Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Log In
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
The Baptist Paper
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Your state news
  • Classifieds
  • Request a free trial

Former Titans QB heeds missions call, moving to Kenya

  • November 11, 2022
  • Tennessee Baptist and Reflector
  • Latest News, Missions, Sports, Tennessee
Rusty Smith prepares to snap the ball for the Tennessee Titans. After retiring from the NFL, he coached football for Grace Christian Academy. Now he prepares to leave for Kenya, serving with Africa Inland Mission.
(Photo courtesy of Baptist and Reflector)

Former Titans QB heeds missions call, moving to Kenya

Rusty Smith has spent most of his life on the football field.

Now he’s headed to a different field — the missions field.

Smith, a former NFL quarterback who played with the Tennessee Titans, will leave next summer with his family to begin serving a two-year commitment in Kijabe, Kenya, as part of the Africa Inland Mission team.

Smith will be teaching at Rift Valley Academy — a Christian boarding school in central Kenya operated by AIM — and will be assisting with the spread of the gospel to unreached people groups.

It will be a major change for Smith, who has spent the past eight years as a head football coach and teacher at Grace Christian Academy in Franklin, Tennessee, and for his wife, Nicole, who was the head volleyball coach at GCA and a former college volleyball star.

It will likewise be a big adjustment for Smith’s four sons.

No denying

Smith said there was no denying he has been called.

“God made His plans for us abundantly clear,” said Smith, who is currently working as a systems analyst for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board.

Although Smith has had a relationship with the Lord since childhood, he never envisioned becoming a missionary. Rather, he assumed that sports — and football in particular — would be his livelihood.

And certainly everything in his life seemed to be pointing him in that direction.

Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, he was a standout athlete from childhood through high school, earning honors in multiple sports.

He then went on to have a celebrated career as a quarterback at Florida Atlantic University, where he compiled school records in passing yards (10,112) and touchdowns (76) while playing for legendary coach Howard Schnellenberger.

Smith led FAU to its first and second bowl appearances. He was named the 2007 Sun Belt Conference player of the year.

Smith was drafted by the Titans as a sixth-round pick in 2010. He spent four years in the NFL, seeing limited action while serving as a backup quarterback.

After leaving professional football, Smith began his coaching career, and he figured that would be the end of the story.

“When I was at Grace Christian, I honestly thought that was where I would retire,” Smith said.

God had something else in mind.

This past January, Smith attended Passion 2022, the annual conference developed by Louie Giglio, as a chaperone for a group of students from GCA.

Smith was dealing with a transportation issue so he wasn’t able to go to the full event.

“I was only able to hear about two or three of the featured speakers, but one of them was David Platt,” Smith said. Platt’s message that day touched a chord with Smith.

“His whole message was explaining from Old Testament to New Testament why God wants us to take the gospel to the ends of the world and to all the people groups across the nations,” Smith said.

‘Wherever You want’

Smith remembered how excited he was at that moment. “I was thinking to myself, ‘God, I’ll go wherever You want.’”

As the memories of the conference began to fade, Smith went on with life. But little did he know, he was about to have a “Jonah, go to Nineveh” experience.

“About two weeks after the conference, God closed … the door from coaching football,” Smith said.

Inquiries about other football jobs did not even get a response. That’s when he shared with his wife about the call to the missions field.

The Smiths, who will raise their own support, will begin “doing life” in Kenya in July.

“There are some sacrifices involved with going to Kenya, knowing that there’s not going to be American football, there’s not going to be baseball, there’s not going to be an emphasis on athletics like there is here,” he said.

“The boys seem to be understanding why we’re doing it. Nicole and I are trying to do our very best to be open with them in terms of explaining the purpose of this. It’s a biblical commandment for us to do these things.”


EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by David Dawson and originally published by Tennessee’s Baptist and Reflector.

Share with others:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email

Latest News

  • Strong churches vs. soaring churches … which is better?
    Strong churches vs. soaring churches … which is better?
    September 25, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Lesson for October 1
    Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Lesson for October 1
    September 25, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Asian American church leaders call for SBC EC to consider ‘alternate solutions’ to layoffs
    Asian American church leaders call for SBC EC to consider ‘alternate solutions’ to layoffs
    September 25, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Longtime KY coach left legacy of faith, missions field with players

Kidd’s biggest mission field, his longtime pastor said, was his football program at Eastern Kentucky University, where he developed a close bond with players and staff.

SEBTS golf classic raises $120,000 for student scholarships

This year’s Southeastern Classic golf tournament raised more than $120,000 for student scholarships for Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary students.

Coach puts focus on spiritual victories, ‘lives transformed’

“For me, basketball is only a platform that God has given me to pour into the lives of young people,” said Steve Edwards, women’s basketball coach at Brewton-Parker College.

IMB still recruiting volunteers for 2024 Olympics in Paris

Missionaries have capacity to host up to 600 volunteers and are relying on their help to meet the missions tasks of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us
  • Our Story
  • Our Team
  • Our Partners
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Contact us

Explore

  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • State-specific news
  • Archive
  • Opinion pieces
  • Sunday School lessons
  • Persecuted Church
  • Podcasts
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy
  • Story suggestions
  • Your Voice/Letter to the Editor
  • Photos / Videos
  • Corrections/other
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
  • Subscribe
  • Renew subscription
  • Gift a subscription
  • Start a new member subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Request free trial
The Baptist Paper
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 TAB Media Group
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ

Email:
news@thebaptistpaper.org

  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Archive
  • Your state news
  • Opinions
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Persecuted Church
  • Submit your news
  • Photo Galleries
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us
  • Our Team
  • Manage your group
  • Manage your account
  • Manage Online Access Account
  • Subscribe
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Advertise and Promote
  • Classifieds
  • Hosted Church
  • Donate
  • Contact us

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log In

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy/Terms of Use

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Privacy/Terms of Use
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel