TRAGEDY INTO TRIUMPH | When God Says No - Inky Johnson Inspirational & Motivational Video

Summary

In this powerful script, the speaker recounts his journey from childhood dreams of NFL stardom to a life-altering injury that ended his football career. Despite the devastating setback, he finds purpose and fulfillment in a new direction guided by faith. The narrative serves as a testament to resilience, the power of belief, and the importance of staying true to one's core values, even in the face of adversity.

Takeaways

• 🏈 The speaker was deeply committed to football and had a dream of becoming an NFL player, which was central to his identity and life's purpose.
• 🌟 He was on the verge of achieving his dream, being projected as a top NFL draft pick and potentially a multi-millionaire.
• 🚫 A career-ending injury during a game against Air Force abruptly changed his life, causing a profound shock and realization of his vulnerability.
• 🏥 The injury was severe, with internal bleeding from a ruptured subclavian artery, requiring immediate surgery to save his life.
• 💔 The impact of the injury was emotionally devastating, leading to feelings of embarrassment and questioning the purpose and value of life.
• 🔄 The speaker had to reassess his life's direction and identity after the loss of his NFL dream, recognizing the need to find fulfillment beyond football.
• 🙏 He found solace and purpose in his faith, believing that God had a different plan for him that was more rewarding and fulfilling.
• 🔑 The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's beliefs and commitments, even in the face of life-altering events.
• 🗣 He encourages others to reflect on their own journeys and to maintain faith and commitment, especially when faced with adversity.
• 💡 The speaker's story serves as a reminder that life can change in an instant, and it's crucial to find meaning and purpose beyond material success.
• ✝️ His faith and the impact of his story on others, including his family and friends, demonstrate the power of resilience and the importance of spiritual growth.

Q & A

What was Inky Johnson's main goal during his junior year in college?

Inky Johnson's main goal was to get drafted into the NFL, a dream he had been working towards his entire life.

How did Inky Johnson prepare for his football career?

Inky Johnson prepared rigorously by waking up early to run, practicing catching different types of throws, and dedicating his life to improving his football skills.

What significant event changed Inky Johnson's life during a game against Air Force?

Inky Johnson suffered a severe injury that left his body limp and ultimately resulted in a ruptured subclavian artery, which threatened his life and ended his football career.

What was the immediate medical response to Inky's injury on the field?

He was put on a spine board, taken off the field, and told by a doctor that he didn't have a pulse and needed immediate surgery to save his life.

How did Inky Johnson feel about his football career after his injury?

Inky Johnson felt embarrassed and questioned his identity since he had placed all his value and identity in his football career, which was now gone.

What realization did Inky Johnson come to after his football career ended?

He realized that his life held more value and substance beyond football and that his faith and purpose extended beyond his initial goals.

How did Inky Johnson view the challenges he faced after his injury?

He saw them as a test of his faith and commitment, believing that God had a different and better plan for him.

What impact did Inky Johnson's injury have on those around him?

His injury and the way he handled it inspired others, including his father and friends, to strengthen their faith and give their lives to Christ.

How does Inky Johnson approach his life and faith after his career-ending injury?

He lives his life boldly and with gratitude, staying true to his beliefs and core values despite his physical limitations.

What rhetorical question does Inky Johnson leave the audience with, and why is it significant?

Inky asks, 'What will you do when God says no?' This question is significant as it challenges the audience to reflect on their faith and commitment even when things don't go as planned.

Outlines

00:00

🏈 Shattered Dreams and Resilience

In this powerful narrative, the speaker reflects on his journey as a football player, his dedication to the sport, and the life-altering moment that changed everything. Just ten games away from realizing his dream of becoming an NFL player, he suffered a career-ending injury during a game. The injury was severe, rupturing a subclavian artery and leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Despite the initial shock and the devastating loss of his dream, he recounts his emotional struggle and the process of coming to terms with his new reality. The speaker emphasizes the importance of not limiting one's identity to a single aspiration and the need to accept and understand God's plan, even when it diverges from our own expectations.

