Andy Stroup
Area Representative |
Stroup...There it is!
Favorite Bible Verse: "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
Favorite Book of the Bible: Romans
Favorite Translation: NLV
Favorite Sport: Baseball
Favorite Coach: David Kelly...The first Christian coach that I played for.
Favorite Player: Juan Pierre
Favorite Stadium: Tiger Stadium
Favorite College: LSU
Favorite Hobby: Spending time with my family, competing with friends, training
Favorite Book: Wild at Heart and the Left Behind Series
Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Time of Day: Sunset
Favorite Time of Year: Spring
Favorite Month: December (Christmas)
Favorite Day of the Week: Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium
Favorite CD: "Salvation Still Remains" Shane Barnard
Favorite Movie: "The Natural" and "Braveheart"
Favorite Drink: Henry Weinhards Rootbeer!
Favorite Food: Potato Salad
Favorite Dessert: Brownies
Favorite Store: Banana Republic |
Biography
A native of LaPlace, LA, Andy graduated from East St. John High School in 1995. While at East St. John, he played football and baseball four years serving as team captain in both sports during his final two years. He was also a member of East St. John's 1992 5A State Championship baseball team, the first state championship in the 5A classification. Following graduation, he accepted a scholarship to play baseball for Galveston College in Galveston, TX. After spending one year as a Whitecap, he transferred to LSU to pick up the pig skin again and join the LSU football team. During his first two years, he enjoyed the resurgence of the LSU football program as the Tigers picked up wins in the 1996 Peach Bowl over Clemson and the 1997 Independence Bowl over Notre Dame. In the fall of 1999, he received a full scholarship to play in his senior year as a Tiger. He also earned Academic All-Southeastern Conference honors in his junior and senior seasons.
After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Business Management/Entrepreneurship in December 2000, he took a step of faith and moved to the Shreveport/Bossier area to answer the call to full-time ministry in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
He is the son of Lee and Patricia Stroup of LaPlace, LA. He has an older brother, Tony, who lives with his wife, Nicki, and daughter Kirsten, in Gonzales, LA. He also has a younger sister, Cindy, who lives with her husband, Luke, daughter, Destyn, and son Dylan in LaPlace, LA.
Testimony
Like many people who are from the South, I grew up with a Christian influence in my home. However, I was also like alot of other people, I did not accept it for myself. The driving force in my life when I was growing up was sports. I found my identity in my sport. I loved to compete and I loved to strive and strain to make myself the best athlete that I could. And, I guess that made me "happy" during that period of my life, or at least I thought it did. When I transferred to LSU in the fall of 1996, things really started changing in my life...for the worst. One of the biggest isssues that I faced during my first year at LSU was being accepted for who I was. The main reason that I struggled with this was because I felt like I was way in over my head athletically...I didn't feel like I could "match up" with the athletic ability of my teammates. Because of this, I wanted to be accepted for something by my teammates. So, one night I accepted an invitation from one of my teammates to go out and party. And that began a new chapter in my life. If I wasn't "good enough" on the field, then I was sure going to be "good enough" off the field. I spent a little over a year in that lifestyle. Most of it was filled with regret, lonliness, and emptiness. No matter what I did or how great football was, I just wasn't satisfied with life. In the fall of 1997, my life would change forever. The death of my Uncle Jerry in November really shook our family up. For me personally, it propelled me to ask the "big" questions. Although I believed in God and eternity, I wanted to know if it was all real. So, I began to seek the answers to those questions. During my persuit of truth over the next month and a half, things slowly got back to normal. We ended up sharing the Western Division Championship in the SEC and were scheduled to play Notre Dame in the Independence Bowl. Well, we won the game and ended a good season. On our trip back to the hotel from Independence Stadium, I finally felt like my life had gotten back to normal after my uncle's death. However, when I stepped off of the bus at the hotel, things only got worse. I found out shortly after that my Uncle Francis had a heart attack in church that morning and died. From triumph to tragedy in a matter of moments...that was tough. My Uncle Francis was a big part of my life growing up. I guess he was my "favorite" person to be around at holidays and family reunions. When I was growing up, he and my Aunt Jeris would always talk to me about God and that one day God would come back for us in an instant. Well, that became a reality for him that day. At his funeral service a few days later, God finally got through to me and I fianally let go of the control of my life. On January 1, 1998 I gave my life to Christ! And you know, I have never been the same since. He changed me from the inside out and I will praise him forever because of it! Immediately upon my return to LSU that Spring, I got involved in FCA at LSU and that is how I eventually made my way to Shreveport/Bossier. |
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