Reich completes class

[BillsFaninNC]

Today's Charlotte Observer

 

KEN GARFIELD

 

Religion Editor

 

The Comeback Kid did it.

 

Eight years after starting classes while an NFL quarterback, Frank Reich graduated from seminary last weekend.

 

If that's not achievement enough, how about this: He earned his Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte while also serving as its president for the past two years. He's been so engrossed in his work as both student and chief administrator, he had no time or energy left to attend this weekend's Celebration of Champions reunion of his old team, the Buffalo Bills.

 

"It's like I had my game face on," Reich said.

 

Only now, the game's changed.

 

Reich, 43, has become a fixture in Charlotte's faith community, leading RTS on Carmel Road and speaking frequently to church and other groups. And yet for all his achievements in ministry, he can't escape his past as the Carolina Panthers' first starting quarterback, a longtime backup to Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly in Buffalo and the answer to a great question for a bar bet:

 

What quarterback led the greatest comebacks in NCAA and NFL history?

 

The answer: Reich, with the University of Maryland and then the Buffalo Bills.

 

There was a time after football when Reich sought to dodge his past -- when his new direction made it tough to answer yet another question about the NFL and comebacks.

 

But now, done with his studies and immersed in his work as a seminary president, he's comfortable with that other life. He relishes the football memories and friendships. And through his seasons as a quarterback, he embraces what he calls "a genuine bridge-building opportunity."

 

Now when he preaches about teamwork, effort and never giving up, he's got a few real-life illustrations to back it up.

 

Though he's not attending this weekend's Celebration of Champions in Buffalo, he still got a chance to share his two lives -- and to preach a little -- in a story about him on the Bills' Web site:

 

"What I have found is, I shouldn't run away from these past stories. But the art of it is: How do I transition from these stories and really connect with people? I want to do that for the right reasons in order to give a more important message. And that's what I try to do."