Jeff Saturday

Biography

Jeff Saturday has traveled a unique road to Pro-Bowl/All-Pro success in the National Football League. His combination of leadership and teamwork has built a winning framework for the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers resulting in a Super Bowl win and many personal awards.

Jeff Saturday's blue collar work ethic was developed early in his years at Shamrock High School. As a result of success on the high school level, he continued his football career at the University of North Carolina starting all 37 games. Despite multiple conference awards, Saturday remained undrafted in the 1998 National Football League draft. Excitement built as the free agent signed with the Baltimore Ravens only to lead to disappointment as he was released two months later. Out of football for six months, he would sign with the Indianapolis Colts in January of 1999.

For many football fans, Jeff Saturday exemplifies the workman attitude of the offensive lineman. A team within a team, the offensive line must lead while acting as a cohesive unit. As the Colts starting center, Saturday appeared in 85 consecutive games from 1999-2004 demonstrating the grit required by his position.

Personally, Jeff Saturday searched for an identity amongst the success and unusual lifestyle of the NFL. A chance encounter with a teammate, Mark Thomas, resulted in Saturday attending a team Bible study. It was during this study that Thomas began to challenge Saturday on his motives and desires. The ultimate question - What defines you as a person?

"The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn't have an answer," recalls Saturday. "But, Jesus did. I did not have to come up with an identity for myself. Christ had created me with my identity already intact. All I had to do was step into it."

Saturday has allowed Christ to define and re-define his identity since that decision. It is with an inner sense of peace that he faces the success and challenges brought by life competing in the NFL. Ultimately, whether marching down a football field for Super Bowl titles or quietly reading scripture, Jeff Saturday has found purpose and destiny through his relationship with God's son, Jesus Christ.

Jeff and Karen Saturday reside in the Atlanta area with their three children: Jeffrey Douglas, Savannah Faith and Joshua Bryant.