“I started playing football when I was 8,” Mark says. “I was a fullback and linebacker. But the next year my coach moved me to quarterback, because I was a pitcher in baseball and he knew I could throw a football.”

Mark excelled at his new position. In just a couple of years, he led his team to the championship.

“Youth football was pretty big in my hometown of Santa Maria, California,” Mark says. “We played Saturday mornings and had a lot of fun.”

According to Mark, fun is the key.

“You have to enjoy the game and have fun with it, because that’s what sports as a kid are all about,” he says. “A lot of kids, when they first start playing sports, are afraid of failure. But no matter how long you play, there are going to be times when you mess up, let your team down or just don’t play as well as you should. And that’s okay. Learn from it, forget about it and keep doing your best.”

Mark has messed up plenty of times on the football field. But he kept playing. And as he played, he improved.

“I threw a lot of balls,” he remembers. “Repetition allows you to become better at what you’re doing. When I was a kid I never even thought about being a professional football player. I just wanted to play in high school. And when I was in high school, I wanted to play in college. Then late in college, I thought I’d maybe get a chance in the pros. It’s important to set short-term, realistic goals.”

Reaching the Goal
Obviously this 6-foot-1, 211-pound athlete made his dreams a reality. Not only did he star in football at high school, but he also was an all-league player in basketball and baseball.

But something even more important happened during his high school years. As a sophomore, he prayed to ask Jesus Christ into his heart. His new relationship with the Lord showed in his actions.

“As a Christian it’s important to be an example,” Mark explains. “You need to respect your coaches as you would your parents. Always play within the rules, no matter if you’re a lineman or quarterback. And give 100 percent in everything.”

After high school, Mark played quarterback at the University of Washington where he helped lead the Huskies to the co-national championship in 1992. He also graduated that year with a degree in history.

At the 1992 NFL draft, the Green Bay Packers picked him in the fifth round. Teams saw potential in this strong-armed quarterback, but may have been worried about knee surgery that kept Mark out of the action for some of his senior season.

Mark took being a low draft pick in stride. “The No. 1 thing my dad taught me was to never quit,” he says. “You work hard. And win or lose, you are a good sport and have a good attitude.”

Mark made the team but didn’t get a lot of playing time. Still, he trusted God and His plan. Like Mark’s favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, says: “ ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ”

He backed up Brett Favre for a couple of seasons before being traded to Jacksonville in 1995. Of course, the first-year Jacksonville squad didn’t start out as an American Football Conference powerhouse—it took a year. Mark struggled through a season of four wins and 12 losses in 1995. During his second year as a starter, Mark led all NFL quarterbacks in passing and rushing yards. He also took the Jaguars to the AFC championship game.

Jacksonville has made the playoffs the last three years, was the AFC Central Division champ last season and hopes for even bigger things in 1999 and 2000.

“I’ve got good receivers and a great offensive line,” Mark explains about the team’s success. “And our running backs Fred Taylor and James Stewart help the offense. I’m surrounded by really good players, which makes my job easy.”

Top of His Game
But being crushed and twisted by 300-pound defensive linemen and taking the jeers of 70,000 enemy fans doesn’t seem simple. Mark makes it easy, because he enjoys a challenge. Many times after a bad play, Mark will make the extra effort to get a first down for his team—whether it’s a nifty pass or long run. And he shakes off any insults fired his way.

“When we go into an opponent’s stadium, it’s us against the world,” Mark says. “Fans can call you some pretty mean names, so you just need to focus on the football game.”

However, Mark remembers when name-calling carried more of a sting.

“Kids can be brutal,” he says. “It’s tough for kids to brush aside insults, because there’s a lot of power in words—good and bad. You can do a lot by encouraging somebody, but at the same time you can really harm people by being negative or a name-caller. If people call you names, it’s best to ignore them because they probably aren’t your friends. You want to listen to what your friends and family say. That’s who counts.”

Finding loyal, Christian friends is worth the time it takes. Mark’s advice to Clubhousereaders is the same he gives his own kids, who are 7 and 4.

“Surround yourself with people who believe in and value the same things you do,” he says. “If kids are getting involved with drinking or drugs, stay away from them.”

Mark has a lot of good friends on the Jaguars, players who give him the confidence to play his best and encourage him to act as Jesus would. And it takes a lot of confidence to play quarterback in the NFL. A team’s success falls on his shoulders, and he takes a lot of the blame for losses.