Sunday, Dec 2, 2012
Garza County News

Photo by Rosa Latimer

Jim Plummer (left) interviewed pro football player Baron Batch at the Post United Methodist Church on February 1, 2012.
(Click the above photo to see additional photos)

The Baron Batch Interview

Published Feb. 5, 2012 @ 1:59 p.m.

Professional football player Baron Batch graciously granted The Garza Post an interview prior to his speaking engagement to the Post Community Youth Group on Wednesday evening , February 1 at the First United Methodist Church.

As seen on BaronBatch.com, he describes himself as a pro football player, writer, speaker, photographer, storyteller, traveler, adventurer, philanthropist, bowler, ping pong player, over comer and servant.

Here’s the interview.  I’m JP and Baron is BB:

Faith

JP:  Do you find it difficult to be true to your faith in professional sports?

BB:  With whatever profession anyone is in, as long as you keep good people around you who will keep you in check, it’s not encredibly hard.  And I’m blessed to have people like that surround me on a daily basis that don’t see me as a professional athlete, but as just me.  And that absolutely helps and makes it easier. 

JP:  Have you experienced any obstacles in expressing your faith?

BB: People should be able to see your faith through your lifestyle.  And if you live out your faith and have a genuine faith and people will see that and it’s not something you have to be super vocal about.  Being vocal, there comes a time to do it, but, I haven’t experienced any trouble doing that.  But, more so, I’m the type of person that …I’ve seen people…I always tell people to walk the walk and walk your faith out and that is something I try to do on a daily basis.   

JP:  For a young person, what is the most important trait for them to have to stay focused on their faith in today's society?

BB:  Just focus on your faith and grow in it.  Focus on your personal relationship with God.  Because when it comes down to it, it’s you and God.

JP:  Have you met Tim Tebow? 

BB:  No I have not met him. 

JP:  Is it something you look forward to?

BB:  Yeah, I’m sure we’d have a great conversation.  People ask me “what do you think of Tim Tebow?”  A lot of people for some reason don’t like him but, don’t know him.  How can you not like someone that you don’t know?  I tell people that it’s Biblical.  When you are outspoken and favored by God people are not going to like you.  I tell people, you know people didn’t like Jesus.  I tell ‘m don’t be so surprised when people don’t like Tim Tebow.  I have my critics, too.  That’s just how it goes.   

Football

JP: Can we talk football?

BB: Oh yeah.

JP:  Are you fully recovered from your season ending injury?  (He suffered an ACL injury in August 2011 on the final play of the last practice before his first NFL game.)

BB:  I’m getting close.  On the 17th of this month (February) I’ll be six months out...about the point you are pretty much full go.  So, I’m right at teetering that line of being ready to go.  I’ll be ready when the season comes around.

JP: Will the Steelers be back in the playoffs next year?

BB: I envision so, yes.

JP: What do you see as your roll the 2012 season?

BB: I’ll do whatever it takes to help the team win.  When at (Texas) Tech, there was times that I had to do different things (play different positions) and that’s how I see myself next year and the rest of my career. 

JP: Did you grow up a Dallas Cowboy fan?

BB: I never really followed a certain team.  Certain players I’d watch.  I was an Emmitt Smith fan, but I really wasn’t a diehard Cowboys fan.”

JP: (jokingly) If you coached the Cowboys, what changes would you make for them to get back in the playoffs?”

BB: It’s always easier “said than done” and I’ve never been a fan of sideline coaches and I’m not a coach.  (Laughing)  Getting into the playoffs takes a lot of skill but also take a lot of luck: the ball bouncing your way a lot of times.  This season the Cowboys lost a lot of close games.  So a lot of times, as I said, it’s a matter of the ball bouncing your way.

JP: Which team will win the Super Bowl?  

BB:  (New England Patriot) Wes Welker is a (Texas) Tech guy and I would like to see him get one (a Super Bowl ring).  But in all honesty, it doesn’t matter that much to me.    

JP: What do you plan on doing after your football days?

BB: A lot!  I guess everything I’m doing now, excluding football:  traveling, speaking, writing…you know, telling people about Jesus…everything that I love to do.  I always tell people do what you are passionate about.  And I’m blessed to be given a lot of different passions and I don’t want to leave one of those out or exclude something.  There’s a lot of different things I want to do and the cool thing is I’m doing them all now on top of playing football.

JP: Anything else to add? 

BB: It’s good to be back home (in West Texas).

Note:  It was a true blessing to have interviewed a genuinely honest and grounded young man like Baron Batch.    

 
The copyright for all articles is held by the respective authors and/or The Garza Post. All rights reserved. Any publication, rewriting, or redistribution is prohibited without prior written permission.
 
blog comments powered by Disqus

 


Support our sponsors!

 

 


Click for more!