In this episode, radio host Chrysandra Brunson and guest Sam Acho, a celebrated author and former NFL player, discuss the courage it takes to pursue your God-given dreams. Despite facing numerous challenges and societal expectations, Sam Acho shares how he has navigated his journey from a career in professional football to becoming a respected writer and analyst. Discover how slowing down, listening, and spending time in prayer can help you align with your divine calling. Whether it’s through writing, speaking, or humanitarian work, Sam emphasizes the importance of following your fire and being true to the identity God has
Welcome, everyone, to The Calling’s radio show to all the dreamers. I’m your radio host, Chrysandra Brunson, founder and CEO of The Calling. And it is such an honor to be with all of you today. You know, at The Calling, we have realized that so many people are afraid to go after the dreams that God has put inside of their hearts. because they are afraid to fail and that is a plain wrong because if God has given us a dream and we’re not living it out, we are wasting it and we do not want to die with regret. That’s why the calling loves to inspire, empower, and equip people to go after God’s dreams on their lives to reap the best kind of harvest of long-lasting legacy to have immediate impact on themselves and their families. And we love to do that through giving people the tools and confidence to live that out from global conferences, workshops, seminars, and this incredible radio show to all the dreamers and having world-renowned guests talk about their God-given calling and how they’ve been able to live it out. World-class leaders, you guys. Like today, we have the one and only Sam Acho. And Sam, welcome to the show.
SAM ACHO :
It’s so good to be on with you.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
And so I want to say your full name because like you have a partial part of it. But can you tell us how to say your full name? Because it is remarkable.
SAM ACHO :
Yes. So my name is Samuel Onyedi Kachi Acho. And Samuel means heard by God. My parents came from Nigeria and they immigrated over to America. And we’re trying to, you know, do family and life and all the things. And, um, they had two daughters. I have two great young, unbelievable sisters. And one thing with Nigerian culture, they were praying for a son to like help with the legacy and all the things and stuff back home. And so like Samuel means heard by God. Onye di kachi means it’s an Igbo name means who is like unto God. Is it like, there’s no one who can compare to God. Like it’s almost described like Onye di kachi, who is like God. And, um, yeah, so that’s my name.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
I want to say Samuel now, but it is, you know, I think that Jesus really does have such a, he, our names have such meaning and they have purpose for our destiny that he wants us to live out. And so you just sharing your name, Sam, we are just so honored and humbled to have you here with us at the calling and to all the dreamers radio show. And So I think everyone is like, oh, my gosh, I’ve heard of him. He’s on. But for those limited ones that may not know your background, can you just share some of your roles and platforms that God has been able to open up to be able to impact the world for such a time as this?
SAM ACHO :
So I grew up in Dallas, Texas. I went to the University of Texas on a football scholarship. I actually got in academically as well, which is something I was super proud of. Yeah, so I went on a football scholarship. I played four years at the University of Texas. And I got a chance to get drafted. to the National Football League, 103rd pick, fourth round, to the Arizona Cardinals, played for the Cardinals for four years, played for the Bears for four years, Chicago Bears. And then I played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for one year. So I played for nine years in the NFL. And right before COVID, I stopped playing and started writing. And I actually wrote a book in 2020 called Let the World See You, How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes. And I wrote that book and I started speaking and I’ve been speaking kind of my whole life, but speaking, writing, I started working with ESPN as well. So I’m a college football and NFL analyst for ESPN. And I’m also an XFL commentator. for ESPN. And then also I wrote my second book, which just released less than a month ago called chain starts with you following your fire to heal a broken world. And so author speaker, ESPN analyst. And also I work with athletes as well, helping them think about impact and wealth management, but also like your human capital.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
How about someone going after their God-given dreams right there, Sam? You are, I mean, it is an epiphany of what it really looks like to live fearlessly after Jesus is calling on your life and how that can just be in so many different avenues and outlets and that God always wants us to be able to see that there’s so much more, that he has so much more in the next season. And And for you to be able to take your NFL career and then be able to open it up to see so many more layers to impact humanity and to live out your God-given destiny, the best is yet to come. Amen. oh it’s so special well we’re so excited to be able to especially hear sam about your newest book that change starts with you um but we just we’re so excited to dive into this whole topic of calling and purpose and for you sam you’re i love your story and just be able to hear this aspect of going after your dream even when you’re not invited necessarily to certain things Can you tell us when you were younger, how you can see how God is just dropping these dreams in your heart of how of what you’re calling would be just even in your character and what your parents and guardians were just speaking into your heart when you were younger?
