DALLAS — Noah McGough's talent is on full display on Friday nights at Jesuit Dallas.
“I’ve been blessed with this gift, this gift of being able to kick," said the Rangers senior kicker. "I wanted to use that gift that God's given me to serve Him in a way.”
A specialty that makes him one of the best high school kickers in Texas. And this season, McGough's right leg is benefiting a second team.
"To see the men profess their stories, and what they've gone through, and to get to see their testimonies," McGough said. "It was one of the most amazing experiences to witness God moving in these men's lives.”
Every extra point or field goal that McGough makes this season is raising money for the Men of Nehemiah recovery center in Dallas.
“At the beginning, I thought it'd be $1 or $2 a point, just get a little money for them," McGough said.
Entering the playoffs, McGough has raised over $40,000 on 58 total points scored. It's money that will directly benefit men like Elijah Spencer.
“It makes me feel this sense of gratefulness, because I don't deserve it, and we don't deserve it," Spencer said.
Spencer came to the Men of Nehemiah almost three months ago. His story is like many others. A life shattered by addiction.
“Issues started to come up in my life, and with those issues came depression. I decided to deal with those emotions with drugs," Spencer said.
The Men of Nehemiah uses a three-pronged method for recovery: biblical discipleship, military discipline and clinical services.
“It's possible to get back on the path to life," Spencer said. "I was hopeless. But this has been a setting where I found hope, and they've helped cultivate that.”
“Complete restoration, if I had to sum it up," said Men of Nehemiah recovery manager Kamron Johnson. "Something happens and like the light comes on, and you get to see it, you get to witness it.”
And while the money that McGough has raised will help, Johnson said spreading the awareness of the program will make a lasting impact.
"He's around a lot of people who may not even know that we're here, or who may be oblivious to the whole problem of addiction," Johnson said. "Doing what he does just opens the eyes of more people."
One kick at a time, from a kid who's got two teams depending on his right leg this football season.
“We're a team out here on this field, and we're trying to win Friday nights. They're a team, and they're trying to save lives," McGough said. "It has really been more of a blessing to me than I think I could ever be to them.”
“I thank God for that soul that he's made in Noah," Spencer said. "It's changing our lives. It's leading us back on a path that's eternally beneficial to us.”
To support McGough's "Kick for a Cause" fundraiser, please click here.