05:04

🙏 Redirected Paths and Spiritual Growth

The second paragraph delves into the speaker's spiritual journey and the realization that life's challenges can lead to unexpected opportunities for growth and fulfillment. He acknowledges the initial desire to complete his football career before any redirection, but ultimately embraces the path God has set for him. The speaker shares his gratitude for the profound impact his life has had on others, including his family and friends, and how his story has inspired them spiritually. He encourages the audience to remain steadfast in their faith and commitments, even in the face of adversity, and to understand that life's trials can be a catalyst for a deeper connection with one's beliefs. The speaker concludes by posing a rhetorical question about how one will react when faced with God's 'no,' highlighting the importance of resilience and faith in the face of life's uncertainties.

Keywords

💡NFL

The NFL (National Football League) is the highest level of professional American football in the United States. In the script, the NFL represents the pinnacle of the speaker's career aspirations, symbolizing success and the culmination of a lifelong dream. The speaker's journey and the pivotal moment that changes his life are deeply connected to his pursuit of becoming an NFL player.

💡Dream

The concept of 'dream' in the script refers to a deeply held aspiration or goal. It is central to the narrative as it drives the speaker's dedication and hard work towards becoming an NFL player. The dream is shattered when a career-ending injury occurs, leading to a profound shift in the speaker's perspective on life and success.

💡Injury

Injury is a critical turning point in the script, where the speaker suffers a life-altering event during a football game. The injury is not just physical but also represents the end of the speaker's dream of becoming an NFL player. It serves as a catalyst for introspection and a reevaluation of his life's purpose.

💡Dedication

Dedication is portrayed through the speaker's rigorous training regimen and unwavering commitment to his football career. It is exemplified by his early morning runs and late-night training sessions. The concept is integral to understanding the depth of the speaker's passion and the magnitude of the loss he experiences due to his injury.

💡Career-ending

A 'career-ending' injury is one that terminates an individual's professional career. In the context of the script, this term is used to describe the severity of the speaker's injury, which not only affects his physical abilities but also his identity and future prospects as an NFL player.

💡Identity

Identity in the script is tied to the speaker's role as a football player and his aspirations of joining the NFL. The loss of this identity due to his injury forces him to confront who he is beyond the football field and to redefine his sense of self.

💡Redirecting

Redirecting in the script refers to the idea of God or a higher power changing the course of the speaker's life. It is used to describe the unexpected turn of events following the injury and the subsequent spiritual journey the speaker embarks upon.

💡Commitment

Commitment is a recurring theme in the script, initially associated with the speaker's dedication to football. However, after his injury, it evolves to represent a steadfast adherence to his faith and beliefs, despite the challenges and changes in his life.

💡Faith

Faith is a central theme in the script, illustrating the speaker's trust in a higher power amidst adversity. It is demonstrated through his ability to find purpose and meaning in life after his injury, and his unwavering belief in a divine plan.

💡God's Plan

God's Plan in the script represents the belief that there is a greater purpose or design to the speaker's life, beyond his initial dreams and aspirations. It is the idea that even when life takes unexpected turns, there is a divine intention that can lead to fulfillment and reward.

💡Living a Life

Living a life, as discussed in the script, is about more than just physical existence; it's about embodying one's beliefs and values. The speaker emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's faith and commitments, regardless of life's challenges, as a way of truly living a meaningful life.

Highlights

Dedication to football from a young age, waking up at 4 or 5 AM for training.

Projected as a top NFL draft pick and multi-millionaire, with a bright future ahead.

Unexpected injury during a game against Air Force, resulting in a career-ending event.

Immediate realization of the severity of the injury and the loss of feeling in the body.

The shocking revelation by the doctor that the individual was lucky to be alive.

