Shelby Epperson, a senior kinesiology major on the women's basketball team, came to Bob Jones University in 2022 chasing a dream of being a collegiate athlete, but after an ACL tear ended her freshman season, the Lord used the setback to open her eyes to her need for salvation.

"It shattered me because I had put my all into sports," Shelby said after her ACL injury. "I knew I wasn't ever going to be a professional athlete, but I loved the game more than anything. I don't think that is uncommon at this level of competition."

While navigating the reality of her season-ending injury, Shelby began talking to Maggi Wooster, former assistant coach who recruited her, and teammate Bethany Daulton. While the conversations started on a surface level, they eventually turned into questions about deeper issues. 

"I was wrestling my own sin struggles," said Epperson. "I went to a public school in the Bible belt, so it was odd to me to be around real Christians."

"In March 2023, Bethany graciously confronted me about some things, and something she said struck me that I will never forget. In a moment that I thought ruined not just our friendship, but even my future at Bob Jones, she looked at me and said 'I want you to know I mean it when I say, I forgive you.' That blew my mind, and I couldn't understand it."

Over the summer, Shelby was back on campus to work at basketball camp. She met with Maggi to talk more about questions that were heavy on her heart. "I didn't know it, but the Lord had laid it on Maggi's heart to ask me about my salvation. She listened to the Spirit and so very graciously confronted me with a choice; I could continue to chase sin all the way to destruction, or I could choose to follow Christ. We talked through passages in Scripture, and the Lord opened my eyes to how lost and desperate I was. I didn't know what to say, but I called out to the Lord and asked him to be my Savior, and he changed my life right then. That was June 14th, 2023."

After encouragement from Maggi, Shelby went on to share the news with her teammates. "Each time, their joyful response emboldened me to share with the next person."

Throughout the rest of the summer and into the next school year, Shelby and Maggi read through the New Testament, going through it one chapter at a time. Back at school, a friend who worked for Student Life, Bekah Daniel, took Shelby under her wing and began disciplining her as well.

That December, Shelby was baptized while her whole team stood alongside my family to support. "It was wild to hear some of them say they had been praying for months. The Lord had used them to plant seeds of the gospel along the way."

After being saved, things did not get easier for Shelby. She had two knee surgeries and three concussions, the last of which was career ending. "It was through the back and forth of being physically well and unwell that the Lord taught me that He is worth everything I am afraid of losing, especially basketball. Having been an athlete all my life, it was hard to swallow that I will never be able to play basketball again. In the last year or two, the depth of my relationship with God has increased. I learned a lot in the first year or two of being saved, but it was a lot of knowledge, and now the Lord has put me in a position to apply the knowledge that He's given."

Despite not being able to contribute on the court, Shelby has still been a part of the Bruins basketball team. 

"My teammates are my dearest friends. We do everything together: practice, games, workouts, meals. When you spend that much time with the same people, you grow close. Our friendships are a lot deeper than a typical friendship because we are teammates. They point me to Christ and have walked alongside me through difficulty. They have been so encouraging and uplifting. Even just the laughter that we share is such a big gift."

After spending four years with the program, she has picked up several lessons as a student-athlete. 

"You learn to work hard and work efficiently. You also learn a certain level of discipline. You can't just wing it and hope for the best. There is a lot more work that goes into being a student- athlete than people realize. I learned how to embrace hard work and discipline."

She finished saying, "on a spiritual level, I've learned that things like basketball are good gifts and worth pursuing, but they don't last. Even if you make it to the pros, you'll retire eventually. It is important to find your identity in something that can't be gone in just a moment."

 

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