Episode 11: The Battle features John Deal in a full conversation about football, identity, perseverance, faith, team growth, and calling.

John joins Nate Garner and Jim Padgett to talk about growing up in Greenwood, South Carolina, being raised in a football family, and learning from his dad, a coach who showed him how faith and fierce competition can go together. He opens up about his sophomore year at North Greenville, when getting benched forced him to confront how much of his identity he had placed in football, and how rooting his identity in Christ changed the way he approached the game moving forward.

The conversation also dives into last season, when a new head coach, new offense, new teammates, and early adversity created a lot of uncertainty. John talks about how the team slo ...