Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Nick Foles, whose bestselling memoir I coauthored in 2018, announced his retirement from the NFL today. With this in mind, I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on one of the most remarkable stories I’ve ever had the privilege to be involved with.
I’ve been writing sports in various capacities for (gulp) about 30 years. But few experiences in my career, if any, compare to partnering with Nick to create Believe It: My Journey of Success, Failure, and Overcoming the Odds after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to their first-ever Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII. It is, without a doubt, one of the most enjoyable—and crazy!—writing experiences I’ve ever had.
After starting the 2017 season as a backup, Nick became the starter when Carson Wentz suffered a season-ending injury in Week 14. From there, Nick led the Eagles on a remarkable run into NFL history, culminating with his legendary performance against Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the favored New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. In a 41-33 win, Nick completed 28 of 43 passes for 373 yards, three touchdowns, one interception and a 106.1 passer rating. His “Philly Special” touchdown catch (not pass!) from tight end Trey Burton just before halftime will live in Philly sports lore forever. In fact, later that year, the Eagles unveiled a statue outside Lincoln Financial Field commemorating the iconic play call between Nick and then-head coach Doug Pederson.
I first met Nick—along with Wentz and a handful of other Eagles players—in early 2017 when I was doing phone interviews with them for a story in Bible Study Magazine. I was so impressed with the faith and character of these players that I pitched a book idea to New Growth Press, and it turned into The Biggest Win, which released on Aug. 1, 2018, a week after the debut of Believe It. Nick and I talked a few times throughout the 2017 season for The Biggest Win, but no one had any idea what was coming.
On Feb. 9, 2018, five days after Super Bowl LII, I texted Nick to ask if he’d be interested in writing a memoir. At the time, he was doing all the things a Super Bowl MVP does—going to Disney, doing TV/radio interviews, appearing on late-night talk shows, etc. Seven days later, he responded: “Hey Josh. Let’s talk soon about book.” Needless to say, that was a good day.
By the first week of March, I was on the phone with Nick, his agent, and representatives from Tyndale, the publisher. The next six weeks were a blur—a wild flurry of interviews and writing. On April 16, I turned in the last chapter batch, with the overall rough draft manuscript totaling about 70,000 words.
If you know anything about publishing, you know 70,000 words in six weeks is . . . ambitious! But the production schedule was incredibly tight because we needed to have physical copies of Believe It ready for Nick’s book tour by June 26, prior to the start of 2018 NFL training camps. In my memory, those six weeks feel like one unbroken stretch of sitting at a laptop. I think I occasionally ate, shaved, and showered during that time . . . but I’m not sure.
The reception for Believe It was fantastic. Nick did 50-plus media interviews, and he even did a humorous stint as a stand-in TV weatherman for a local Philly news channel. But it was during the bookstore signings that you could really tell something special was happening. Over five days, Nick made 11 bookstore stops throughout Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey—Eagles country—and signed about 13,500 copies for fans. At some locations, the lines numbered 400 people or more. Some folks reported waiting four hours just to get Nick’s signature!
When I told my daughters (ages 6-12 at the time) about the book’s early success, one of them said, “Oh my goodness, if that happens, I will be so exotic!” (I’m pretty sure she meant ecstatic.) Another daughter said, “We’re going to be rich any day now.” Haha. When that happens, kiddo, you’ll be the first to know.
On July 5, we found out the book had hit the New York Times bestseller list. It was quite a feeling. But the best part was knowing that thousands of people were reading Nick’s testimony of God’s grace in his life. Nick’s story is truly remarkable. He went from being a third-round draft pick in 2012 . . . to breaking records as a starter in 2013 . . . to wanting to retire after a miserable 2015 season . . . to earning Super Bowl MVP honors in 2018. Wow. But more than that, Nick’s story is ultimately about God’s love and redemption in the life of a man who humbled himself before his Creator.
Now, here we are six years later, and Nick is bidding adieu to his playing career. He is one of the kindest, classiest, most humble athletes I’ve ever worked with. He didn’t even want to do the book at first because of the attention it would bring him. Only when a trusted friend told him that he had a unique—and time-sensitive—platform to share his faith did he move forward with it. But that’s Nick. For him, football was a means to a greater end, not the end itself. The morning after the biggest win of his career—while running on two-and-a-half hours of sleep—he stepped to podium to do the obligatory next-day press conference for Super Bowl MVPs. When a Philadelphia TV reporter asked him what he wanted people to take away from his NFL journey, this is what he said:
“I think the big thing is, don’t be afraid to fail. In our society today—Instagram, Twitter—it’s a highlight reel. It’s all the good things. . . . And then when you have a rough day or your life’s not [as] good as that, [you think] you’re failing. Failure’s a part of life. [It’s] a part of building character and growing. Without failure, who would you be? I wouldn’t be up here if I hadn’t fallen thousands of times, made mistakes. We all are human. We all have weaknesses. Throughout this, being able to share that and be transparent [is important]. I know when I listen to people speak and they share their weaknesses, I’m listening because I can resonate. I’m not perfect. I’m not Superman. I might be in the NFL, and we might have just won the Super Bowl, but hey, we still have daily struggles. I still have daily struggles. But that’s where my faith comes in. That’s where my family comes in. I think when you look at a struggle in your life, just know that’s an opportunity for your character to grow. That’s really just been the message. It’s simple: if something’s going on in your life and you’re struggling, embrace it because you’re growing.”
Have you ever heard an Super Bowl MVP say that? Think that? Believe that? Amazing.
Nick knew what to do with success. Before Believe It published, he and his wife, Tori, decided to donate 100% of any royalties to Christian charities and humanitarian causes. Part of those donated funds helped 70 kids from inner-city Philadelphia attend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes’ annual sports camp at Kutztown (Pa.) University in June 2018. And before the 2017 season began, Nick had helped start two FCA huddles in Philadelphia and purchased more than 100 Bibles so each attendee could personally own one.
In September 2018, as the next season was getting underway, I caught up with Nick for an FCA story. By then, despite reaching the pinnacle of American sports just seven months earlier, Nick had resumed a backup role behind Wentz, who had returned from injury. Here’s what Nick told me: “As an athlete and a competitor, you obviously want be out there helping your teammates win. But at the end of the day, Carson Wentz wants to be out there too. Although he suffered an injury, he’s the team’s quarterback and he’s the one whom they drafted. Now that he’s healthy, it’s my job to help him in any way possible and be there to support him.”
In the NFL retirement announcement video he posted today, Nick talked about the extra time he’ll have to be around Tori and their three kids. Many athletes don’t see the bigger picture. Nick does.
As long as sports exist, Nick will always be remembered in Philly—and beyond. But his impact goes way beyond sports. I’d like to think that statue of him and Pederson outside the Eagles’ stadium signifies more than the audacious “Philly Special” call. That monument honors a man whose character transcends even his unforgettable athletic accomplishments. In a critical moment of the biggest game of his life, he called a legendary play that helped seal his athletic legacy. Then he took all that glory . . . and redirected it to the One who gave it to him in the first place.
That’s what I’m thinking about today as No. 9 officially leaves the NFL. Well done, Nick. You showed an entire sports-crazed nation how to compete with grit, skill, and dignity. You won and lost gracefully. You put your teammates—even guys competing for your position—before yourself. You pointed our attention to things that matter far more than athletics. And You consistently modeled the humility of Christ, who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).
So thanks, Nick, for the opportunity to help tell your story. It was a great honor and joy. You have boldly shared with millions of people what Jesus has done in your life, and because of your heart for Him, He most certainly has more big wins in your future.
I believe it.