --> 00:42:34,620 It was keeping the faith. 676 00:42:38,457 --> 00:42:41,193 - He wanted us to stay faithful. 677 00:42:41,193 --> 00:42:44,897 And you think probably was saying that to himself. 678 00:42:52,303 --> 00:42:54,440 Despite all the odds stacked against us, 679 00:42:54,440 --> 00:42:55,773 the Carson-Newman Eagles made it 680 00:42:55,773 --> 00:42:57,442 to the National Championship. 681 00:43:00,545 --> 00:43:02,313 - [Announcer] Live football, championship football 682 00:43:02,313 --> 00:43:03,682 for the second year. 683 00:43:03,682 --> 00:43:06,385 - Jeff Joslin is our quarterback, I'm the tight end. 684 00:43:06,385 --> 00:43:07,552 - [Announcer] Carson-Newman really has to be 685 00:43:07,552 --> 00:43:09,053 credited this afternoon. 686 00:43:09,053 --> 00:43:11,323 They haven't committed nearly as many turnovers. 687 00:43:11,323 --> 00:43:14,058 - I remember one time that I got hit, 688 00:43:14,058 --> 00:43:15,727 I had to be taken out the game. 689 00:43:15,727 --> 00:43:17,395 - [Announcer] One of the players from Carson-Newman 690 00:43:17,395 --> 00:43:18,630 is still down. 691 00:43:18,630 --> 00:43:20,132 I'm going to guess it's probably Jeff Joslin, 692 00:43:20,132 --> 00:43:21,367 the quarterback. - It is Jeff Joslin. 693 00:43:21,367 --> 00:43:22,635 Let's see if they can get him to his feet. 694 00:43:22,635 --> 00:43:24,803 - More than likely, we were gonna get stuffed 695 00:43:24,803 --> 00:43:26,038 'cause they had a new quarterback in there. 696 00:43:26,038 --> 00:43:27,707 - [Announcer] 50 yard line, tied at seven. 697 00:43:27,707 --> 00:43:30,475 Again, everybody up on the line of scrimmage for Mesa. 698 00:43:30,475 --> 00:43:31,677 And they give through- - They got exploded. 699 00:43:31,677 --> 00:43:32,477 - [Announcer] The middle to Larry Smith. 700 00:43:32,477 --> 00:43:33,745 Good night, he is gone. 701 00:43:33,745 --> 00:43:36,315 Inside the 20, touchdown Carson-Newman. 702 00:43:36,315 --> 00:43:38,817 - And it took the wind outta that team. 703 00:43:38,817 --> 00:43:41,320 (light music) 704 00:43:46,825 --> 00:43:49,728 (triumphant music) 705 00:44:05,143 --> 00:44:08,047 - [Announcer] First down, 20 seconds left in the game. 706 00:44:08,047 --> 00:44:11,717 - The other team had never threw an interception 707 00:44:11,717 --> 00:44:12,952 for the whole season. 708 00:44:12,952 --> 00:44:14,252 - [Announcer] He's under some pressure, 709 00:44:14,252 --> 00:44:15,420 rolling to his right. 710 00:44:15,420 --> 00:44:17,255 Now letting go, looking for Keith Howard. 711 00:44:17,255 --> 00:44:20,258 Intercepted, and that's the ball game. 712 00:44:20,258 --> 00:44:21,727 - [Reporter] The football game is over. 713 00:44:21,727 --> 00:44:23,595 It is Christmas in Colorado. 714 00:44:23,595 --> 00:44:27,532 The Eagles are the 1983 N.A.I.A 715 00:44:27,532 --> 00:44:29,902 National College Football Champions. 716 00:44:29,902 --> 00:44:32,805 (triumphant music) 717 00:44:42,647 --> 00:44:46,285 - When we won, I just hit my knees. 718 00:44:49,588 --> 00:44:53,192 And I just gave the glory to God. 719 00:44:53,192 --> 00:44:55,060 And we were just praying and thanking 720 00:44:56,195 --> 00:44:58,663 of this victory within that we had. 721 00:45:02,500 --> 00:45:05,103 Whatever he went through, he had overcome. 722 00:45:09,708 --> 00:45:12,177 And he was back better than before. 723 00:45:13,212 --> 00:45:15,780 (gentle music) 724 00:45:25,657 --> 00:45:29,495 - [Gail] We actually talked some many years after that. 725 00:45:29,495 --> 00:45:32,130 And I said, "The best thing that ever happened to you 726 00:45:32,130 --> 00:45:35,333 was me leaving," as far as football was concerned. 727 00:45:40,572 --> 00:45:43,408 - [Jeff] He had learned a lot from his divorce 728 00:45:43,408 --> 00:45:46,578 and it infused his coaching with profound wisdom. 729 00:45:50,248 --> 00:45:53,685 - Well, I think, Stan, you've gotta stay away 730 00:45:53,685 --> 00:45:55,587 from the emotional highs and lows. 731 00:45:57,088 --> 00:45:59,692 If we live life and play a football game, 732 00:45:59,692 --> 00:46:01,025 which is the same thing, 733 00:46:01,025 --> 00:46:03,495 if we do that based on feelings, 734 00:46:03,495 --> 00:46:05,030 then we've got a lot of problems. 735 00:46:05,030 --> 00:46:07,967 Now I'm not saying there's something wrong with feelings, 736 00:46:07,967 --> 00:46:11,603 but when we start making decisions based on feelings, 737 00:46:11,603 --> 00:46:15,440 and when we start dictating our commitment to each other, 738 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:17,810 to anything based on feelings, 739 00:46:17,810 --> 00:46:20,212 then we're in trouble because feelings are dumb, you know? 740 00:46:20,212 --> 00:46:21,747 I mean, mine change every day. 741 00:46:21,747 --> 00:46:24,248 And that fact is, they change me many times during the day. 742 00:46:24,248 --> 00:46:27,518 And so, feelings have a second grade education. 743 00:46:27,518 --> 00:46:31,290 So we have to base our commitment to the ball game 744 00:46:32,390 --> 00:46:34,760 on what is right, on truth. 745 00:46:37,728 --> 00:46:41,233 - [Jeff] It was a miraculous win on so many levels, 746 00:46:43,502 --> 00:46:46,238 and we just kept winning. 747 00:46:46,238 --> 00:46:49,407 (upbeat retro music) 748 00:47:05,623 --> 00:47:10,428 So Coach Sparks was quickly becoming a living legend. 749 00:47:10,428 --> 00:47:14,365 (upbeat retro music continues) 750 00:47:35,020 --> 00:47:37,923 - [Stan] All that's coming up next as the Ken Sparks Show continues 751 00:47:37,923 --> 00:47:38,790 in just a moment. 752 00:47:42,727 --> 00:47:44,997 - [Jeff] Ken did not let all the wins and accolades 753 00:47:44,997 --> 00:47:45,863 go to his head. 754 00:47:47,865 --> 00:47:50,835 He stayed true to his mission and purpose. 755 00:47:52,237 --> 00:47:55,007 - [Ken] The only thing that I worry about is for us 756 00:47:55,007 --> 00:47:57,142 to take the good things that happened for us, 757 00:47:57,142 --> 00:47:58,743 you know, the trophies and the rings, 758 00:47:58,743 --> 00:48:03,315 and the honors and the glories, and all of that and say, 759 00:48:03,315 --> 00:48:04,917 "Look at me." 760 00:48:04,917 --> 00:48:06,618 You know, because if we do, 761 00:48:06,618 --> 00:48:08,453 then we've run for the wrong crown 762 00:48:08,453 --> 00:48:10,188 because that crown is gonna tarnish, 763 00:48:10,188 --> 00:48:12,958 those trophies, those rings are gonna tarnish. 764 00:48:12,958 --> 00:48:14,225 They may even get stolen. 765 00:48:14,225 --> 00:48:16,495 They're not gonna have any lasting effect. 