Football Takes the Field
Over the past two years, Trent Figg has been more than a coach; he’s been an architect carefully building a program with the mantra of “creating champions for life.” That championship mentality is being strived for on the field, in the classroom, in the community, and in matters of faith.
While the task of starting a program from scratch was a heavy lift, Figg believes the opportunity to do so couldn’t have been at a better place. “When I looked at Calvin and considered whether I wanted to be a head football coach, I was looking at all four of those areas, and I saw that Calvin is already doing all of those really, really well,” says Figg. “We aren’t having to reinvent the wheel here.”
On the field...
Figg took note of Calvin’s 11 national championships, 54 final four appearances, and 351 league titles. “Our teams are constantly competing for championships, so there’s already a blueprint in place to be successful on the field,” Figg says.
And Calvin’s football players are eager to contribute to that long-standing legacy. “We’ve shown we can compete. We’ve shown we can win games,” says Paul Bouma IV, a freshman tight end. “We’ve been playing good football and we’re looking to get better every day moving forward.”
In the classroom...
Figg noticed the successful outcomes of Calvin’s student athletes, who collectively have a higher GPA than the university average. “And we have a 99% graduate placement rate, so when a student graduates from Calvin, their degree means something to them,” Figg says.
His football players also say their on-field and in-classroom preparation are mutually sharpening. “Our guys come out every day, and we work hard. When you make practices hard each week, the game comes easy,” says KJ Harp, a sophomore defensive tackle and accounting major. “We go over every scenario out there on the practice field. We study our practice notes as we prepare for a game, and we pour over our class notes as we prepare for our tests. We do both with perseverance and intention. You have to love what you do, and I feel like our guys really love playing football and getting an education at Calvin.”
In the community...
Figg is already hearing about the positive impact his players make.
“I’ve had a couple of professors stop me on campus and say, ‘I just want you to know that your kids are the most welcoming kids,’” Figg says. “We don’t want to be an independent contractor, we want to fit right in with the Calvin experience that’s already happening, and if we can enhance that experience, let’s enhance it as a team.”
While Figg describes the community support at Calvin to be “unlike any place” he has been before, he also sees the football pro- gram advancing that sense of community, too. “I saw nearly 5,000 people come together at our first game to celebrate Calvin, to celebrate Calvin students.”
Provost Noah Toly agrees. “Football is one of the ultimate team sports, and in some ways it’s an ultimate community sport. It can really show off the community spirit we already have.”
Above all, Figg wants to see his student-athletes become champions...
of their faith.
“For me, I had a baseline of faith going into college, but some of the hardest times in my life were actually after college. In the darkest times in my life, it’s been the only thing that’s pulled me through.”
He wants the same for his students.
“The real world is hard, and so when our students graduate, I want them to know the truth, so when they do go through hard times, they know where to turn, because so many people turn to the wrong places,” Figg says. “Our kids come from all different walks of faith, and I recognize that, and I respect that, but I also want them to know what I believe to be the absolute truth—without a relationship with Jesus, they don’t have anything. And I can say that because that’s what changed my life.”