One is a puncher, the other is a preacher.But the puncher, Andre Ward, a boxing champion, and the preacher, Napoleon Kaufman, a former NFL running back, have an uncommon relationship. And the two men from Oakland have more in common than you might think.�Each has been an elite amateur and professional athlete.�Each has taken and dished out great amounts of punishment during his career.�Each builds his life around his family but puts God above everything.�Each greatly respects how the other leads his life�Each belongs to the Well Christian Community Church in Oakland, where Kaufman is pastor and Ward is a member, albeit a well-known member, of the flock.Kaufman, the former University of Washington and Oakland Raiders running back, couldn't be happier having a celebrity of such strong moral character and spotless ring record as Ward, a devout Christian, Olympic gold medalist and world champion, in his congregation."I follow his career. I'm a big fan of his and what he's doing and excited to see the success he's experiencing by the grace of God," Kaufman told USA TODAY Sports in a recent interview.Yet, you won't see the pastor walking out with Ward on Saturday night at Oracle Arena, nor will you see him anywhere near the arena. Kaufman has never attended one of Ward's fights and will not be around when Ward (twenty-five-zero, thirteen KOs), the lineal one hundred and sixty-eight-pound champion, steps into the ring to face Chad Dawson (thirty-one-one, seventeen KOs), the light heavyweight champion who is coming down seven pounds to face Ward in his hometown (HBO, nine:forty-five p.m. ET)."I try to be that guy behind the curtain who's just being the support to 'Dre," says Kaufman, thirty-nine, who retired from the Raiders after the two thousand season, but has recently returned as the team's chaplain. "Because of my background in professional sports, I don't want to take away from the spotlight on him. I try to be very cautious about that. I wouldn't even be having this interview if he didn't tell me, 'Hey, Pastor, I really would like you to do it.' "Kaufman has known Ward since the boxer joined the church in two thousand and four, a year after Kaufman had started it and the same year Ward won Olympic gold in Athens, the last American male boxer to do so."We were in between churches at the time, and (a friend of the family) told us about it," Ward said. "We procrastinated about a year, and then we finally went, and after the first service, I looked at my wife and said, 'Man, this is where we need to be.' We've been there ever since."And Ward has been moving steadily up the charts of the best boxers in the world ever since. Pound-for-pound, he ranks in the top five on almost everyone's list yet has remained steadfast in his relationship with the pastor and the church. The two men are close, and Ward relies on Kaufman for spiritual and, yes, career advice.After all, the ex-NFL star, who gained nearly five,zero yards rushing in his six-year career, has lived through the pro athlete experience. He knows what it's like to get up after being knocked down."We talk often," says Ward. "He is somebody who's always available. He's obviously my pastor, but he's already had a professional career. He understands very intimately some of the things I have to deal with. He's always there for me and I appreciate that."Ward says Kaufman, whose wife, Nicole, is also a pastor in the church, inspires him more by how he lives than what he says."He's not only a former great athlete, he's a Christian, the way he lives his life, the way he runs the church, the way he raises his family, the way he carries himself is most inspiring to me," Ward says.Kaufman says his football past helps him deal with the problems today's athletes encounter."Me having the experience of being in their situation gives me an opportunity to relate to them on that level," Kaufman says. "I understand some of the things they're going through from an emotional standpoint. From a thought process standpoint, I understand some of the challenges that can come up from being a professional athlete. So I try to use all my experiences to help in a particular situation when I can."The pastor is asked what are some of the biggest problems athletes face."I think it's twofold. A lot of professional athletes do not have great support systems. They may have some kind of support system (people around them who will tell them the truth and the tough things they may not want to hear)," Kaufman says. "And a lot of the athletes, frankly, when they do have good support systems, they don't choose to listen to them so it creates a bad situation. That's what I see a lot."Today's athletes are no more or less religious than they were in Kaufman's day, he says, but they have the advantage of social media to get their message out."Even when I played there were a lot of guys who loved the Lord and were very, very vocal about their faith in God," Kaufman said. "You remember the Reggie Whites and the guys of that nature, Vince Evans, they did a great job of sharing their faith."I think with the media the way it is now, texting, emails, twitter, you're seeing guys utilizing their platforms more to get the word out. � The media attention, with the (Tim) Tebows and the like, you're seeing more of it."I think it's a great opportunity, especially when the guys are living what they're preaching. When I look at Andre, I know this isn't a show. This is the way he lives. This is the way he conducts his business, inside and outside the ring. It's a pleasure to watch it."Kaufman keeps his hand in sports through more than just Ward, however. He is Raiders' chaplain, and coaches his kids' peewee football teams. He has lost none of the lifelong love he's had for the sport."I have three boys and a daughter," Kaufman says. "I'm a fan of the sport, I coach a peewee league team, and so yeah, I love it. I love the sport, I love going to the games, and I love coaching, and being around the team."He doesn't miss playing on Sundays."I haven't missed it because I so enjoy what I'm doing," he says, not a hint of doubt in his voice. "With my church, it's like having a big team. With my coaching, I'm still around the sport. I'm loving it."I'm not missing those three hundred-pound guys jumping on my back."Copyright two thousand and twelve USA TODAY
