Trey Burton
Trey Burton
Trey Burton is a tight end for the Indianapolis Colts, who was first drafted in 2014. Trey lives in Florida with his wife, two daughters, and son and fervently seeks to grow in his knowledge of the Lord.
Five Increase Questions
What effect does your faith have on your lifestyle?
My decisions, relationships, actions, and thoughts are determined by my faith in Jesus Christ. I think everyone’s way of life is determined by what they believe, whether they realize it or not. Some of the tangible things that I can recognize as a result of Jesus’ presence in my life are the fruits of the Spirit that He is continually growing in me. This wasn’t always the case. I used to be a people pleaser—my level of joy ebbed and flowed according to how the world reacted toward me. I realized that when my identity was found in my performance, my life was extremely fragile. Now that I have set my foundation firmly on God alone, I know Who I’m playing for and what I’m living my life for. No other voices have power over my life.
Describe how your Journey with Christ began.
I grew up in a Christian household, going to a Christian school through grade 5. When I was in Kindergarten I vividly remember my teacher, Miss Alyce Kurecki, teaching us about the Lord. She asked if anyone wanted to accept Jesus into their heart and I raised my hand. She then took me onto the patio of the school and we prayed together. It was there that I accepted the salvation of Christ. However, at that time I wasn’t able to fully understand what it meant to be a Christian or who Christ was. Fast forward to high school. During these years I was blessed to meet with a man named Rodney Ring every Wednesday morning for breakfast before school. Over breakfast, he sowed into me what it means to be a Christian. He taught me how to study Scripture, remember verses, and seek after God. While he was feeding me great teaching, I was still living the worldly life outside of Sunday morning church and Wednesday morning Bible study. I hadn’t fully given my heart to Christ. In college, I met my future wife. We were off-and-on for a while but had just decided to commit to a relationship with each other and we wanted to please the Lord in that. But we slipped up a few times. One day, I walked into my girlfriend’s apartment and found her crying…she was pregnant. At that moment, we both decided to confess our sins to the Lord and commit both our lives and our relationship to Him. We stopped living the lives that we had been and started living solely for the Lord. Soon after that we were married; weeks after that we were blessed with our first daughter.
Who have been the mentors in your life? How did God bring these people into your life?
I grew up without a father, but my mother’s dad was extremely influential in my life. In fact, many of the men on my mom’s side of our family were great leaders and role models who I looked up to. Together with my high school football coaches, they taught me what it meant to be a strong man. It’s because of these men that I am the man I am today.
What does the Increase of Christ mean to you?
Complete surrender. The more you are willing to surrender—even when it’s uncomfortable—to Christ through prayer and spending time with Him, the greater impact He will have in your life and through your life. It’s about having constant relationship with Him, not prioritizing Him just for Sundays or before-meal blessings, but by daily walking in His Spirit. When we do this, we are more easily able to ignore the worldly things that we selfishly thought we desired, and instead we are able to be led by Him, allowing the Lord to have full reign over our lives for His glory.
What is your life verse and why?
Jeremiah 29:13 says, “If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.” This is my life story. I wanted to know who God was, but I was not seeking after Him. When He gave me a wake-up call, I sought after Him and discovered what it means to live life to the fullest in the joy of our God.
Thankful for Every Moment - Trey Burton
Before the 2020 season started, I didn’t even know if I was going to play...
READ MOREBeing Present for My Kids - Trey Burton
Over the last eight years I’ve been discovering what it means to be a dad....
READ MORERespect for Our Leaders - Trey Burton
It’s easy to spite someone, criticize them, or get accusatory with those in authority when...
READ MOREPlaying In An Empty Stadium - Trey Burton
Playing an NFL game without an audience is one of the weirdest sensations I’ve experienced...
READ MOREFootball Is Not Who I Am, It's What I Do - Trey Burton
This season did not start off as I had hoped. Coming into Indy, I was...
READ MOREThere's a Bigger Plan - Trey Burton
There will always be confrontation between coaches and players. There’s no getting around it. They...
READ MOREConversations That Count - Trey Burton
With nearly everything being virtual over the past few months, I really hadn’t experienced much...