SAM ACHO :
it’s interesting because oftentimes we want to go after these things that we’re told, well, you’re supposed to go and do this business or talk to people this way or live in this state and have this family. And I believe that God plants dreams inside of our hearts and even our minds. Like he gives us these dreams that other people may not understand. They may not make sense to everyone. And so for me, even, um, the NFL wasn’t this dream of mine since I’ve been little. It was like academics. I cared about school. And I remember memorizing Shakespeare. I would do these Shakespeare, not these competition. I did a Shakespeare competition in high school. And I did that. I was reciting the Canterbury test, like English, like language. And not only English, right? Took Japanese and Spanish. Language mattered a lot. Words mattered a lot. People mattered a lot. And so even as I went to go play in the NFL, which I loved, The best parts about my time there was the people. It was the locker room with the guys. It was after the game or before the games with the fans interacting with people, even in writing. It’s about like this. I thought, okay, I love to speak. So I’m going to speak and speak and speak. And all of a sudden God started doing something in my heart and I started to write. And then people looked at me. They’re like, Hey, you’re not a football player. You’re a writer. What is this dream or this gift that you’ve been hiding? One of my friends said, dude, you’ve been repressing this.
CHRYSANDRA :
Whoa. I have goosebumps. Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
So there are these things, these dreams that I believe and even like the subtitle following your fire. So change starts with you is my most recent book. But the subtitle is following your fire to heal a broken world. It’s this deal of what are those dreams that God gave you? What’s that fire that he put inside of you? And if it’s not there, you don’t feel that like what happened? How did it? What happened? Why is it not ignited anymore? How do we add fuel to it? How do we get you to remember who God made you to be? So for me, some of it was this thing about loving people. Well, as a kid, I was a middle kid. Right. And so I was always kind of a mediator. Right. I grew up in different, you know, grew up in a probably white school, probably black church, but a Nigerian household. So you kind of see different. People and cultures. And so this deal of of and been around, you know, go to go to Nigeria, do medical mission work. So been around a developing country. I spent time around presidents. So you see like these dichotomies of like, OK, we’re all human and we’re all made in the image of God. And I see that and I want to bring that out.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Wow. And so, Sam, when you were younger, so you just you had this passion for academics and for language, even when you were younger. What was your favorite language when you were studying it?
SAM ACHO :
That’s such a good question. So I took Japanese. I switched schools. And we took Japanese early on, which it was just, I think our school thought that Japan was going to be this world power. And so I was taking Japanese. It was fun. And then I switched and started taking Spanish. But it wasn’t even just those. It was just learning. just little ways how to say hello or goodbye or have a mini conversation. One of my friends was Chinese. So I said, can you teach me some Mandarin, right? Like, you know, Mandarin or Cantonese. And so she taught me a few phrases in Mandarin. I remember going to Italy for a little bit. I was like, how do I learn a little bit of Italian? Or even I, not even friends who were Thai, but I would always go into these like Thai restaurants. How do I say things in Thai? So like there were these, even my MBA, I went and got my MBA Yeah. There it is. There it is. So this is international peace. So I don’t know what it was, but I’ve always loved my parents. We would go to Nigeria. They would go to Nigeria in the summers and they would, we would go with around Christmas, but also one year they took us on this like world tour. We got a chance after our trip to Nigeria, we went to London cause we would stop in London, British air. We went to London and we went to the Netherlands and went to Italy and went to France. It’s like this cool thing of like, Whoa, there’s more to the world than,
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Wow. So see if God is like, he like birthed inside of you that there was so much more like layer after layer of his creativity, his imagination of just cultures. And I think so many times we get stuck in these boxes of like, you have to fit inside this box and that’s all there is. And if you even think about going outside of it, You need to stay in there. How did you how have you been able to keep on growing in all these different seasons? Because, Sam, we know that. So you were going to tap back into that high school age and that transition. But how did you did your how like what was your mindset? What has been your mindset to continue to grow?