Urgent surgery required to save life due to a ruptured subclavian artery.

Waking up from surgery to a drastically changed life and the loss of NFL dreams.

Internal struggle with the loss of identity and the reevaluation of life's purpose.

The spiritual journey of accepting God's plan even when it diverges from personal desires.

Rediscovering life's value and finding a new path after a significant setback.

Inspiring others through personal experience and demonstrating resilience.

The transformative power of faith in guiding one's life and decisions.

Living life boldly in accordance with one's faith and convictions.

The importance of staying true to one's beliefs and commitments, regardless of circumstances.

The impact of personal struggles and triumphs on the spiritual lives of others.

The challenge of maintaining faith when faced with God's 'no' in response to prayers.

The profound question posed to the audience about their response to life's unexpected turns.

Transcripts

I come into my junior year and I'm about to get exactly what I want

About to get this thing called NFL

And I'm ten games away from this dream

That I wanted my whole life right this thing that I've been working for my whole life my whole life is dedicated to this

One game

I'm up Saturday mornings four o'clock five o'clock in the morning two miles to a fire station two miles back home I'm in the park

9:30 10:00 at night doing

Everything in my life surrounded the game of football I'm sitting at home at night I'm throwing balls up to the ceiling and I'm catching

them different type of ways trying to see if a receiver wants to check me if I want to catch an intercept like everything revolved

around this game and I finally get in the position in my life to where now I'm ten games away from it I've got the

paperwork that states I'm about to be an NFL draft pick

NFL on top of the paper Inky Johnson projected top thirty automatic

Multi-millionaire now all you have to do the hard part's over just play the next ten football games Ink you've made it

And I go out in a silly game against Air Force, two minutes left and I go to make a tackle

that I can make with my eyes closed

And I hit this guy and as soon as I hit him I knew it was a

problem but i didn't think it would be this type of problem

Like you know

How when things happen like I didn't expect that but I don't think it's gonna be anything too crazy

And when I hit him every breath from my body left my body goes completely limp

I fall to the ground I blacked out my eyes open I'm still not you know too concerned because it's football

I told pastor I never thought about a career-ending injury, you have injuries within the game

When my eyes open guys run over Ink let's rock man let's go let's finish them off and I'm like I can't

Like what do you mean you can't you are our starting corner get up you can nurse your injury after the game man

Like no I can't they said what do you mean you can't I can't move

It's a shock neck to my toes I can't feel anything

Shock leaves it stays in my right arm in hand I'm like maybe I got a bad stinger

They put me on the spine board wheeling me off the field

Doctor says to me as he's walking beside me I don't know how you're still alive son you don't have any pulse. We get to

the ambulance my father standing there I'm like pops I laid it on him right I put it on him right my dad's like yeah

but I think you got the worst part of this one Ink

Doctor say we're gonna take you over run a couple of tests bring you back into the room everything will be cool

They run the tests they bring me back into the room mom comes in kisses praise

Son you'll be fine she's going to walk out doctors rush in head boy says hey man got to rush him back to surgery he's about

to die

And I look at him and I want to ask him like man you can't use another word like use a synonym brother

Why you gotta say die like you sure die man

And he could tell from how I'm looking at him that I'm questioning him

He says to me you've ruptured a subclavian artery in your chest you're bleeding internally

If we don't perform his surgery tonight I guarantee you you won't be here in the morning

From seven years old to 20 years old bowled down to one moment

The sacrifice, the dedication, the commitment

Came down to one moment

And the next morning when I woke up from that surgery

The NFL on my scale of life

Was that big

SEC championship

That big

Cornerback

That big, I was embarrassed

I'm sitting there and people coming into my room like Inky man

I'm sorry about what happened to you

And I'm saying to myself

Man Ink you really messed it up this time

Like man that's really the only thing you wanted huh

Like you just thought because you grew up in this so-called hood

Two bedroom home, 14 people

Like the only thing you really wanted was the NFL that's it

I'm like man you limited God to that

Like life holds no substance no value like efficient but not effective. I did things right but I never did the right thing