766 00:48:16,495 --> 00:48:20,598 The only thing that's lasting is when we are doing 767 00:48:20,598 --> 00:48:23,502 what we're created to do and that's to serve the God 768 00:48:23,502 --> 00:48:25,803 who created us and has a great plan for us. 769 00:48:27,172 --> 00:48:30,742 - I really begun to understand he really believed this. 770 00:48:30,742 --> 00:48:33,778 I'd been hand selected that year to be one of 16 771 00:48:33,778 --> 00:48:36,382 college students across the state of Tennessee 772 00:48:36,382 --> 00:48:38,983 to spend the whole summer on a little bitty island 773 00:48:38,983 --> 00:48:41,553 called Parintins in the middle of the Amazon River 774 00:48:41,553 --> 00:48:43,988 in Brazil on mission with him. 775 00:48:43,988 --> 00:48:46,492 I really believe that this is what God wanted me to do, 776 00:48:46,492 --> 00:48:49,293 but I wasn't certain that Coach Sparks would let me go. 777 00:48:49,293 --> 00:48:51,497 So I set up an appointment with Coach Sparks, 778 00:48:51,497 --> 00:48:53,465 went into his office, kind of nervous, 779 00:48:53,465 --> 00:48:55,600 shared this story with him. 780 00:48:55,600 --> 00:48:57,068 And so he turns to me and he says, 781 00:48:57,068 --> 00:48:59,603 "Scott, do you remember the conversation that you and I had 782 00:48:59,603 --> 00:49:01,607 at your dinner table two years ago? 783 00:49:01,607 --> 00:49:03,242 I really meant that. 784 00:49:03,242 --> 00:49:04,442 I think you should go." 785 00:49:07,678 --> 00:49:10,982 This was the moment where I understood Ken Sparks 786 00:49:10,982 --> 00:49:12,383 really meant what he said. 787 00:49:12,383 --> 00:49:15,053 It really was athletics with the purpose. 788 00:49:15,053 --> 00:49:17,455 He really was investing in my life. 789 00:49:17,455 --> 00:49:20,458 He really did care more about the kingdom 790 00:49:20,458 --> 00:49:21,927 than he did winning football games. 791 00:49:21,927 --> 00:49:24,328 It changed me dramatically forever. 792 00:49:27,265 --> 00:49:28,867 While I was there on the island, 793 00:49:28,867 --> 00:49:31,503 I had a deep encounter with God, like never before. 794 00:49:33,638 --> 00:49:36,475 This is the time and the place where God called me 795 00:49:36,475 --> 00:49:38,077 in the full-time ministry. 796 00:49:41,245 --> 00:49:43,915 And then, 18 years ago, the Lord led me to plant 797 00:49:43,915 --> 00:49:45,417 this church called Northstar. 798 00:49:47,952 --> 00:49:50,255 And now, here we are, multiple campuses, 799 00:49:50,255 --> 00:49:51,890 thousands of people coming, 800 00:49:52,990 --> 00:49:55,127 partners with ministries around the globe. 801 00:49:56,595 --> 00:49:59,798 None of this would've ever happened had I not had 802 00:49:59,798 --> 00:50:02,833 this encounter with Ken Sparks in his office that day. 803 00:50:08,640 --> 00:50:10,575 - [Curt] I missed a game winner. 804 00:50:10,575 --> 00:50:11,977 And so, it was my senior year. 805 00:50:11,977 --> 00:50:13,445 I'll never forget it. 806 00:50:13,445 --> 00:50:14,947 I mean, there was two seconds left on the clock. 807 00:50:14,947 --> 00:50:17,715 I think we were behind one and I ended up hooking it left. 808 00:50:23,788 --> 00:50:27,358 Probably one of my worst memories from a game. 809 00:50:29,795 --> 00:50:31,563 You know, going into the locker room, 810 00:50:31,563 --> 00:50:35,033 the first people around me was my teammates at the locker 811 00:50:35,033 --> 00:50:37,268 and Coach Sparks calling me out in front of everyone 812 00:50:37,268 --> 00:50:39,437 and saying, "Hey, this is not all your fault." 813 00:50:39,437 --> 00:50:42,540 It was some my fault, and he made that clear as well, 814 00:50:42,540 --> 00:50:45,743 but the lights were gonna turn off 815 00:50:45,743 --> 00:50:48,045 in the stadium that night, 816 00:50:48,045 --> 00:50:50,182 but the sun was gonna come up the next morning. 817 00:50:50,182 --> 00:50:53,485 And he said to me, "His mercies are new every morning." 818 00:50:56,688 --> 00:50:58,590 And that next day walked into practice, 819 00:50:58,590 --> 00:51:01,927 and you better believe that the first thing we were doing 820 00:51:01,927 --> 00:51:05,563 is lining up on the left hash on the 34 yard line 821 00:51:05,563 --> 00:51:07,032 to kick that field goal again. 822 00:51:09,333 --> 00:51:13,838 - Back in those days, I was a very small guy. 823 00:51:13,838 --> 00:51:16,608 'Cause when you're a little guy, well you're picked on. 824 00:51:18,042 --> 00:51:19,845 I hung out a lot with the football players. 825 00:51:19,845 --> 00:51:21,513 They were just my friends. 826 00:51:21,513 --> 00:51:26,050 And one day, Coach Sparks asked me to come down 827 00:51:26,050 --> 00:51:27,518 to his office. 828 00:51:27,518 --> 00:51:30,588 So I went down to his office thinking I'm in trouble. 829 00:51:30,588 --> 00:51:33,558 And he sat me down across from him and he looked at me 830 00:51:33,558 --> 00:51:37,128 and he said, "I've noticed that you hang out 831 00:51:37,128 --> 00:51:38,497 with all the football players." 832 00:51:38,497 --> 00:51:40,132 I said, "Yeah, yes, sir, I do." 833 00:51:40,132 --> 00:51:43,702 He says, "Well, I've noticed that you're kind of a leader." 834 00:51:43,702 --> 00:51:47,138 And I kind of scooted in my chair and said, "You think so?" 835 00:51:47,138 --> 00:51:49,407 And he goes, "Yeah, I watched the way you interact 836 00:51:49,407 --> 00:51:52,877 with people and people gravitate to you, 837 00:51:52,877 --> 00:51:55,147 and we need leaders on our team. 838 00:51:55,147 --> 00:51:57,982 Have you ever thought about being on the football team?" 839 00:51:57,982 --> 00:52:00,352 And of course I looked at him like, 840 00:52:00,352 --> 00:52:02,620 what are you talking about? I go, "I can't play football." 841 00:52:02,620 --> 00:52:05,157 And he says, "I didn't say that I wanted you 842 00:52:05,157 --> 00:52:06,525 to play football." 843 00:52:06,525 --> 00:52:08,193 He said, "I wanna know if you wanna be a leader 844 00:52:08,193 --> 00:52:09,693 on this team." 845 00:52:09,693 --> 00:52:13,832 "Well," he said, "we need a trainer on our team. 846 00:52:13,832 --> 00:52:15,100 We don't have a trainer." 847 00:52:15,100 --> 00:52:17,802 He says, "And I think I need you on this team." 848 00:52:17,802 --> 00:52:21,005 And I think I grew six inches sitting in that chair 849 00:52:24,342 --> 00:52:27,012 because he basically believed in me. 850 00:52:31,248 --> 00:52:36,253 And I became a football member that next weekend. 851 00:52:39,925 --> 00:52:44,930 It was just a moment in time that he spoke power into me 852 00:52:46,330 --> 00:52:49,033 in such a way that it influenced my whole life. 853 00:52:52,203 --> 00:52:54,907 He spoke enough into me to make me believe in myself 854 00:52:54,907 --> 00:52:56,140 in a whole different way. 855 00:53:00,845 --> 00:53:02,847 - He was with me, by my side, 856 00:53:02,847 --> 00:53:06,283 when I went through the most difficult time in my life. 857 00:53:06,283 --> 00:53:10,188 I was being recruited as a football player 858 00:53:10,188 --> 00:53:13,190 and had this dream of playing college football. 859 00:53:13,190 --> 00:53:15,560 And that dream ended rather quickly 860 00:53:15,560 --> 00:53:19,630 after a couple of knee injuries that he walked me through. 861 00:53:22,667 --> 00:53:27,605 And I remember when it went out and I went down on the turf, 862 00:53:27,605 --> 00:53:30,008 I screamed out two words, "Coach Sparks." 863 00:53:32,610 --> 00:53:34,845 And now, he was the coach and I was a player, 864 00:53:36,013 --> 00:53:37,448 and that I was through playing. 865 00:53:37,448 --> 00:53:38,617 He could have said, "Okay, well you're done." 866 00:53:38,617 --> 00:53:42,420 And that would be it with me, 867 00:53:42,420 --> 00:53:47,325 but he became more influential in my life, not less. 868 00:53:47,325 --> 00:53:52,330 He became more active with me, not less. 869 00:53:53,432 --> 00:53:54,665 And he started talking to me about, 870 00:53:54,665 --> 00:53:57,502 "Okay, well, what's next for you then? 871 00:53:57,502 --> 00:53:59,237 If it's not going to be maybe as 872 00:53:59,237 --> 00:54:01,338 a college football player, 873 00:54:01,338 --> 00:54:03,073 what other things can you get involved in?" 874 00:54:03,073 --> 00:54:05,743 And he's the one really, one of the ones at least, 875 00:54:05,743 --> 00:54:08,212 that kinda nudged me toward broadcasting, 876 00:54:08,212 --> 00:54:09,713 which I'm still in today. 