Click to Login or Sign Up

Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Xavier Tate,
Vernon Parish Fairgrounds
Ashley Bestler,
North Monroe Baptist Church
Sarah Pierce,
North Monroe Baptist Church

Joseph Willis: The story of the first Louisiana Baptist

Horn: Celebrate & unite as the body of Christ

Speakers press messengers to unite for the Gospel

Pastors Conference offered renewal for the work

WRAPUP: Resolutions, motions, budget and elections

  • About
  • Contact
  • Archives
  • John 3:16
  • Louisiana
  • U.S.
  • Intl.
  • Culture
  • Commentary

Former Alexandria Senior High and Louisiana Tech kicker, who played with the Dallas Cowboys, speaks to the crowd as Louisiana College's new special teams coordinator.

Former NFL kicker Chris Boniol comes home as Louisiana College’s new special teams coordinator

July 27, 2015

By Staff
Baptist Message

What’s more important … winning football games or building men?

“They are both important,” according to Alexandria native and former NFL kicker Chris Boniol, who was formally introduced as Louisiana College’s new special team’s coordinator and running backs coach July 24 at a press conference at the school.

“Chris is a great fit for our coaching staff, and I have every confidence in what he brings to the game as a special teams and running backs coach,” said Louisiana College’s Athletics Director and Head Football Coach Dennis Dunn. “But more than that, I am thankful to God a man of this caliber — professional and personal — will be a role model not only for our athletes, but for anyone else whose life he touches.

“Louisiana College’s Athletic department is grateful to have someone like Chris Boniol join the Wildcats football coaching squad,” said Dunn. “His NFL record speaks for itself, and we couldn’t be happier about that.

He is taking over for Josh Bonadona, who left to become the video coordinator at Southeast Missouri State.

“I’m driven to succeed,” said the 43-year-old Boniol. “I want to see the fruits of our labor and hard work pay off. I want to see results. There are no morale points in the end. When we set out on the field, our whole goal is to compete and to win.

“But I also believe in ministry, in mentorship as well as in competition and trying to come out on top,” he added.

David Brooks, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Alexandria, said, “It is thrilling to have Chris Boniol return to Central Louisiana. Not only will he bring strong leadership to a football team, he will also bring strong leadership to our community.

“Chris has a proven record of excellence, discipline, and determination. Wherever his career has lead him he has always invested heavily in his community and has always brought out the best in those around him. This is a trait his parents have cultivated in him from a young age. I am looking forward to reconnecting with Chris,” said Brooks, who was youth minister to Boniol in his teen years.

Louisiana College President Rick Brewer told the media at the press conference he was impressed with Boniol’s faith and his devotion to his family.

“The things that stand out about Chris are his faith, his family and his football,” said Brewer at the press conference. “I believe he is going to make a great addition to not only the football team but Louisiana College as well.”

“I support the vision of Louisiana College,” said Boniol. “I not only want to be a coach but also a mentor to young men. I want to challenge student athletes both on and off the field. I want to personally affirm and encourage these young men.

“Many times young men lack affirmation and encouragement,” Boniol continued. “Also, there is an element in sports today that asks what you have done for me lately. There needs to be an element of grace in young men’s lives today. I want to help them find that grace.

“I want to change the outlook of the ‘more you can’t, why would you’ to the ‘yes you can, yes you will’ approach,” he said.

Boniol took that approach as a back-up receiver, a quarterback and a kicker for Coach J.L. ‘Butch’ Stoker and the Alexandria Senior High football team and played catcher for his father Don Boniol from 1986 to 1989. He went to Louisiana Tech (1990-93), where he finished his college career third on the school’s all-time scoring list.

In 1990, he was named all-Louisiana and the Louisiana Freshman of the Year after hitting 17 of 24 field goals.

Even though, he went undrafted in the 1994 NFL Draft, he signed with the Dallas Cowboys, where he won Super Bowl XXX in the 1995 season and tied a then-NFL record of seven field goals in a game against the Green Bay Packers in 1996. He would become the first Cowboy player to score 100 points in three straight seasons.

He wrapped up his stellar six-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles (1997-1998) and the Chicago Bears (1999). Boniol ended his playing career with 567 points scored while making 78.5 percent of his field goals.

He later went back to Dallas as a special-teams assistant from 2010 to 2013 and held the same position with the Oakland Raiders in 2014. In Dallas, he coached Dan Bailey — who broke his team record for consecutive field goals in 2014 with 30 straight kicks.

Boniol and his wife Christine have two sons, Garin and Gaige.

 

Comments

Search

Widgets In Tabs

  • Trending

    • Cross on I-20 reminds believers Jesus watches over them
    • Collision with Christ changed Louisiana evangelist
    • Why was Jesus' birth so important?
    • 6,000 Baptist youth rally for YEC
    • Native Americans lead revival in state, and among Navajo nation
    • Beth Moore charges SBC conservatives with ‘sin’, recants 2009 statement on ‘homosexual sin’
  • Recent

    Good financial reports heard by LBF board … again!

    Louisiana College’s 20 years of TEACH certification distinguished by innovations and effective teachers

    The joy of sharing the Good News

    Operation Christmas

    Follow the righteous example of Mary and Joseph

    A gift for the Magi

  • Must Read

    LSU longsnapper is a NFL prospect, but a confirmed follower of Christ

    Louisiana Baptists prepare to restore faith community’s presence in Bahamas

    Horn: Celebrate & unite as the body of Christ

    Al Mohler explains women cannot be pastors nor preachers

    John MacArthur rebukes SBC stance on Critical Race Theory

Editorial

Gives thanks today; rejoice now

By Joe McKeever JACKSON, Miss. (BP) -- Last Sunday, we sang "When we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!" (E. E. Hewitt, 1898) Something occurred to me. Sure, we'll "sing and shout the victory" when we see Jesus face to face. … Continue Reading.

Copyright © 2019 by The Baptist Message · Built by Megaphone Designs