READ MORERefocus and Keep God First - Trey Burton
As professional athletes, we often find ourselves in situations of unknown and uncertainty. Are we...
READ MOREJoining Forces in Indianapolis - Trey Burton
After last season with the Chicago Bears, while rehabbing my injury, I wasn’t sure what...
READ MOREIgnite A Spark - Trey Burton
I’m not a big believer in worrying about things that are outside of my control....
READ MOREChrist At The Center - Trey Burton
At the beginning of our marriage, I found myself always trying to compete with Yesenia....
READ MOREIt's Not About Me - Trey Burton
It’s not about me. I’ve been reminded again and again about this fact recently. And...
READ MOREDiscovering Dependence - Trey Burton
While my season on the field didn’t go as I had hoped, things at home...
READ MOREPrayer in Perspective - Trey Burton
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that...
READ MOREWhat Voices Are You Listening To? — Trey Burton
Fortunately, and unfortunately, for me, I have been able to play in two of the...
READ MOREWaiting on Him - Trey Burton
This season has been frustrating for me. Getting injured, having surgery, and then not recovering...
READ MOREUnder Attack - Trey Burton
Spiritual attack is real. And lately, my family and I have felt under attack in...
READ MOREFreely Received, Freely Given - Trey Burton
In Matthew 10, Jesus talks about the calling He has for His disciples and the...
READ MOREThe Fight for Purity — Trey Burton
Our culture has become so sexualized, so saturated with negative images on billboards, television, movies...
READ MOREThe Power to Transform - Trey Burton
The Word of God has the power to transform lives. If I truly believe...
READ MOREWhat's Ahead - Trey Burton
Last year I was leaving something comfortable and going somewhere completely new by switching teams....
READ MOREChange in the Air - Trey Burton
Joining the Bears last season was a huge highlight in my NFL career so far....
READ MORETo Love Like Christ - Trey Burton
Being a family man within the NFL can be tough. Being away for a good...
READ MOREHumble Confidence - Trey Burton
Once high school hit, I started becoming pretty decent at football. I can remember that...
READ MOREReshaping the Norm - Trey Burton
I grew up in a family where high anxiety was the norm. I didn’t realize...
READ MOREWork It Out - Trey Burton
When everything’s perfect, it’s much easier to do what God’s calling us to do. But...
READ MOREA Trip Back with IJM — Trey Burton
During this offseason, I was able to join the International Justice Mission on a second...
READ MOREPlugged In - Trey Burton
Being a part of a local church looks a little different for an NFL player....
READ MOREMaking a Lasting Impact - Trey Burton
The transition to Chicago has been really smooth for me. The football side of things...
READ MOREReaching the Pinnacle - Trey Burton
Winning the Super Bowl is reaching the pinnacle of what God created a football player...
READ MOREA Fresh Start - Trey Burton
We’re so excited for a brand new start in Chicago, but that being said, the...
READ MOREJust One More Game - Trey Burton
This being my first time in the playoffs, I’m extremely excited. We all are! I...
READ MOREProducing Perseverance - Trey Burton
This season has been a whirlwind. We were so excited to be excelling in the...
READ MOREOnly by God - Trey Burton
I’m usually the type of guy who needs to see something to believe it. But...
READ MORECalled to Simply Worship - Trey Burton
In Philly, we’re not a one-man show. We’re not even a two- or three-man show....
READ MOREGiving Freely - Trey Burton
“One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and...
READ MOREExpecting a Great Change - Trey Burton
A few weeks ago we held a fundraising event during our kickoff game against the...
READ MOREBut First, Humility - Trey Burton
Growing up without a father figure, I was extremely blessed to have a few incredible...
READ MOREFaith to Fight for Freedom - Trey Burton
On our 2017 season kicks off Sept. 10, when we’ll face our rival team: the...
READ MOREWorth Fighting For - Trey Burton
Recently I returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic, where a group of us...
READ MOREGet Uncomfortable - Trey Burton
The whole reason why I play football is to make the name of Jesus known....
READ MOREMaking Your Boast - Trey Burton
Lately a few of us on the team have been going to local high school...
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