877 00:54:17,155 --> 00:54:19,490 Even though it was very traumatic for me, 878 00:54:19,490 --> 00:54:22,793 he was able to say, "Look, it's not who you are. 879 00:54:24,328 --> 00:54:25,830 You're a child of God, 880 00:54:25,830 --> 00:54:28,098 and he's gonna take care of you regardless of whether 881 00:54:28,098 --> 00:54:29,933 you have good knees or bad knees." 882 00:54:35,107 --> 00:54:39,643 I really began to see the things that he talked about, 883 00:54:39,643 --> 00:54:42,513 that life was more important than just playing football 884 00:54:42,513 --> 00:54:45,250 and the score after a game. 885 00:54:46,417 --> 00:54:50,555 Life was more about our relationship with God 886 00:54:50,555 --> 00:54:51,723 and our eternity. 887 00:54:54,492 --> 00:54:56,327 (light music) 888 00:54:56,327 --> 00:54:57,428 - [Jeff] The souls of the players 889 00:54:57,428 --> 00:54:59,030 were always Ken's priority. 890 00:55:00,732 --> 00:55:02,400 But that didn't mean he didn't work us 891 00:55:02,400 --> 00:55:03,768 to the bone at practice. 892 00:55:05,503 --> 00:55:07,238 The Carson-Newman football team 893 00:55:07,238 --> 00:55:09,940 was a two-time National Championship winner now, 894 00:55:11,375 --> 00:55:14,178 and it had a reputation to uphold. 895 00:55:14,178 --> 00:55:16,613 Ken set the bar high. 896 00:55:17,982 --> 00:55:20,118 - Let me tell you somethin'. 897 00:55:20,118 --> 00:55:22,220 I've seen some tough coaches. 898 00:55:22,220 --> 00:55:23,822 Ken Sparks was tough. 899 00:55:23,822 --> 00:55:28,827 - Ken was pretty stern in his rules and didn't bend much. 900 00:55:32,163 --> 00:55:34,565 - [Chad] It was 99 degrees, 99% humidity. 901 00:55:36,100 --> 00:55:39,670 And I can remember going to bed and hurting so bad 902 00:55:39,670 --> 00:55:41,840 after all the contact and all the stuff. 903 00:55:41,840 --> 00:55:44,308 I was wanting to cry (chuckling). 904 00:55:44,308 --> 00:55:46,677 I was hurting so bad I wanted to cry. 905 00:55:46,677 --> 00:55:49,747 And my lump started rising in my throat, 906 00:55:49,747 --> 00:55:51,215 and I'm thinking, I'm about to cry. 907 00:55:51,215 --> 00:55:52,483 I gotta hold this back 'cause I didn't want my roommate 908 00:55:52,483 --> 00:55:53,718 on the other side of the room to hear me 909 00:55:53,718 --> 00:55:54,985 when we're trying to go to sleep. 910 00:55:54,985 --> 00:55:56,687 And then I heard him crying (chuckling). 911 00:55:58,255 --> 00:56:00,425 And I thought, okay, so it's fine. 912 00:56:00,425 --> 00:56:03,260 And I started crying and then we just let it go. 913 00:56:03,260 --> 00:56:05,130 So both of us are crying, you know? 914 00:56:05,130 --> 00:56:07,132 But that's just stuff that we all share. 915 00:56:07,132 --> 00:56:12,070 Like, Carson-Newman football was such a serious endeavor. 916 00:56:13,103 --> 00:56:14,605 It was so hard. 917 00:56:14,605 --> 00:56:17,208 I mean, we had guys that had been through bootcamp 918 00:56:17,208 --> 00:56:19,377 and military that dropped out of the team 919 00:56:19,377 --> 00:56:20,312 because they couldn't take it. 920 00:56:20,312 --> 00:56:21,245 It was too hard. 921 00:56:22,213 --> 00:56:24,815 (light music) 922 00:56:29,387 --> 00:56:33,090 - [Mark] You know, Coach Sparks was not a big guy. 923 00:56:33,090 --> 00:56:37,962 He was a little guy, but he intimidated a lot of people. 924 00:56:37,962 --> 00:56:39,930 - Wrapping up our fall camp, 925 00:56:39,930 --> 00:56:42,200 just a couple of weeks before our opening game, 926 00:56:42,200 --> 00:56:45,570 we're having our orange and blue inner-squad scrimmage 927 00:56:45,570 --> 00:56:46,905 down on the practice field. 928 00:56:46,905 --> 00:56:48,305 - This was the first time I saw him 929 00:56:48,305 --> 00:56:50,308 absolutely lose his cool. 930 00:56:51,742 --> 00:56:54,012 - [Jeff] Ken watched on as one of the linebackers 931 00:56:54,012 --> 00:56:57,982 kicked a fellow teammate while he was down. 932 00:56:57,982 --> 00:57:02,987 - And all of a sudden I saw him run towards a player. 933 00:57:04,422 --> 00:57:05,923 - And he literally makes one of the most beautiful 934 00:57:05,923 --> 00:57:08,727 form tackles I've ever seen on an athlete. 935 00:57:08,727 --> 00:57:11,262 - And grab his helmet and he was shaking him. 936 00:57:11,262 --> 00:57:12,663 He was screaming. 937 00:57:12,663 --> 00:57:14,965 And I couldn't really understand what he was saying, 938 00:57:14,965 --> 00:57:17,268 but I just remember thinking, "Oh my gosh!" 939 00:57:17,268 --> 00:57:18,870 It scared me to death 'cause I just, 940 00:57:18,870 --> 00:57:21,538 I'd never seen that side of him before. 941 00:57:21,538 --> 00:57:23,975 You could have heard a pin drop out on the football field. 942 00:57:23,975 --> 00:57:26,077 There was 100 players out there 943 00:57:26,077 --> 00:57:27,745 and nobody was saying a word. 944 00:57:30,448 --> 00:57:33,885 And then all of a sudden he got off of him. 945 00:57:33,885 --> 00:57:36,287 - Picks him up and says, "Hey, let me help you understand 946 00:57:36,287 --> 00:57:38,155 why this is so important. 947 00:57:38,155 --> 00:57:40,658 What we're doing here, what we're trying to accomplish." 948 00:57:40,658 --> 00:57:44,662 - And he said, "I'm not gonna allow that on my team." 949 00:57:48,733 --> 00:57:50,268 That was an eye opener for me. 950 00:57:50,268 --> 00:57:52,570 I remember that being the first time that I thought, 951 00:57:52,570 --> 00:57:57,575 "Oh my goodness, he's gonna have people do the right thing 952 00:57:58,442 --> 00:57:59,677 and he's gonna correct 'em 953 00:57:59,677 --> 00:58:00,812 if they don't do the right thing." 954 00:58:04,282 --> 00:58:08,252 (light dramatic music) 955 00:58:08,252 --> 00:58:10,922 - [Jeff] Ken's coaching legacy was well underway. 956 00:58:12,123 --> 00:58:13,858 He set a new standard, 957 00:58:13,858 --> 00:58:16,760 and the success of his technique was undeniable. 958 00:58:21,900 --> 00:58:25,803 Apart from all the wins, one thing was sure, 959 00:58:25,803 --> 00:58:30,073 he was sharing the love of Christ with countless young men 960 00:58:30,073 --> 00:58:32,643 who would leave Carson-Newman University 961 00:58:32,643 --> 00:58:35,847 and take the spark he lit in them out to the world. 962 00:58:44,455 --> 00:58:48,092 There was one thing though that Ken had failed at, 963 00:58:48,092 --> 00:58:51,528 but it turns out God had a plan for that, too. 964 00:58:58,035 --> 00:59:01,005 - [Carol] People had said to me and I think they said to him too, 965 00:59:02,440 --> 00:59:04,908 that we would be a good fit, 'cause we both loved the Lord, 966 00:59:04,908 --> 00:59:06,912 and we both had gone through divorces 967 00:59:06,912 --> 00:59:09,880 that we had not chosen to have happen. 968 00:59:11,282 --> 00:59:13,217 - [Jeff] Ken met Carol after he recruited her son 969 00:59:13,217 --> 00:59:15,018 to play at Carson-Newman University. 970 00:59:17,322 --> 00:59:20,858 Intrigued by her and encouraged by friends, 971 00:59:20,858 --> 00:59:21,858 he gave her a call. 972 00:59:23,493 --> 00:59:26,730 - Ken's version of this conversation is that I gave one word 973 00:59:26,730 --> 00:59:29,233 answers to everything and he hung up and said, 974 00:59:29,233 --> 00:59:30,835 "I will never call her again." 