05-05-2005Troy Walters was too small and too slow to play wide receiver in the NFL. David Thornton was a walk-on at the University of North Carolina who never planned on playing past college. Now the two are key cogs in the recent success of the Indianapolis Colts.
Walters and Thornton, who were in town Wednesday night to kick off the Colts’ “Make It Personal” campaign, spoke to a group of Warsaw Community High School athletes, parents and coaches in the Tiger Den, mainly football players, about hard work, leadership and faith.
“I never thought I’d be here in Warsaw, Indiana talking to you guys,” said Thornton. “It’s such a blessing and I’m here because God had a reason for me to be here.”
It all started when Thornton met Warsaw assistant football coach Bruce Barlow and his son Trent on a plane to North Carolina in February.
“I saw that (Trent) had a Warsaw jacket on and I thought they were from Warsaw, North Carolina, which is near where I’m from. They said they were from Indiana on a college visit to Methodist College. So then I started recruiting him to go to North Carolina,” Thornton said slyly.
The discussion then turned to football and faith. Barlow is an associate pastor at Winona Lake Grace Brethren Church.
And by the time Barlow and his son reached baggage claim, they had the idea of bringing Thornton to Warsaw.
After the meeting, Barlow put in a request through the Colts orginization.
After some logistical wrangling and a request by the Tiger football staff, Warsaw was dubbed to be the first stop on the “Make It Personal” tour.
In the 30-minute session, Thornton discussed what it took to not only be a good football player, but a good person.
“Faith is the cornerstone of who we are. The motto for the Colts is “Make It Personal” and God wants you to make it personal with him, too,” he said.
Walters then spoke to the group about the importance of leadership.
“I didn’t value my time in high school like I should have,” said Walters. “This is your last year. You have to lay it on the line.”
Walters relayed a story of his senior year at Stanford University. That Cardinal team was picked by most pre-season pundits to finish near or at the bottom of the Pac-10. Instead, the team banded together to finish first and earn a birth to the Rose Bowl.
“A group of us seniors made a pact and our goal was to win the Pac-10. After school let out in June, a group of us stayed at Stanford and worked to make ourselves the best we could be for our senior year and it paid off,” said Walters.
Thornton described leadership as not just being the best player you can be but doing what the teams need you to do when asked.
“It’s about making sacrifices. Whatever the team needs you to do to win you need to do,” said Thornton.
Those messages of faith, leadership and putting team first struck an instant chord with the high schoolers that sat and listened intently to the duo speak.
“I thought it was very inspirational,” said Warsaw football player and soon-to-be senior Mitch Reinholt. “It set the mood and helped us get this upcoming season off on the right foot. For two professional athletes to take time out of their busy schedules, come to Warsaw, Indiana, and talk to us is pretty incredible.”
One of the prevailing themes for Wednesday’s night discussion was developing as a well-rounded person.
Thornton and Walters both were multi-sport athletes in high school and both excelled in the classroom.
Thornton was president of both the National Honor Society and Student Body as well as being a drumline major.
And that sort of emphasis on developing and growing as a person was what struck a chord with Warsaw head coach Troy Akers.
“I may coach one more year or 25 years. The goal that I’ve always had is to develop leadership and character in young men and women,” said Akers.
It also served as a boost to a Tiger football program that struggled on the field in Akers’ first year.
“I could not be any more excited at the beginning of May about this season,” said Akers.
If nothing else, it also showed that while the professional sports world is filled with steroid users, felons and undesirables, guys like Thornton and Walters show another way.
“With all the negative talk about professional athletes, to have two guys come and speak like we did today with David and Troy is an amazing thing,” said Akers.