{"id":945,"date":"2022-03-16T08:38:33","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T12:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/cedarville-stories\/?p=945"},"modified":"2022-03-25T17:23:16","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T21:23:16","slug":"s6e11-kurtis-gould","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.cedarville.edu\/cedarville-stories\/2022\/s6e11-kurtis-gould\/","title":{"rendered":"S6:E11 | Kurtis Gould"},"content":{"rendered":"

Super Opportunity\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When senior athletic training major Kurtis Gould was named an intern for his favorite football team, the Cincinnati Bengals, he knew the experience would be special. But before the season was through, it had become Super.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Gould served as an athletic training intern at Bengals\u2019 practices and home games during the 2021 football season. As a part of his responsibilities, he did everything from work with players in the training room, stretch them out before practices and games, helped injured players with rehabilitation, set up the medical tent on the sidelines, and made sure the team stayed hydrated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As the season continued, he was given increasing amounts of responsibility, which grew his confidence in his Cedarville training and in himself. He saw himself as a member of the team, as much as the players, coaches, strength and conditioning personnel, and other staff, all having the same goal \u2013 win the conference, victory in every playoff game, and a trip to the Super Bowl.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Kurtis worked closely with the defensive backs and became friends with players like Jesse Bates, Mike Hilton, Chidobe Awuzie, Eli Apple, and Von Bell. He celebrated with the offense and defense after big plays, high-fiving Joe Burrow, Ja\u2019Marr Chase, Joe Mixon, and other stars as they came off the field. He was on the sideline in Paul Brown Stadium when the Bengals won their first playoff game in 31 years, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It was a dream come true for a Bengals fan. But for a follower of Jesus, it was also a chance to be a living testimony.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they would get talking about sexually immoral things, I would not participate with them, or when they would talk badly about certain people,\u201d Kurtis shared during the podcast. \u201cAs the season went on, they would ask why I was that way, and I would say, \u2018I believe in the Bible and living by a higher standard.\u2019 I was consistent with them about who I was, and they respected that.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n