975 00:59:30,835 --> 00:59:32,670 God had a different plan though. 976 00:59:36,773 --> 00:59:38,475 - [Ken] I'll never forget having discussion with him. 977 00:59:38,475 --> 00:59:41,378 I said, "Ken, do you know that God's given 978 00:59:41,378 --> 00:59:42,613 you a second chance?" 979 00:59:45,015 --> 00:59:47,785 - [Carol] I was walking into church and Ken drives up. 980 00:59:50,288 --> 00:59:54,458 And he didn't plan it, I didn't plan it, but there we were. 981 00:59:54,458 --> 00:59:57,495 He said, "Can we sit together in church?" 982 01:00:00,263 --> 01:00:04,068 And that was in July of '93. 983 01:00:05,235 --> 01:00:08,438 And in December of '93 is when we got married. 984 01:00:10,442 --> 01:00:13,210 - [Ken] She's the one who brought balance to Ken's life 985 01:00:13,210 --> 01:00:14,712 for the first real time. 986 01:00:14,712 --> 01:00:16,280 And she didn't care whether he won ball games or not. 987 01:00:16,280 --> 01:00:19,217 She just loved him, and she supported him. 988 01:00:23,655 --> 01:00:27,425 - [Jeff] It was a second chance for them both. 989 01:00:27,425 --> 01:00:30,160 Ken found the marriage that he had always hoped for 990 01:00:30,160 --> 01:00:31,128 and believed in. 991 01:00:33,665 --> 01:00:37,168 He was determined to be the husband she needed 992 01:00:37,168 --> 01:00:40,572 and that he knew God wanted him to be. 993 01:00:40,572 --> 01:00:43,540 And he was inspired to help other coaches to do the same. 994 01:00:47,678 --> 01:00:50,348 He created a clinic for coaches and their wives; 995 01:00:52,817 --> 01:00:56,420 learning from his past mistakes and using them for good. 996 01:00:57,888 --> 01:01:00,190 - So I know he wound up going through a divorce, 997 01:01:00,190 --> 01:01:03,193 but I know there are a bunch of marriages that's been saved 998 01:01:03,193 --> 01:01:06,330 because of Coach Sparks and that clinic. 999 01:01:06,330 --> 01:01:10,702 - It was something that coaches were looking for. 1000 01:01:10,702 --> 01:01:12,770 It was something that they needed. 1001 01:01:12,770 --> 01:01:16,340 - [Alan] I don't understand how those guys do it. 1002 01:01:16,340 --> 01:01:19,543 Only the Lord can keep those marriages strong 1003 01:01:19,543 --> 01:01:22,247 and only the Lord can keep those relationships strong 1004 01:01:22,247 --> 01:01:24,882 because of the time constraints and the pressures 1005 01:01:24,882 --> 01:01:26,683 that are put on college coaches now. 1006 01:01:30,120 --> 01:01:31,622 - [Ken] And you know with this issue now, 1007 01:01:31,622 --> 01:01:34,025 all of us are going through basically the same things. 1008 01:01:34,025 --> 01:01:36,193 We're all having to deal with trying to coach kids 1009 01:01:36,193 --> 01:01:39,063 and trying to keep our families together, 1010 01:01:39,063 --> 01:01:44,068 and trying to be a husband, trying to be a father. 1011 01:01:47,105 --> 01:01:49,740 - [Carol] And he felt like it was important for coaches 1012 01:01:49,740 --> 01:01:54,745 to understand that yes, their job is demanding, 1013 01:01:56,180 --> 01:01:59,750 but their wife needs to have them spend time at home. 1014 01:02:04,288 --> 01:02:05,990 Just like he felt called into coaching, 1015 01:02:05,990 --> 01:02:08,025 he felt called to do that clinic. 1016 01:02:08,025 --> 01:02:11,195 - He could con every named coach to come in to speak. 1017 01:02:12,763 --> 01:02:17,102 I'd be on a program with Dungy and and Bobby Bowden, 1018 01:02:17,102 --> 01:02:21,138 and it's crazy the people that Sparks go to come 1019 01:02:21,138 --> 01:02:24,375 because they love Ken Sparks. 1020 01:02:24,375 --> 01:02:28,412 - [Mickey] All the things that God has allowed to happen in my life, 1021 01:02:28,412 --> 01:02:31,215 through high school and through college, 1022 01:02:31,215 --> 01:02:33,183 through my career with the Raiders, 1023 01:02:33,183 --> 01:02:34,252 Super Bowls and all those things, 1024 01:02:34,252 --> 01:02:35,553 those were all well and good. 1025 01:02:35,553 --> 01:02:38,455 And I appreciate those things, 1026 01:02:38,455 --> 01:02:41,092 but those things don't prepare. 1027 01:02:41,092 --> 01:02:44,262 - [Mike] And I think he always knew that in order 1028 01:02:44,262 --> 01:02:46,930 the way for us to function is if he could create 1029 01:02:46,930 --> 01:02:49,400 that spark in your heart spiritually, 1030 01:02:49,400 --> 01:02:53,003 to help pump the spiritual blood through our veins 1031 01:02:53,003 --> 01:02:54,472 and through our bodies. 1032 01:02:54,472 --> 01:02:56,507 And we connect with Christ and it's gonna help us 1033 01:02:56,507 --> 01:02:59,810 be more able to connect with our wives. 1034 01:03:01,278 --> 01:03:04,382 There was a point that me and my wife were really... 1035 01:03:04,382 --> 01:03:06,750 We had a kid and like life is different. 1036 01:03:06,750 --> 01:03:09,420 And we were having some hard times and trying to figure out 1037 01:03:09,420 --> 01:03:10,688 how to balance that out. 1038 01:03:10,688 --> 01:03:12,657 And I just remember sitting on that couch 1039 01:03:12,657 --> 01:03:14,158 and talking to coach and you know, 1040 01:03:14,158 --> 01:03:18,295 I'd say it had a very critical point in saving my marriage. 1041 01:03:18,295 --> 01:03:20,230 - I continued to go to the coaching clinic 1042 01:03:20,230 --> 01:03:22,467 even after I left Carson-Newman. 1043 01:03:23,567 --> 01:03:26,403 It had a huge impact on our life. 1044 01:03:26,403 --> 01:03:27,705 - He didn't just talk to the coaches. 1045 01:03:27,705 --> 01:03:29,373 He's like, I wanna talk to your wife. 1046 01:03:29,373 --> 01:03:32,008 - [Ken] Makes sure you understand this is not a coaches clinic. 1047 01:03:32,008 --> 01:03:37,013 This is a coaches and wives clinic, and this is your clinic. 1048 01:03:38,182 --> 01:03:41,018 And if at anytime that you don't feel like 1049 01:03:41,018 --> 01:03:42,520 you're the most important person here, 1050 01:03:42,520 --> 01:03:44,955 you raise your hand and we'll get that changed. 1051 01:03:44,955 --> 01:03:47,658 - You know, just to hear him and see him interact 1052 01:03:47,658 --> 01:03:49,093 and talk to the wives about, 1053 01:03:49,093 --> 01:03:51,662 "Hey, I don't know who's right and who's wrong. 1054 01:03:51,662 --> 01:03:52,897 I'm not that interested in that. 1055 01:03:52,897 --> 01:03:55,265 But like, where is Christ in this?" 1056 01:03:55,265 --> 01:03:57,000 And so, once we meet at Christ, 1057 01:03:57,000 --> 01:03:58,368 regardless of what's going on, 1058 01:03:58,368 --> 01:04:01,338 we'll be able to repair all the broken pieces. 1059 01:04:06,210 --> 01:04:07,745 - [Jeff] Ken and Carol continued to lead 1060 01:04:07,745 --> 01:04:11,448 the coaches and wives clinic as an integral part 1061 01:04:11,448 --> 01:04:13,383 of the Sparks football ministry. 1062 01:04:16,020 --> 01:04:18,788 (crowd cheering) 1063 01:04:20,423 --> 01:04:22,058 (whistle blowing) (muffled game announcements) 1064 01:04:22,058 --> 01:04:24,995 As the years passed and the wins continued to accumulate, 1065 01:04:26,063 --> 01:04:27,665 under Ken's leadership, 1066 01:04:27,665 --> 01:04:30,702 Carson-Newman football soared to new heights. 1067 01:04:32,303 --> 01:04:35,005 - [Reporter] The Eagles have a new nest to protect. 1068 01:04:35,005 --> 01:04:37,308 11 months after ending their last campaign, 1069 01:04:37,308 --> 01:04:41,078 Carson-Newman is debuting Burke-Tarr Stadium. 