Jerry Leachman is a coach, author and mentor who’s spent over 40 years working with men. A former football player under Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama, he went on to coach at Briarwood Christian School before dedicating his life to ministry. He and his wife Holly have been married 55 years and now live on a ranch in Colorado. His book, Brave Hearts, Strong Arms: Locker Room Talks for the Only Game that Matters, distills decades of talks into a guide for men seeking purpose beyond success. Below, he shares what he’s learned about forgiveness, legacy and what it really means to “be a man.”
OTMJ: Tell us about your background.
Jerry Leachman: I grew up in Montgomery after being an Air Force brat. My mother was a wonderful person, and my brother, Brad, was my best friend. My parents divorced when I was young, and I was very angry at my father for many years. Dad fought with the 82nd Airborne Division in World War II, and he was both a hero and scarred by the War. I was a football player at Sidney Lanier High School and later signed with Coach Bryant to play at Alabama. Coach Bryant and my teammates had a great impact on my life. I met my beautiful wife, Holly, at a Young Life Retreat, and we married when we were both very young. She is my best friend and my Christian inspiration. I’m not a theologian or a preacher, I’m a coach, and most of my adult life has been spent ministering to, teaching and counseling men in Washington, D.C. I have two incredible sons and a lovely daughter, as well as grandchildren, all of whom I love and adore.
What is the goal of Brave Hearts, Strong Arms?
After 40 years of ministering to men, I’ve literally heard it all. Most men cannot give you a definition of what it means to “be a man,” and I have gained many insights into what men struggle with and how they can truly come to know who they are and what is ultimately important in life. My goal with this book is to coach men to examine their lives seriously and compare their lives to the teachings of Jesus about how to live.
What caused you to write this book now?
I’ve given hundreds of talks over the years but never wrote any of them down. In fact, to be honest, I probably have ADD and couldn’t organize a two-person picnic. Over the years, many men have encouraged me to write a book, but I really don’t have that skill set. Then a man from Birmingham I didn’t know at the time, Norman Jetmundsen, came to me and said my talks needed to be preserved in a book, and more importantly, that he would help me do it. Norman was like a bulldog and wouldn’t give up, and finally, with the added encouragement of Richard Simmons, I decided to let Norman see what he could do, and Richard agreed to publish the book.
How did you get into mentoring other men?
It was sort of natural from being a football player and coach. I felt a special calling to go into Christian ministry focusing on men. I seem to have a gift for helping men with problems of all sorts as well as being an encourager to place their ultimate faith in God and to get on the field in the game of life and make a difference. In short, I coach men to be part of the solution, instead of part of the problem.
You talk about forgiveness in the book. Why is it important?
Forgiveness is one of the essential keys to living a full and blessed life. Too many people carry around the crushing baggage of regrets, failures, grievances and disappointment and never understand that forgiveness makes them free.
You mention the secret to significance. What is that?
In a nutshell, success is what you do for yourself, and significance is what you do for others. Time and time again I meet men who have made success their god, and they end up miserable because either they never reach their definition of success, or they reach it and still find themselves unfulfilled, lonely and fearful. Jesus said there are three ways to live your life: waste it, sell it or give it away. I believe that the only way to live a truly meaningful life is to give it away.