SAM ACHO :
So I grew up in Texas, and in Texas, in a lot of places, football is king. Oh, the athletes, the football players. But mind you, remember, I was always acting. And people mattered. So we’d be in recess and playing, and I was one of the better athletes at the school. I didn’t realize it, but I guess I was. I was usually the captain. And there were always the people who were picked last. And I hated that they were picked last. And so if I were the captain, I’d make sure they were picked second, maybe third, but not last. And then I would make sure our team was this deal of like bringing people together. And then even as I started to progress more in football, it wasn’t a plan to go play in the NFL. So as people saw me, you know, Texas football is king. And I went to the university of Texas. We went to national championships and all these things. And, and they thought, Oh man, you’re this football star. But they didn’t realize, no, dude, I love football. math and I love Shakespeare and I love like, you know, so there’s this thing of they would people may have tried to put me in a box, but it was never my goal was always to. I wouldn’t say always, but. I just didn’t want to be labeled as anything. I want people to know my name. I remember being a track, track and field in high school. And, you know, you do a, I was doing shot put and discus and they’d announce my name. They’d usually get my last, you know, talk about my name, right? Sam, we were not with Sam Macho, but they’d get my last name wrong. They’d say Ocho or Ako or Ocho. And I was like, man, one day they’re going to know my name. So there wasn’t people that wanted to know my name. But also I think it was just this, this, the dignity of someone’s name.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
Call me by my name. Like, don’t, you know, like we, and if you get it, people can mess up different pronunciations, but those things matter.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Wow. Well, and Sam, it seems like, so your parents, did they, were you born in Nigeria or you were born in Texas?
SAM ACHO :
I was born in Texas.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
We have to take, we have to take a short break, but we, we thank everyone for tuning in. We’re going to hear more about Sam fearlessly going after his God-given dreams. We’ll be right back. Hi guys, this is Chrisandra Brunson, host of To All The Dreamers. I am so happy to introduce personal training, nutritional guidance, and behavioral change coaching. Healthy, happy, and heavenly for your wellness, spirit, soul, and body. Contact Mimi Kroger at healthyhappyandheavenly.com.
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CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
We are right back. We are here with Sam Ocho of the NFL. And did I say it right? You said it right. You said it right. We were just talking about names and you are just, you are the one and only Sam, just with your background of fearlessly falling after what God has called you to in all seasons. And we were just talking about your parents real quick and where, where you were born and how you got to Texas.
SAM ACHO :
So I was born in Dallas. My parents were born and raised in Nigeria. They came over to America. I started in Virginia. So my oldest sister was born in Virginia. Then they moved to Texas, I think, with something to do with the weather. So they moved. And I more really was friends with that community in the Dallas, Austin, Houston area. And then I was born in Dallas. But we would go to Nigeria for Christmas and New Year’s every year. We would go and spend a few weeks there. in the in the winter. And maybe it was whether maybe it wasn’t right. But we were right. And then every summer, my parents led this medical mission trip. So as I got to about 15 or so, I started going on these medical mission trips to Nigeria in the summer. So born in Dallas, raised in Dallas, but spent a lot of a good amount of time in Nigeria.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Wow. Well, I’ve heard remarkable things about Nigeria. And even when we were able to meet at Justice College in Arizona and just love what they’re doing and love your heart behind it. And just wanted to… Sam, can you share one of your stories there of how you ended up going to this football camp? What happened? Right.
SAM ACHO :
Well, we talked about being… not necessarily being the one who was chosen, but still showing up. Or maybe not feeling like you were chosen. I did not know I was going to go play in… the NFL, let alone college. And I went to this football camp. I was around 17 years old. I grew up in Dallas and my younger brother was the one who started playing football before I did. He started playing the fifth or sixth grade. I started playing. Yeah, I think it was, he was probably fourth grade. He started, I started in the sixth grade and, and he loved football. I was watching videos of Ray Lewis playing linebacker, running back on things. I was watching cartoons. That was my deal. Like I’ll watch teenagers. Right. So that was my Saturdays was cartoons. Yeah. But there was this football camp at USC University of Southern California that just won back-to-back national championships. And I believe either were already at, maybe they were going to their third. And I go to this football camp. And it was, it was in California, it was in California and it was an invite only camp and we were not invited. And what I mean by that is like certain camps, it’s not only was it invited, it was their top 300 camp, the best 300 players from the entire state of California. And I think my dad just brought my brother and I, because he, we had friends in California and we wanted to go, let’s just go. And we go to this camp, we show up and we weren’t on the list. Well, for whatever reason, they let us in. Maybe my dad was smooth talking or maybe we were bigger kids and let us in. And I started off the camp. Not so great. I played tight end and defensive end. So I said, I’m going to go on and be a tight end. I’ll be this big athlete, whatever. Well, I didn’t have the best hands couldn’t catch right. As well as others. So the second part of the camp, I went as a defensive end. And I, for whatever reason, something really clicked. So I was doing one-on-one drills, a defensive line versus offensive line. And I was defensive or offense. I’d be winning, win one, win one. And then another, and another, like it couldn’t be blocked. I didn’t think much of it because I’m like, Hey, you’re supposed to win. Well, fast forward, you know, we go to the next drill and one of the coaches calls me out and pulls me back to go do those one-on-one drills again. And I’m thinking, did I make a mistake? What happened? So I don’t say anything. I go, I do the drills. I think I won a few, maybe lost one or two. So disappointed. I go back with the coach. I’m like, coach, what happened as he’s walking me back with my group? I said, did I make a mistake? Did something go wrong? He said, no, Sam, there were no mistakes. Nothing went wrong. We just wanted our head coach, Pete Carroll, to see you in person.