1070 01:04:41,078 --> 01:04:44,915 Eagles know they have more room to grow. 1071 01:04:44,915 --> 01:04:47,050 - [Jeff] It was yet another stadium come to life 1072 01:04:47,050 --> 01:04:48,752 under Ken's influence. 1073 01:04:48,752 --> 01:04:53,057 It debuted to a sell out crowd of over 5,000 football fans 1074 01:04:53,057 --> 01:04:58,062 as Ken neared 250 wins in his coaching career. 1075 01:05:03,467 --> 01:05:05,870 Ken was inducted into the Fellowship of Christian Athletes 1076 01:05:05,870 --> 01:05:07,203 Hall of Champions. 1077 01:05:13,610 --> 01:05:16,147 And was immortalized at Carson-Newman University 1078 01:05:16,147 --> 01:05:20,217 with the title of the Ken Sparks Complex, 1079 01:05:20,217 --> 01:05:24,155 a complex which housed new locker rooms, weight rooms, 1080 01:05:24,155 --> 01:05:25,790 new offices, and more. 1081 01:05:29,893 --> 01:05:32,997 And watched over the football field where his legacy 1082 01:05:32,997 --> 01:05:36,667 at Carson-Newman University began so many years before. 1083 01:05:37,635 --> 01:05:40,070 (soft music) 1084 01:05:47,512 --> 01:05:52,417 - [Ken] Life changes and kids change and society changes. 1085 01:05:52,417 --> 01:05:57,355 Our cultural influences are constantly trying to cause us 1086 01:05:57,355 --> 01:06:00,057 to be something that probably that we don't need to be. 1087 01:06:00,057 --> 01:06:02,727 But the thing that doesn't change, 1088 01:06:02,727 --> 01:06:05,897 blocking is still blocking and tackling is still tackling, 1089 01:06:05,897 --> 01:06:09,633 and truth doesn't change, Adam. 1090 01:06:10,768 --> 01:06:14,372 You know, God's got his word that he honors 1091 01:06:14,372 --> 01:06:18,775 in those of us who believe it and operate on truth, 1092 01:06:18,775 --> 01:06:22,045 and do what's right and try to keep from doing what's wrong. 1093 01:06:22,045 --> 01:06:24,715 And I think he's involved in that. 1094 01:06:24,715 --> 01:06:28,185 And so, those principles never change. 1095 01:06:29,820 --> 01:06:31,322 - [Carol] You know, Ken, wasn't a complainer, 1096 01:06:31,322 --> 01:06:35,558 but he'd been saying things to me like, "I don't feel good. 1097 01:06:35,558 --> 01:06:36,993 I'm tired." 1098 01:06:36,993 --> 01:06:38,695 And this had gone on for a while. 1099 01:06:38,695 --> 01:06:42,767 And one morning, he made a comment like that. 1100 01:06:42,767 --> 01:06:46,003 And I said, "Are you gonna call the doctor or am I?" 1101 01:06:50,573 --> 01:06:55,545 - [Jeff] Ken was diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer. 1102 01:06:58,815 --> 01:07:01,052 - [Mike] We kinda all saw him as Superman. 1103 01:07:01,052 --> 01:07:03,453 And so, initially when you first found out, 1104 01:07:03,453 --> 01:07:05,222 you got that first assumption like, 1105 01:07:05,222 --> 01:07:06,290 "Oh, well, it ain't that big a deal. 1106 01:07:06,290 --> 01:07:07,525 Everything's gonna be okay. 1107 01:07:07,525 --> 01:07:10,060 It beats everybody else, but coach'll make it. 1108 01:07:10,060 --> 01:07:11,428 He'll find a way to win it." 1109 01:07:11,428 --> 01:07:15,098 - It was almost like it was no big deal. 1110 01:07:18,635 --> 01:07:22,840 He really did not talk much about it or say a lot about it. 1111 01:07:24,875 --> 01:07:26,843 You know, I was out here one day and Coach Sparks 1112 01:07:26,843 --> 01:07:28,212 was out on the field and stuff 1113 01:07:28,212 --> 01:07:29,813 and I could tell he was tired. 1114 01:07:31,282 --> 01:07:35,585 And so, I went and got a golf cart and brought a golf cart. 1115 01:07:35,585 --> 01:07:37,187 Well, Coach Sparks was, you know, 1116 01:07:37,187 --> 01:07:38,988 he didn't want a golf cart. 1117 01:07:38,988 --> 01:07:40,323 - Now, I won't say he's stubborn, 1118 01:07:40,323 --> 01:07:42,460 but sometimes he had a mind in his own. 1119 01:07:46,263 --> 01:07:48,032 Blessed are the poor in spirit. 1120 01:07:48,032 --> 01:07:51,302 Poor in spirit simply means I'm gonna trust God with this. 1121 01:07:51,302 --> 01:07:52,637 I always tell people, 1122 01:07:53,837 --> 01:07:56,640 two questions you gotta answer every day: 1123 01:07:58,075 --> 01:08:00,343 Is God God, or are you God? 1124 01:08:01,745 --> 01:08:05,448 If God's God, then you don't have to fight this by yourself. 1125 01:08:06,850 --> 01:08:09,052 And I think Ken was going through that struggle. 1126 01:08:09,052 --> 01:08:11,622 - Ken was such an optimist, such a fighter. 1127 01:08:11,622 --> 01:08:13,423 - You know, Ken was just faithful to the Lord 1128 01:08:13,423 --> 01:08:14,892 through it all. 1129 01:08:14,892 --> 01:08:17,628 Never blamed God for like, why do I have cancer? 1130 01:08:17,628 --> 01:08:19,763 Or, you know, this is, why me, Lord? 1131 01:08:25,068 --> 01:08:27,303 - [Chad] And then I said, "Dad, I'm just, 1132 01:08:27,303 --> 01:08:28,805 I'm struggling with this." 1133 01:08:28,805 --> 01:08:31,142 He said, "Hey, man, hey," and I'm crying. 1134 01:08:31,142 --> 01:08:35,278 He said, "Hey, man, hey, hey, everybody gets to die." 1135 01:08:37,682 --> 01:08:38,815 Just like that. 1136 01:08:39,817 --> 01:08:41,818 "Everybody gets to die." 1137 01:08:43,753 --> 01:08:46,290 And I was just blown away by this guy 1138 01:08:51,162 --> 01:08:55,698 that is looking forward to doing the thing 1139 01:08:55,698 --> 01:08:59,237 that ultimately we all, in his words, "get to do." 1140 01:09:00,703 --> 01:09:03,207 And that is to finish this life and finish this race 1141 01:09:03,207 --> 01:09:05,877 and to get the prize and to be with Jesus. 1142 01:09:08,012 --> 01:09:10,813 - [Jeff] Ken's spiritual fortitude carried him 1143 01:09:10,813 --> 01:09:12,817 and those closest to him 1144 01:09:12,817 --> 01:09:14,985 through his intense battle with cancer. 1145 01:09:16,353 --> 01:09:18,555 And although he was struggling, 1146 01:09:18,555 --> 01:09:20,892 it only deepened his sense of purpose 1147 01:09:20,892 --> 01:09:22,492 with his players on the field. 1148 01:09:24,962 --> 01:09:27,665 And his coaching record reflected that. 1149 01:09:30,667 --> 01:09:33,170 - [Announcer] Touchdown Carson-Newman! 1150 01:09:33,170 --> 01:09:35,172 - [Reporter] Sparks moved into a tie for fifth place 1151 01:09:35,172 --> 01:09:38,508 on the all time wins list with legendary Alabama coach, 1152 01:09:38,508 --> 01:09:40,010 Bear Bryant, with the victory. 1153 01:09:42,045 --> 01:09:45,648 - [Dr. J. Randall O'Brien - C-N President] The good book reminds us that we should 1154 01:09:45,648 --> 01:09:50,653 let another praise us and not the words of our own mouth. 1155 01:09:51,255 --> 01:09:54,758 (crowd cheering) 1156 01:09:54,758 --> 01:09:59,597 There's another coach that has now won 300 football games. 1157 01:10:01,932 --> 01:10:05,268 - [Jeff] Since the 1800s, there have only been a handful 1158 01:10:05,268 --> 01:10:08,338 of football coaches to achieve 300 wins like Ken. 1159 01:10:09,540 --> 01:10:12,142 (light music) 1160 01:10:14,712 --> 01:10:18,315 It was an honor that could have easily gone to his head, 1161 01:10:18,315 --> 01:10:19,115 but it didn't. 1162 01:10:24,020 --> 01:10:25,155 - [Reporter] You mentioned this a lot before, 1163 01:10:25,155 --> 01:10:26,457 it's not always about Xs and Os, 1164 01:10:26,457 --> 01:10:27,958 but it's about changing lives, 1165 01:10:27,958 --> 01:10:29,660 and not just about winning and losing. 