The 6’5�, 320 lb. Paul Costa looks more like a henchman on The Sopranos than an armor-bearer for the Lord; but indeed, this Goliath of a man has a heart like King David.

Paul Costa is a 10-year veteran of the National Football League and the now defunct World Football League. During his illustrious football career he won a National Championship with the University of Notre Dame, an AFL championship with the Buffalo Bills, two WFL championships with the Birmingham Americans, was a two-time pro-bowl selection, and is a member of the Westchester Sports Hall of Fame.

Although his football career is quite prestigious, that is not what defines this gentle giant. Dr. Costa has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and a M.A. and Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology. He has been a guest on the 700 Club, TBN, and PTL, has written several books, is a member of the International Coalition of Apostles, and has spoken in hundreds of venues worldwide.
It might seem as if Dr. Costa may have always been uniquely divided from this world, but that wasn’t always the case.
Paul’s story of salvation is one of radical transformation. As a kid growing up in Port Chester, New York, he was a rebellious outlaw; constantly fighting, drinking, and starting trouble -- so much trouble that his local priest told him that there was no hope of salvation and that God would never accept him. Paul says that he “lived his life like he had no chance of redemption.� He was self-professed “good at being bad�; trouble appeared to be his life’s mission.
Football was Paul’s only constructive outlet for aggression. He was a physically gifted athlete and highly touted recruit. By the time he was a sophomore at Port Chester High School, he had athletic scholarship offers from almost every major college in the nation and signed with the University of Notre Dame. While at the University of Notre Dame his reputation for trouble ensued and he was suspended for an entire year because of bad behavior. Even with all the problems he caused off the field, there was no denying his talent on the field and after graduation from Notre Dame, he was drafted by the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

While with the Bills, he stayed true to his reputation for being one bad dude. Paul McGuire, a football analyst for CBS, calls Costa “one of the dirtiest players I have ever seen, or played with.� It seemed as if Paul had little hope of sanctification until one traumatic event brought him to his knees.

During Paul’s 6th year of professional football, his 4-year old son was diagnosed with a terminal disease. No matter how tough Paul might have been on the football field, this was one problem he couldn’t tackle. It all came to a head late one night at the Buffalo Children’s Hospital when Paul received a call; his son was fading quickly. He rushed to the hospital, but when he arrived it was too late. Paul Jr. had already passed.

This brought on a whirlwind of doubt and self reflection. Not knowing why this happened and losing focus on the game that he once loved, Paul decided to retire from the NFL. After one year of retirement he was wooed back into football by the fledgling World Football League and signed with the Birmingham Americans. That decision turned out to be one of the wisest decisions Paul ever made.

While with the Americans, Paul began his journey to the cross. God had a plan for him; he had a teammate who shared with him the gospel of Jesus Christ. After a short time Paul turned control of his life over to the one whom he was told would never accept him.

Over the years Dr. Costa was transformed from a boy without hope of salvation to a world-changing man of God. When asked what qualifies him for the ministry, Dr. Costa quickly points out 1 Corinthians 1:27: “God uses the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; He uses the weak things of the world to shame the strong.� He then said, “If this is true, who’s more worthy than me?�

If you would like more information on Dr. Costa and his ministry, check out www.paulcostaministry.org.

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