CHRYSANDRA :
Wow.
SAM ACHO :
So mind you, this is like, first, I’m like, wait, who’s Pete Carroll, right? But they’re like, this is like the coach, right? Dynasty, like Reggie Bush, Matt Leiter. And so fast forward to the top.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
My mouth is open for those that can’t see. It’s like, oh my gosh.
SAM ACHO :
Yeah. Me and four other guys get called up to his office. And in so many ways, we get offered scholarships essentially on the spot. And so that was kind of the story of not being invited, but showing up and God opening a door.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
I love that story, Sam. And I think everyone tuning in and hearing this, even if they’ve heard it before or just hearing it for the first time, it is mind boggling and such a testimony of what we do, what can happen when we just say yes. And we say yes to what Jesus has said. just in that next step and not knowing, or just, we’re just open to whatever he has in store. And I love seeing that that wasn’t even your guys’ intention that to necessarily go into the NFL, but God just opened up that door. And then you said nine years in the NFL and then in your heart though, you had it stirring to be able to write. And now you’re part of ESPN and you shared so many different outlets. So this first book, how did, so why, what did it look like when you first started writing? Were you scared at first? Was it, were there any naysayers along the way?
SAM ACHO :
You talked about, you talked about, Just this idea of God stirring it in my heart. Well, God was stirring it in my heart, but I wasn’t allowing him to let it out. God was stirring it, but I was keeping it in. And a series of events happened from an injury to getting benched to… going to counseling to one of my mentors, uh, dying, you know, he lost his life, lost, you know, well, I’d say lost his life, but won the battle. Cause now he’s with Jesus, but like he lost, he always had cancer and house flood. I just, life happened.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
And I was a guy who thought I had all the edge, all the happy and joy and all things, but it was just bad. And I remember talking with one of my friends and he, he just reminded me that, uh, it’s okay to be human.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
Okay. To not be okay. It’s okay to cry all those things. So really that first book was an opening of what God was stirring. He had been stirring and finally I let it out. And, you know, as we even said, he’s like, man, you’ve been repressing this for so long. And so that was the first book, which is, you know, which came out a few years ago. And this most recent book is really a book of, Because the first book is called Let the World See You, How to Be Real in a World Full of Fakes. The most recent book is called Change Starts With You, Following Your Fire to Heal a Broken World. So it’s this deal of, hey, God’s been stirring it in your heart. Now let people see it. And now that people have seen it, now it’s time to go and move and act and follow those dreams, those desires that God gave you to change the world.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Yes. And then, so Sam, how did, how did that stir in your heart and what are the key components of that? Of course, we’re so passionate about that here at The Calling and just want to champion behind everything because you are the epitome of someone following after their God-given calling. So what, what led you to write this one?
SAM ACHO :
So a lot of what led me to write it was pain and frustration and anger and confusion. I remember looking at 2020 and COVID and I remember watching George Floyd get killed and being like, I’ve seen a lot of apathy, but I also see a lot of anger and like, man, what’s going on? And then one of my friends said, Sam, you have to do something.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
And I’m thinking, well, what do you want me to do? I’m a football player. What can I do? He’s like, well, do what you have. And we talked about it. Like, who are you?
CHRYSANDRA :
Right.
SAM ACHO :
Like, I love people. I love bringing people together. I love justice, whether it’s locally or abroad. We talk about the work we do in Nigeria, Guatemala. Like,
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
This friend said, use it.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
Use it. And so finally you got a chance to like cry. Number one, I remember like being in tears, like looking at like, what is going on with George Floyd? I killed him on Arbery and just the world and me and like, what? And, and just this idea of reach out to a local nonprofit leader. I live in Chicago and, or I was living in Chicago at the time. This nonprofit leader said, I called, I said, Hey, what do you need?