1166 01:10:29,660 --> 01:10:32,362 And that's happened a lot in your 33 years here. 1167 01:10:32,362 --> 01:10:37,367 - Well, you know, it's amazing how so many guys have come. 1168 01:10:38,835 --> 01:10:42,438 Some of 'em with brokenness in their life, 1169 01:10:42,438 --> 01:10:46,010 and many of 'em that didn't have a clue 1170 01:10:46,010 --> 01:10:49,680 about how they were gonna make it in life. 1171 01:10:49,680 --> 01:10:54,652 And to see how the Lord has used people, used Carson-Newman. 1172 01:10:55,818 --> 01:10:59,255 It goes to show you that the Lord can do... 1173 01:10:59,255 --> 01:11:00,857 With a silly game like football, 1174 01:11:00,857 --> 01:11:03,893 the Lord can do some miraculous things with it. 1175 01:11:03,893 --> 01:11:06,330 - [Chad] In a world of athletics where it's all about achievement 1176 01:11:07,563 --> 01:11:09,733 and prestige and size and weight and speed, 1177 01:11:11,435 --> 01:11:16,107 my dad was this opposite to all those things. 1178 01:11:18,408 --> 01:11:22,345 A pro football player or some hot shot media guy 1179 01:11:22,345 --> 01:11:25,015 or some hot shot pro coach, 1180 01:11:25,015 --> 01:11:26,450 dad was around those guys all the time, 1181 01:11:26,450 --> 01:11:27,785 rubbing elbows with 'em. 1182 01:11:28,918 --> 01:11:30,553 They really didn't impress him that much, 1183 01:11:30,553 --> 01:11:35,092 but he would treat the janitor or the waitress 1184 01:11:35,092 --> 01:11:39,597 or the person that nobody else was paying attention to 1185 01:11:39,597 --> 01:11:44,602 with the most incredible amount of dignity and love. 1186 01:11:47,103 --> 01:11:50,740 And I've learned that that's what a real man is about. 1187 01:11:53,143 --> 01:11:54,778 - [Jeff] It was this spirit and perspective 1188 01:11:54,778 --> 01:11:55,978 that made Ken different. 1189 01:11:58,415 --> 01:12:01,552 And was what earned him the first ever Uncommon Award, 1190 01:12:02,887 --> 01:12:06,223 given to him by famed NFL coach, Tony Dungy. 1191 01:12:08,425 --> 01:12:11,095 - [Tony] I met Ken Sparks in 1990 1192 01:12:11,095 --> 01:12:15,498 at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp 1193 01:12:15,498 --> 01:12:17,033 in Black Mountain, North Carolina. 1194 01:12:17,033 --> 01:12:18,535 He was my huddle leader. 1195 01:12:18,535 --> 01:12:20,703 I was a young assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers 1196 01:12:20,703 --> 01:12:23,540 and I watched Coach Sparks for a week. 1197 01:12:23,540 --> 01:12:25,942 And I saw that you could be successful 1198 01:12:26,843 --> 01:12:29,012 and care about your players, 1199 01:12:29,012 --> 01:12:30,813 care about your relationship with the Lord. 1200 01:12:30,813 --> 01:12:33,417 And that wins and losses were important, 1201 01:12:33,417 --> 01:12:37,153 but they were secondary in that relationship with the Lord. 1202 01:12:37,153 --> 01:12:39,322 And he inspired me. 1203 01:12:39,322 --> 01:12:41,658 He gave me that role model of how to coach. 1204 01:12:42,525 --> 01:12:44,628 So, a tremendous leader of men, 1205 01:12:44,628 --> 01:12:47,063 and one of the best coaches I know. 1206 01:12:48,265 --> 01:12:51,835 I said, if I can impact men like Ken Sparks has, 1207 01:12:51,835 --> 01:12:53,370 it'll be a successful career. 1208 01:12:55,372 --> 01:12:56,973 - [Jeff] In the midst of it all, 1209 01:12:56,973 --> 01:12:58,742 he continued to win football games. 1210 01:13:00,377 --> 01:13:03,047 His battle with cancer, on the other hand, 1211 01:13:03,047 --> 01:13:04,748 wasn't going so well. 1212 01:13:04,748 --> 01:13:07,683 (somber music) 1213 01:13:07,683 --> 01:13:10,587 - He just kept fighting, kept fighting. 1214 01:13:10,587 --> 01:13:12,188 - You have to experience that time in your life 1215 01:13:12,188 --> 01:13:14,725 where you say you can't fix this. 1216 01:13:14,725 --> 01:13:16,727 And Ken was going through that struggle. 1217 01:13:17,895 --> 01:13:20,097 You can't fix this, Ken. 1218 01:13:20,097 --> 01:13:21,498 It'll be fixed eventually, 1219 01:13:21,498 --> 01:13:23,500 but probably not the way you want it to. 1220 01:13:27,637 --> 01:13:29,973 - [Jeff] Ken's doctors tried all they could, 1221 01:13:29,973 --> 01:13:31,575 but his health was declining. 1222 01:13:33,443 --> 01:13:35,945 He was going through chemotherapy while still coaching 1223 01:13:35,945 --> 01:13:37,547 and giving it everything he had. 1224 01:13:43,087 --> 01:13:46,290 - [Ken] He laughed at me one day, but he said, 1225 01:13:46,290 --> 01:13:47,723 "I hadn't made any funeral arrangements, 1226 01:13:47,723 --> 01:13:50,793 but what I'm hoping is I'll die here on the field. 1227 01:13:50,793 --> 01:13:53,730 And just roll me over in that kudzu and I'll (chuckling)... 1228 01:13:55,065 --> 01:13:56,500 And I just stay right here on the hill." 1229 01:13:56,500 --> 01:13:58,235 And that's who he was. 1230 01:13:58,235 --> 01:14:01,772 And his faith did that for him. 1231 01:14:01,772 --> 01:14:03,407 He wasn't some great hero. 1232 01:14:03,407 --> 01:14:05,642 His faith was real to him. 1233 01:14:05,642 --> 01:14:08,378 - [Ken] Sometimes people try to look at the negative 1234 01:14:08,378 --> 01:14:10,147 and sometimes they won't to say, 1235 01:14:11,415 --> 01:14:13,783 "Well, why this and why that?" 1236 01:14:13,783 --> 01:14:15,352 And I always say it like this, 1237 01:14:15,352 --> 01:14:17,187 that Satan means things for harm, 1238 01:14:17,187 --> 01:14:19,188 but the Lord means 'em for good. 1239 01:14:19,188 --> 01:14:21,925 And if we just trust him and keep our eyes on him, 1240 01:14:21,925 --> 01:14:23,327 then good things are gonna happen 1241 01:14:23,327 --> 01:14:25,228 regardless of the circumstances. 1242 01:14:29,332 --> 01:14:31,435 - [Chad] He says, "Son, I have tried to teach you 1243 01:14:31,435 --> 01:14:32,768 how to live for Christ, 1244 01:14:34,203 --> 01:14:36,607 but now I wanna teach you how to die with Christ." 1245 01:14:38,408 --> 01:14:42,913 And man, he did. (somber music) 1246 01:14:43,813 --> 01:14:45,048 - [Carol] It was amazing to me. 1247 01:14:45,048 --> 01:14:47,383 Sometimes I would just kind of think, 1248 01:14:47,383 --> 01:14:49,218 okay, you should know this man by now, 1249 01:14:49,218 --> 01:14:52,857 but he would be there getting his chemo, 1250 01:14:52,857 --> 01:14:56,227 and he was trying to encourage everybody in the room. 1251 01:14:56,227 --> 01:14:58,595 And yet he was getting chemo, too. 1252 01:14:58,595 --> 01:15:01,232 - If I would say, "Dad, turn your phone off." 1253 01:15:01,232 --> 01:15:03,200 'Cause people called him all the time, 1254 01:15:03,200 --> 01:15:05,668 and he'd always take the call. 1255 01:15:05,668 --> 01:15:08,172 And he would answer the phone and it'd be some player 1256 01:15:08,172 --> 01:15:09,840 from 20 years ago. 1257 01:15:09,840 --> 01:15:11,875 "Hey, tell me about how you are spiritually. 1258 01:15:11,875 --> 01:15:13,110 How's your heart?" 1259 01:15:13,110 --> 01:15:14,578 You know, there goes the question. 1260 01:15:15,678 --> 01:15:17,613 And that never stopped. 1261 01:15:17,613 --> 01:15:19,650 - I would call him to cheer him up. 1262 01:15:20,750 --> 01:15:22,752 Now, he would always cheer me up. 1263 01:15:22,752 --> 01:15:24,253 He would be totally composed. 1264 01:15:24,253 --> 01:15:27,357 And when it got where I was crying so much, I just hung up. 1265 01:15:27,357 --> 01:15:28,858 'Cause I cried a lot more than he did it. 1266 01:15:28,858 --> 01:15:30,793 It wasn't bothering him as much as it was bothering me. 1267 01:15:30,793 --> 01:15:32,930 - "Don't worry about me. 1268 01:15:32,930 --> 01:15:34,598 How's your heart? 