Oct. 20, 2008

Centre's Houston: From practice field to the pulpit

BY ROY MITCHELL

TUSCALOOSA — Now distinguished for his devotion to the church, Pastor Martin Houston was famous in Cherokee County a generation ago for a completely different passion -- football.

Houston, 38, was a big kid growing up near the Howell's Crossroads community east of Centre. Blessed with stocky shoulders and a mother with an inspirational work ethic, Houston brought his blessings to the football field.

If Houston's weight room reputation and physical prowess didn't intimidate opponents, his jaw-jarring hits did. During his stellar football career at Cherokee County High School, Houston made All-State was named Player of the Year in Class 4A.

Taking his talents to the University of Alabama, Houston, an academic All-Southeastern Conference fullback, helped lead the Crimson Tide to two SEC titles and, during his senior year, the 1992 National Championship.

Throughout middle school, high school, and college, Houston was lauded with individual honors paralleled by few country boys who ever picked up a pigskin, yet in his professional life he chose a vocation almost void of individualism.

Houston said his Christian background paved his pathway to the ministry.

“I was raised in church, but it wasn't until I was in college that I really grasped the idea of a personal relationship with God,” he said. “The first time I was driving home from school, I listened to a preacher on the radio. I remember thinking, 'God is real. He specifically knows me and cares for me as an individual.'”

Houston became involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at the Capstone, eventually becoming president of the organization.

After college, Houston involved himself with DayStar Family Church, in Tuscaloosa. Gradually, he became a part of their ministry. From 1999 to 2004, he even pastored the University Worship Center, a DayStar-affiliated church on the Alabama campus.

“I've preached to thousands, but it's the individual successes that motivate me -- seeing my entire family serve the Lord faithfully, seeing people I've won over to the Lord go into the ministry, seeing the changed lives of the people who I've prayed with.”

Today, Houston is back at the DayStar Family Church as executive senior pastor, assisting in day-to-day duties of the church.

“I help make sure kinks in new ministries are worked out,” he said. “I'm implementing the pastor's vision.”

Martin said Alabama football fans often assume former players have some kind of divine insight into the current team.

“Fans want the inside scoop,” he said. “But many times I don't have any more information than they have from reading the papers.”

Though Houston doesn't bear any special intuitiveness about current head coach Nick Saban, he does hold perspectives on his former coaches, Bill Curry and Gene Stallings. He said they had markedly different styles.

“Curry was much like a CEO, letting his coaches do most of the instruction,” Houston said. “Stallings was much more involved with his players.”

Houston recalled one morning meeting with Coach Stallings. By his senior season at Alabama, Houston was married and babysat his child, Xavier, in the mornings.

“I would bring Xavier to the meetings,” he said. “Once when Coach Stallings wasn't looking, Xavier put his hands in coach's eggs.” (Houston lowered his voice in a deep, gravelly impression of Coach Stallings.) “Coach said, 'He's a growin' baby. Let him eat de eggs.'”

Houston lives near Tuscaloosa with his wife, the former Cassandra Dobbins, also from Centre, and their four children, who range in age from 6-17.

“The most gratifying part of my profession is that it has had an impact on my family,” he said. “I have seen all my children accept and have a relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Houston credits his mother, Nellie Barnett, as his biggest role model. “We [Martin and his brothers] watched her, day-in, day-out, provide for us. She never complained. That work ethic today still drives me in providing for my family.”

Houston, who is also an assistant football coach for his son's team at Tuscaloosa Academy, recollects the influence of his own former coaches.

“Coach Kiser [recreational league coach] was instrumental in getting me started in football,” Houston said. “He even picked me up when Mom wasn't able to get us there. Coach Miller at the middle school told me that one day I would play in the SEC. I didn't even know what the SEC was, but that made a difference in how I pursued football. Coach Johnson gave me a chance to play running back, and he helped open doors for me to play at Alabama.”

Houston embraces hope for the future even more than accolades from the past.

“Hope is what's missing in the world today,” he said. “You take the richest man in the world and take away his hope, and he may just kill himself. If you can take a young man in a bad situation and give him hope, he has everything to live for.”

Houston continued: “No matter what happens, circumstances change people's finances, their jobs, and so on, but the Lord is the one constant. He is a personal God.”

Though athletic success is woven into his legacy, Martin Houston continues to search for grass greener than one might find on a football field.