And now the thing I place my identity in now it is gone That's why I laugh at people when they say man if I

could just get this i'll be

Man if I could just get this position I'll be whoo. Man if I could just get this amount of money I'll be I'm like

But what happens even if you get it or you don't get it. What happens when God says yes and no

Like do you have the ability to accept what you don't understand

Can you still see God's plan when it didn't go the way that you thought it would go

Can you handle when things get off course I'm sitting there and I'm thinking like man I'm eight games away and God is

redirecting me and I'm like God just let me get to the NFL then redirect me

Like let me get the contract then redirect me so that I can help my family and Gods like no

son I need you to really go that way and I'm like you sure like man I need to go this way

He's like no I need you to go this way I got something better it now i might take a little longer to manifest

but I got something even sweeter

Like I got something more fulfilling I got something more rewarding I got something son that's gonna carry you for the rest of your life

Like it's an amazing thing I knew this was what I was supposed to be doing when

One day

I'm backstage and I got the same feeling that I got when I used to be in the tunnel before I was running out in

Neyland Stadium

I said thank you God

And so now I live my life a certain type of way according to what God has done

I live my life a certain type of way

according to the power that I know the lord possess I live my life a certain type like when I go to the lord in

prayer I go bold

And every time I go bold I'm so thankful that that's not me and my lord's first time communicating

And people have the nerve to ask me all the time Inky why wouldn't you change what happened to you you got a paralyzed right

arm and hand

I'm like if you only knew and if you only saw the works that God has done in people's lives around me what he's done

in me yea it's great it's cool but what God has done in the people's lives around me like you can't put a price on that

Like at a certain point like what is it really about

Like and I know the initial

reaction when we go through things is to say man why does this have to happen to me and that's an honest reaction

Because sometimes good people go through some crazy stuff

And some of the things we go through I'm just be real there's not a scripture for it

It's not you can't go, hey go to roman's 2:2 they're like what

There's not

But this is what I've understood in life some people don't need you to preach a sermon they need you to live one

And so when they see you living it

They can connect and identify with that

The only thing I ask of you

As talented as brilliant as powerful as beautiful as you are

Never allow life to make you forget why you started in the first place

Meaning that first time you said man I'm riding with Christ let's go

That first feeling you got like that first

interaction that first connection you got like when you first got it it's like when people say at the beginning everybody is excited

Everybody is on fire but at a certain point you hit something along the journey and it's going to test that level of commitment

At a certain point you're gonna hit something is gonna test that level of faith and my definition of commitment was always

Staying true to what I said I would do long after the mood that I've said it in has left

Like am I gonna stay true to my beliefs and my

core and my

essence of who I am as an individual even if I get a paralyzed right arm and hand am I gonna stay true to even

if my career that I thought I was gonna have

disappears am I gonna stay true to it even if one day I'm in a football game the thing I love to do

The thing I have been practicing my whole life and then one moment it gets wiped out am I gonna stay true to it

Because depending upon if I'm gonna stay true to it a lot of other people's belief in their christian journey is predicated upon that in

my belief and my christian journey. In other words I've seen a lot of other people say Inky I want to give my life to

Christ not because of something that happened with me but because of something I've seen happen to you

And so when ESPN comes to me and says Ink you would be in the NFL right now like if you only knew

If you only knew my father got saved because of my injury

If you only knew

My three boys that went first round to the NFL all of them got saved if you only knew

If you only knew my mother the level of affect like if you only knew

Like I just seen God do some things through the injury and I'm like man every day I wake up I just try

to stay out of His way

I'm gonna leave you with this

We already know what to do when God says yes

We already know what to do when we get blessed. We already know what to do when our prayers get answered

But the question that I have for you and it's rhetorical what will you do when God says no