1269 01:15:34,598 --> 01:15:35,865 How's your life? 1270 01:15:35,865 --> 01:15:38,635 But don't worry about me, I'm gonna be fine. 1271 01:15:38,635 --> 01:15:40,203 I know where I'm gonna be at." 1272 01:15:40,203 --> 01:15:43,773 - He taught me that as a follower of Jesus Christ, 1273 01:15:43,773 --> 01:15:45,608 that you can go through some of the darkest, 1274 01:15:45,608 --> 01:15:48,112 deepest valleys, but still have a deep faith 1275 01:15:48,112 --> 01:15:50,613 and a joy in the Lord as you do it. 1276 01:15:56,620 --> 01:15:58,855 - [Jeff] Ken had to accept that his time on earth 1277 01:15:58,855 --> 01:16:00,523 was coming to a close. 1278 01:16:02,225 --> 01:16:04,662 And although it pained him terribly, 1279 01:16:04,662 --> 01:16:07,230 that meant he did not have the physical ability 1280 01:16:07,230 --> 01:16:09,198 to coach as he once did. 1281 01:16:11,702 --> 01:16:14,437 - [Carol] One ball game, and I remember getting the car 1282 01:16:14,437 --> 01:16:16,407 and bringing it around to pick him up. 1283 01:16:18,175 --> 01:16:20,343 And he was laying out on the field. 1284 01:16:21,378 --> 01:16:22,212 Laying. 1285 01:16:23,380 --> 01:16:24,380 - [Jeff] He was faced with the day 1286 01:16:24,380 --> 01:16:25,882 he thought would never come. 1287 01:16:27,517 --> 01:16:29,518 It was not death that frightened Ken, 1288 01:16:30,520 --> 01:16:32,155 but leaving the football field. 1289 01:16:33,823 --> 01:16:36,327 But the inevitable was upon him 1290 01:16:36,327 --> 01:16:38,262 and God was calling him onward. 1291 01:16:39,663 --> 01:16:41,332 - [Ken] Now I'm gonna talk to you for a minute. 1292 01:16:41,332 --> 01:16:44,067 - [Jeff] After 37 years as head coach 1293 01:16:44,067 --> 01:16:47,537 at Carson-Newman University, Ken retired. 1294 01:16:47,537 --> 01:16:51,608 - I wanted to make the announcement 1295 01:16:51,608 --> 01:16:56,613 that I won't be coaching... 1296 01:17:05,288 --> 01:17:07,623 After 47 years, it's hard. 1297 01:17:08,725 --> 01:17:13,563 But the mission hasn't changed, guys. 1298 01:17:14,430 --> 01:17:15,565 I want y'all to understand that. 1299 01:17:17,233 --> 01:17:18,602 My mission hadn't changed. 1300 01:17:18,602 --> 01:17:20,570 And what is my mission? 1301 01:17:20,570 --> 01:17:22,438 Now, it should be all of our missions. 1302 01:17:22,438 --> 01:17:25,475 And that is to honor and glorify the God who's created us 1303 01:17:25,475 --> 01:17:28,312 and got big plans for us and is trying to do 1304 01:17:28,312 --> 01:17:30,713 some unbelievable things through us. 1305 01:17:30,713 --> 01:17:32,648 And that's what I want to continue to do. 1306 01:17:32,648 --> 01:17:37,653 That's what, I won't have a whistle around my neck. 1307 01:17:38,822 --> 01:17:39,723 Carol will have a rope around my neck. 1308 01:17:39,723 --> 01:17:40,657 (audience laughing) 1309 01:17:40,657 --> 01:17:45,462 And but, we'll it's just... 1310 01:17:47,763 --> 01:17:52,768 Last week after missing three days of practice, 1311 01:17:54,170 --> 01:17:56,507 been in the hospital four straight days, I said, 1312 01:17:57,740 --> 01:17:59,777 "I'm not a very good football coach. 1313 01:17:59,777 --> 01:18:04,080 And these guys deserve a better coach." 1314 01:18:04,080 --> 01:18:09,085 And so, that's how the decision came about. 1315 01:18:09,953 --> 01:18:13,022 And I wanted to, my goal was, 1316 01:18:14,157 --> 01:18:15,392 and you've heard me say this before. 1317 01:18:15,392 --> 01:18:17,260 My goal was to die on a practice field, 1318 01:18:17,260 --> 01:18:19,328 and have 'em roll me over in kudzu. 1319 01:18:19,328 --> 01:18:21,097 And Carol wouldn't have to worry about 1320 01:18:21,097 --> 01:18:25,602 funeral arrangements and all that, but we're going to... 1321 01:18:31,240 --> 01:18:34,912 We're going to see what the Lord has for us. 1322 01:18:35,878 --> 01:18:38,448 (somber music) 1323 01:18:46,657 --> 01:18:51,662 - [Jeff] On March 29th, 2017, four months after Ken retired, 1324 01:18:53,263 --> 01:18:56,967 he went to be with the God he devoted his life to serving. 1325 01:18:58,468 --> 01:19:02,305 (Piano music "This Little Light of Mine") 1326 01:19:21,492 --> 01:19:23,293 - [Chad] This one particular place we went 1327 01:19:23,293 --> 01:19:25,828 and stayed at this very wealthy guy's lake house. 1328 01:19:27,197 --> 01:19:29,498 And they had a caretaker, a groundskeeper. 1329 01:19:29,498 --> 01:19:32,602 I mean, he's just a really, really poor down and out guy, 1330 01:19:32,602 --> 01:19:33,437 older fella. 1331 01:19:34,603 --> 01:19:36,973 My dad made that guy his mission that week. 1332 01:19:42,178 --> 01:19:45,948 He just, he became like the most important human being 1333 01:19:45,948 --> 01:19:48,618 because he was the only one there that wasn't in the family. 1334 01:19:48,618 --> 01:19:50,920 And he said, "I don't believe he knows Jesus." 1335 01:19:53,723 --> 01:19:56,125 And he would say, "Hey, Ed, I wanna tell you something. 1336 01:19:56,125 --> 01:19:58,862 You're doing an incredible job. I want you to look at it. 1337 01:19:58,862 --> 01:20:01,397 Son, did you see how great this place looks? 1338 01:20:01,397 --> 01:20:03,132 I bet Ed, Ed, you did this, didn't you?" 1339 01:20:03,132 --> 01:20:07,837 And he'd just build the guy up like he's the king of earth, 1340 01:20:07,837 --> 01:20:12,408 all so that he could love him and share Jesus with him. 1341 01:20:12,408 --> 01:20:14,377 And this is what it was like to live with Ken Sparks 1342 01:20:14,377 --> 01:20:15,312 everywhere you went. 1343 01:20:15,312 --> 01:20:16,513 You went in the gas station, 1344 01:20:16,513 --> 01:20:18,282 he's gonna tell the guy about Jesus. 1345 01:20:18,282 --> 01:20:21,150 He's going honor him, he's gonna love him. 1346 01:20:21,150 --> 01:20:23,720 (somber music) 1347 01:20:31,595 --> 01:20:33,330 - [Jeff] You're here for how long? 1348 01:20:34,463 --> 01:20:37,700 And then you have to step over into eternity. 1349 01:20:37,700 --> 01:20:40,637 - What you do in the huddle didn't make any difference. 1350 01:20:40,637 --> 01:20:42,205 It's what you do when the play's called 1351 01:20:42,205 --> 01:20:43,940 and you go to line of scrimmage that makes the difference. 1352 01:20:43,940 --> 01:20:47,343 So that means what you do in the world makes the difference. 1353 01:20:47,343 --> 01:20:52,082 - [Alan] You know, the gospel transforms lives across the 1354 01:20:52,082 --> 01:20:53,917 street and around the world. 1355 01:20:53,917 --> 01:20:57,387 And that guy, Ken Sparks, modeled that. 1356 01:20:59,990 --> 01:21:02,658 - [Scott] There are thousands and thousands of guys 1357 01:21:02,658 --> 01:21:05,028 all across the world, just like me, 1358 01:21:05,028 --> 01:21:07,563 who are directly impacted by Ken Sparks, 1359 01:21:07,563 --> 01:21:11,133 who are still carrying out the mission and the vision 1360 01:21:11,133 --> 01:21:12,668 of athletics with a purpose. 1361 01:21:12,668 --> 01:21:14,670 It'll always be a great joy for me 1362 01:21:14,670 --> 01:21:17,040 to call Ken Sparks my coach. 1363 01:21:22,578 --> 01:21:26,482 - [Jeff] You knew that Coach cared about you. 1364 01:21:27,450 --> 01:21:28,885 That's the difference. 1365 01:21:30,320 --> 01:21:35,325 And that's the spark that happened in my life. 1366 01:21:36,425 --> 01:21:40,730 That spark, it wasn't Coach Sparks. 