Article by Sean Jensen, Chicago Sun-Times
March 24, 2010
When he invited a special guest to work with his players this month, Kansas City Chiefs coach Todd Haley couldn't wait for him to meet Andy Studebaker, an Illinois native who graduated from Wheaton College.
"I had a karate expert come in, and I told all the coaches that if we tell Andy to run through a wall, he'll be here to do it," Haley said Monday from the NFL owners meetings in Orlando. "At first I was mad [Studebaker wasn't there], bu tthen I found out he was on a trip."
An atypical one.
After the NFL season, while many players vacation at five-star hotels around the world, Studebaker headed to South Africa, where he stayed at a modest hotel and worked at an orphanage for a week.
Studebaker, accompanied by his wife, Mallory, led 14 current players on a spring-break trip through the Wheaton Football Ministry Partnership (WFMP). They painted and laid concrete at an orphanage established by a former Wheaton football player.
"We gave [the orphanage] a face-lift," Studebaker said, "and we made a big impact."
Born in Eureka, Illinois, which is east of Peoria, Studebaker traveled a rural road never before taken to the NFL.
A 200-pound "athlete", he ended up at Division III Wheaton College, a private Christian school where he didn't play varsity as a freshman. But coaches quickly reocgnized his athleticism (he could stand under a basket, jump straight up and dunk a ball) and work ethic.
In 2006, when the Philadelphia Eagles picked him in the sixth round, Studebaker became the first player in Thunder history to be selected in the NFL draft.
"He worked himself and did everything that was asked, if not more," said Jeff Peltz, the school's longtime defensive line coach. "He just wouldn't take second place."
As the developed his body and game, Studebaker easily could've transferred to a Division I program, but he didn't even seriously consider the notion.
"I was having success where I was, and I enjoyed the coaches and players," Studebaker said. "If good stuff was going to happen, it was going to happen there. I was there for a reason."
Man on multiple missions
He appreciated the integrity of the coaches and players around him, including three seasons with older brother Dan on the team. During spring break, with teammates and coaches, he went on WFMP missions trips to Senegal, South Africa and Romania organized by Peltz and team spiritual director Gary Lavanchy, who co-founded the program more than a decade ago.
The cost of the trip is about $2,000 per person, but Peltz said they won't let money be a "deciding factor." The only requirement of anyone going is that each person send out 25 letters seeking donations and prayers. The trip is fulfilling for players because they bond with one another and help others.
"It's a good chance for us to get a lot done," Studebaker said, "and it's a good chance to encourage guys who are half a world away from home."
But Studebaker also helps those closer to home. Peltz said a single mom gushed abou thow Studebaker mentored her son for several years, something Peltz didn't learn of until after Studebaker left the school.
"Andy spent time with him, he played with him," Peltz said. "Even after he left [school], he was calling this boy and just kept in touch. As this lady is talking, we're both getting kind of wet around the eyes."
Asked about the young man, Studebaker said, "I would rather keep that private."
But Haley certainly was impressed when he heard the story.
"He's just the type of player you're looking for," Haley said. "He found his way into the league in a little different way, but nobody's outworked him. Then, when the opportunity came about, he took advantage of it."
Picked his moment
After spending time on the Eagles' practice squad, Studebaker was signed to the Chiefs' 53-man roster. In November, when veteran Mike Vrabel was sidelined with an injury, Studebaker was pressed into the starting lineup against the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers.
Studebaker intercepted two passes, including one he returned 94 yards, in a 27-24 overtime victory.
"It's been a different road," he said. "I'll probably look back in 30 years and say, 'Wow, that was a heck of a trip. But when you're going through it, there are ups and downs, and you don't really have time to reflect. But it's been a ton of fun, and I got to meet a ton of good people."