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
What do you mean? She said, honestly, Sam, all our kids needed someone to listen to them. And I was thinking, no, but do I need to write a check? Do I need to show up? Do I need to protest? Do I need to? Just listen. And so I brought the people together, some athletes from the Chicagoland area, from essentially every team, Bears, the Bulls, the Cubs, the Blackhawks, the White Sox. I say I brought them together. God brought them together because I didn’t know half these people. I didn’t know more than half until they showed up that day. And we listened. to some black kids on the West side of Chicago and some police officers as well, brought some police officers and athletes and some kids and said, and just like, yeah, we, you know, we, we heard pain, frustration, fear. One of the officers said, man, our job is to serve and protect. And oftentimes we forget about the serve part. Some of the kids, 14 year old kids are saying, man, how come I watch TV and it’s only people who look like me that are getting shot.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
You know, I saw some athletes saying, I thought I’d be immune from this. I live in the neighborhoods. I still get pulled over or racially profiled. And, you know, so we saw. But then we took a visit to the community. We didn’t just. sit, listen, we actually took a tour of the community and we actually saw, yes, there are buildings boarded up and glass on the ground, but because looting and riding your people, all this stuff on the new, but we saw food desert. There were two grocery stores and 17 liquor stores and a half mile radius. So finally we said, what if we could do something? And so that’s just one example, but this idea of like change starts with you.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
Follow that thing that God gave you. Maybe start with just listening, but God is trying to do something in your life.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Yeah. We can’t wait to be able to find out, Sam, how we can be able to all of us get a copy of it. And I believe that people have an opportunity to win a signed copy from you, Sam. And so we will be telling people here in a couple minutes how they can be able to win that really fast, Sam. We know our time goes by so quick. It was so profound what you just shared with us. And we just hear that. And I think it does start with listening. We need to hear each other and be able to take action in that righteous justiceness that is inside of our heart to fight for what it looks like for heaven, to bring heaven to earth and what that looks like in all of our spheres of influence. So thank you for sharing that example. And, you know, there’s this there’s so many ways that God wants us to be as light. And we are if we don’t do something, we’re doing something. We’re letting we’re letting other people walk over that light that we’re supposed to shine. So. What would be your wisdom, Sam? People are tuning in and they’re trying to figure out how do I go after what God’s calling me to? I think I know what I’m called to. How do I identify it and how do I live it out?
SAM ACHO :
I think you have to slow down. There’s so much noise and pretense and expectations and those are not from God.
CHRYSANDRA :
Yeah.
SAM ACHO :
So I believe if we slow down and spend time with God, like praying, talking to God, listening to God, spend time in the word of God. Some people fast, right? Okay, I’m not going to eat for breakfast. I’m going to skip breakfast and use that time to go and pray. Yeah. I’m going to stay off of social media for a week, a day, whatever. So I would say slow down. All those expectations are not from the Lord. Find out what is from God. Take that time. You know, there’s a quote someone said is take the time to play the right notes. Like take the time and let God define you. Don’t let others in their expectations.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
So profound. I think, Sam, too, you’re the first one to say that. And I think that’s the very first thing that we have to do. That’s life changing. Thank you so much. Well, we’d love to have you back, Sam. And before we have to let you go, how can people get in touch with you and how can they get a copy of your incredible book, Change Starts With You?
SAM ACHO :
So the book is available on Amazon, anywhere books are sold. You can also go to samachobook.com, right? Anywhere you want to get your books. That’s the best. That’s an easy way to stay in touch with me on my social media at the Samacho, T-H-E-S-A-M-A-C-H-O, or go to my website, samacho.com. And so, um, yeah, so there’s a lot of things, but just go to samachobook.com and you’ll find out more about the book there.
CHRYSANDRA (Host) :
Oh, we can’t wait, Sam. And everyone’s going to have a chance to be able to win a copy of this incredible book. And they need to, you’ll find instructions on social media of how to do that. But you’re going to be able to follow Sam, the colleague, and to be able to enter in to win. Sam Lee, thank you so much for being on with us today. Thank you for being God’s dreamer. And everyone can go to thecallingnonprofit.org to stay in touch with Sam and to be encouraged that you can activate your God-given dream today. Till next time, dreamer. Keep dreaming big.