1367 01:21:42,432 --> 01:21:45,902 It was a person, Jesus Christ, 1368 01:21:45,902 --> 01:21:50,307 that came into his life and it had to come out. 1369 01:21:53,843 --> 01:21:57,780 - [Alan] Once one little candle's lit, the darkness is 1370 01:21:57,780 --> 01:22:00,450 dispelled. The light shines in the darkness and it's Christ in us. 1371 01:22:00,450 --> 01:22:04,955 And he is, what Ken would tell you, made all the difference. 1372 01:22:06,322 --> 01:22:10,127 (Piano music "This Little Light of Mine") 1373 01:22:13,530 --> 01:22:15,732 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1374 01:22:15,732 --> 01:22:18,668 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1375 01:22:18,668 --> 01:22:21,570 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1376 01:22:21,570 --> 01:22:24,407 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1377 01:22:24,407 --> 01:22:27,210 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1378 01:22:27,210 --> 01:22:29,512 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1379 01:22:29,512 --> 01:22:34,517 ♪ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ♪ 1380 01:22:35,818 --> 01:22:38,522 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1381 01:22:38,522 --> 01:22:41,523 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1382 01:22:41,523 --> 01:22:44,327 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1383 01:22:44,327 --> 01:22:47,297 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1384 01:22:47,297 --> 01:22:50,133 ♪ This little light of mine ♪ 1385 01:22:50,133 --> 01:22:52,402 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1386 01:22:52,402 --> 01:22:57,307 ♪ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ♪ 1387 01:22:59,575 --> 01:23:03,413 ("This Little Light of Mine") 1388 01:23:54,863 --> 01:23:57,333 - [Jeff] If one man could do so much, 1389 01:23:58,768 --> 01:24:03,072 change so many lives for all eternity with just a game, 1390 01:24:04,807 --> 01:24:09,812 it makes you wonder: What could I do? 1391 01:24:11,613 --> 01:24:15,050 Or better yet, what could God do with me? 1392 01:24:19,322 --> 01:24:21,557 Because it only takes a spark. 1393 01:24:26,728 --> 01:24:29,298 (bright music) 1394 01:24:41,610 --> 01:24:44,113 (light music) 1395 01:24:47,517 --> 01:24:52,522 ♪ It only takes a pigskin and a couple of guys ♪ 1396 01:24:54,323 --> 01:24:57,860 ♪ In a big ole field ♪ 1397 01:24:57,860 --> 01:25:01,798 ♪ To have a good time ♪ 1398 01:25:01,798 --> 01:25:06,735 ♪ It ain't no fun playing by yourself ♪ 1399 01:25:08,972 --> 01:25:11,407 ♪ Throwing and catching was made ♪ 1400 01:25:11,407 --> 01:25:16,412 ♪ For doing with somebody else ♪ 1401 01:25:17,613 --> 01:25:20,217 ♪ And if you find you need some help ♪ 1402 01:25:20,217 --> 01:25:23,953 ♪ Then one more comes along ♪ 1403 01:25:23,953 --> 01:25:27,290 ♪ To point you in the right direction ♪ 1404 01:25:27,290 --> 01:25:30,025 ♪ And to keep you from doing it wrong ♪ 1405 01:25:30,025 --> 01:25:34,197 ♪ It just takes a little light for us to see ♪ 1406 01:25:34,197 --> 01:25:37,700 ♪ Wonder what the whole wide world could be ♪ 1407 01:25:37,700 --> 01:25:39,968 ♪ If that holy flame got lit ♪ 1408 01:25:39,968 --> 01:25:44,740 ♪ Well it might be the very thing that we all need ♪ 1409 01:25:44,740 --> 01:25:48,477 ♪ It doesn't really matter how high the flame ♪ 1410 01:25:48,477 --> 01:25:51,713 ♪ Long as it burns everyday ♪ 1411 01:25:51,713 --> 01:25:55,318 ♪ We need every part to brighten up the dark ♪ 1412 01:25:55,318 --> 01:26:00,323 ♪ But it only takes a spark ♪ 1413 01:26:03,092 --> 01:26:06,728 ♪ Takes a little love ♪ 1414 01:26:06,728 --> 01:26:10,567 ♪ A little time ♪ 1415 01:26:10,567 --> 01:26:13,468 ♪ Just listening can make a big difference ♪ 1416 01:26:13,468 --> 01:26:17,007 ♪ In somebody's life ♪ 1417 01:26:17,007 --> 01:26:20,843 ♪ It just takes one word ♪ 1418 01:26:20,843 --> 01:26:24,547 ♪ From somebody wise ♪ 1419 01:26:24,547 --> 01:26:27,183 ♪ To keep you from making mistakes ♪ 1420 01:26:27,183 --> 01:26:31,220 ♪ And taking the same road twice ♪ 1421 01:26:31,220 --> 01:26:34,857 ♪ You might be that person ♪ 1422 01:26:34,857 --> 01:26:38,393 ♪ Might be that helping hand ♪ 1423 01:26:38,393 --> 01:26:42,498 ♪ So don't keep 'em hiding down in your pockets ♪ 1424 01:26:42,498 --> 01:26:45,702 ♪ Reach on out to anybody you can ♪ 1425 01:26:45,702 --> 01:26:49,605 ♪ But it takes a little light for us to see ♪ 1426 01:26:49,605 --> 01:26:53,342 ♪ Wonder what the whole wide world could be ♪ 1427 01:26:53,342 --> 01:26:55,745 ♪ If that Holy flame got lit ♪ 1428 01:26:55,745 --> 01:27:00,383 ♪ Well, it might be the very thing that we all need ♪ 1429 01:27:00,383 --> 01:27:04,087 ♪ It doesn't really matter how high the flame ♪ 1430 01:27:04,087 --> 01:27:07,557 ♪ As long as it burns every day ♪ 1431 01:27:07,557 --> 01:27:10,960 ♪ We need every part to brighten up the dark ♪ 1432 01:27:10,960 --> 01:27:15,965 ♪ Well, it only takes a spark ♪ 1433 01:27:19,568 --> 01:27:22,838 ♪ Just one candle can light a whole room ♪ 1434 01:27:22,838 --> 01:27:26,442 ♪ And it don't take too much for the darkness to move ♪ 1435 01:27:26,442 --> 01:27:29,945 ♪ There's a whole lot of power in some wax and a wick ♪ 1436 01:27:29,945 --> 01:27:34,950 ♪ And the whole world is waiting for yours to be lit ♪ 1437 01:27:36,618 --> 01:27:40,122 ♪ It takes a little light for us to see ♪ 1438 01:27:40,122 --> 01:27:43,727 ♪ Wonder what the whole wide world could be ♪ 1439 01:27:43,727 --> 01:27:46,162 ♪ If that Holy flame got lit ♪ 1440 01:27:46,162 --> 01:27:50,600 ♪ Well, it might be the very thing that we all need ♪ 1441 01:27:50,600 --> 01:27:54,570 ♪ It just takes a little light for us to see ♪ 1442 01:27:54,570 --> 01:27:58,173 ♪ Wonder what the whole wide world could be ♪ 1443 01:27:58,173 --> 01:28:00,510 ♪ If that Holy flame got lit ♪ 1444 01:28:00,510 --> 01:28:04,980 ♪ Well, it might be the very thing that we all need ♪ 1445 01:28:04,980 --> 01:28:08,918 ♪ But it doesn't really matter how high the flame ♪ 1446 01:28:08,918 --> 01:28:12,355 ♪ As long as it burns every day ♪ 1447 01:28:12,355 --> 01:28:14,123 ♪ We need every part ♪ 1448 01:28:14,123 --> 01:28:15,858 ♪ To brighten up the dark ♪ 1449 01:28:15,858 --> 01:28:17,760 ♪ Well, we need every part ♪ 1450 01:28:17,760 --> 01:28:19,495 ♪ To brighten up the dark ♪ 1451 01:28:19,495 --> 01:28:21,363 ♪ Well, we need every part ♪ 1452 01:28:21,363 --> 01:28:22,898 ♪ To brighten up the dark ♪ 1453 01:28:22,898 --> 01:28:27,903 ♪ Well, it only takes a spark ♪ 1454 01:28:30,238 --> 01:28:33,408 ♪ Said, it only takes a spark ♪ 1455 01:28:33,408 --> 01:28:38,280 ♪ Yeah, yeah ♪ 1456 01:28:38,280 --> 01:28:41,450 ♪ I said, this little light of mine ♪ 1457 01:28:41,450 --> 01:28:45,253 ♪ Oh, I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1458 01:28:45,253 --> 01:28:48,758 ♪ Yeah, I said, this little light of mine ♪ 1459 01:28:48,758 --> 01:28:51,960 ♪ Oh, I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1460 01:28:51,960 --> 01:28:56,798 ♪ Oh, I said, this little light of mine ♪ 1461 01:28:56,798 --> 01:28:59,468 ♪ I'm gonna let it shine ♪ 1462 01:28:59,468 --> 01:29:04,407 ♪ Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine ♪ 1463 01:29:05,173 --> 01:29:06,475 ♪ Oh, let it shine ♪ 1464 01:29:06,475 --> 01:29:11,480 ♪ I said, let it shine, let it shine ♪ 1465 01:29:12,915 --> 01:29:17,920 ♪ Let it shine ♪ 1466 01:29:20,690 --> 01:29:23,358 ♪ Ooh, ooh, ooh ♪