From Reluctant to Obedient: The Inspiring Journey of Dukes Knutson

It was just after the summer of ’69, and Dukes Knutson was stepping into a new chapter of his life at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). Little did he know that a simple discovery in the athletic building would set him on a path that would profoundly shape his life and the lives of many others.

While exploring the campus, Dukes stumbled upon an issue of "Sharing the Victory," the magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The organization was unfamiliar to him, but he was immediately drawn to its mission. For a few years, receiving and reading the magazine was his only connection to FCA. It wasn’t until he began teaching and coaching baseball and hockey in Duluth that his relationship with FCA would deepen.

While teaching and coaching baseball and hockey at Duluth Denfeld, Dukes was introduced to FCA Staff member Randy Jensen. Randy saw potential in Dukes and encouraged him to lead an FCA huddle. Dukes, however, was hesitant. He likened his reluctance to that of Moses, saying, "I’m all for this FCA thing and I think it’s a great organization but I am not a leader.” Like Moses looking for someone to speak for him, Dukes didn’t have the confidence to lead the ministry at Denfeld alone.

But just as God provided Moses with Aaron, He provided Dukes with a remarkable partner in Marv Heikkinen, a legendary football coach in Duluth. Dukes admired Marv, thinking, "This guy is such a good guy, he must be a Christian." One day, Marv mentioned he had considered getting involved with FCA but needed someone to join him. It was a perfect match!

And so, in 1977, the FCA huddle was established at Duluth Denfeld High School. Dukes and Marv worked together, and the huddle quickly became a vibrant part of the school's community. Five years later, Dukes found himself laid off from Denfeld and began working as the Sports Information Director at UMD. Unfazed, he started a new FCA huddle at UMD. The first meeting had just four attendees, but with persistence and outreach, the huddle became prosperous.

Two years after that, Dukes was recalled to teaching at the high school level and though he continued leading the huddle at UMD, he quickly got to work starting the huddle at Duluth East High School. He went to the Athletic Director and got the names of every athlete of every team and wrote out a personal invitation to each of them. “It took off incredibly well. We had over 100 kids show up at our first huddle to just introduce them to FCA.”

Randy Jensen was Directing FCA Sports Camp at that time, and, seeing how his encouragement for Dukes had worked so far, decided to pursue him further for FCA summer camp ministry. Though, since neither hockey nor baseball were offered at FCA camp, Dukes declined saying, “There’s no role for me at camp.” Au contraire - Randy called Dukes just a couple of days prior to camp starting because his Assistant Camp Director couldn’t make it. “Can you please come and just be my right-hand man?” said Randy. Because of their longstanding relationship, Dukes said yes.

“I had the most incredible experience at that camp,” said Dukes, who was in charge of the Huddle Leaders. “From that time on, I never missed a camp.” So, from 1990-2007, Dukes dedicated two weeks of his summer to FCA Sports Camp and FCA Leadership Camp.



Reflecting on his journey, Dukes shared, "Other than the church itself, no other organization has impacted my life more than FCA." He credited FCA with teaching him about the relationship with Christ and deepening his connections with others. "FCA has put me in a position of leadership, particularly with the high school groups, where we were able to form relationships that go beyond the teacher/student or coach/athlete relationship. Many of my closest friends today are former students or athletes of mine."

Dukes recounted how FCA’s previous mission statement—“To present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church”—has profoundly impacted his faith and relationships.

About 4-5 years ago, Dukes received two phone calls from two different former students. They knew of FCA and they knew what Dukes’ role was with FCA, but neither of them were involved in the ministry. Nonetheless, 20-25 years later, they reached out to Dukes because they were each going through marital struggles. “Neither one of them had been active in their relationship with the Lord, but as they had gone through their marital issues, they called me to ask, ‘What do you think God thinks about this?’ I was able to witness to them and encourage them and both of them are doing quite well today.” Praise God!

“It’s because they knew that I was a man of faith through FCA at their school while they were there.” Dukes continued, “We never know when we’re planting seeds. We never know when we’re impacting people.”

Since retiring and moving to Florida, Dukes has also become active in another sports ministry, Baseball Chapel. In his mind, “This is FCA, just strictly for baseball players.” He conducts his groups just like an FCA huddle and is seeing the same results with the team he works with, the Tampa Bay Rays. “I’m seeing the same kind of opportunities and the same kind of impact. For example, I recently had a player who I met in 2019 who wasn’t a committed Christian at the time call me after graduating as a Navy Seal.” That player said to Dukes, “I’ve never told you this and I’ve never thanked you for it, but I just want you to know as I head to my first assignment as a Navy Seal, that Baseball Chapel changed my life.”

Dukes' journey from a reluctant leader to a passionate guide in FCA and beyond is a testament to how obedience and faith can lead to far-reaching impact. His story serves as a powerful reminder of the difference one person's obedience can make in the lives of many. Thank you, Dukes Knutson, for being a vessel through which God's love and guidance have touched so many lives over the years.