Louisville—Pop quiz: David Garrard is: A) a Christian magician who has been performing for more than 40 years; B) an NFL quarterback who is in his seventh season with the Jacksonville Jaguars; or C) all of the above.

The answer is C. Of course, the two Garrards also happen to be two completely different people.

The magician David Garrard also is part-time children’s minister at St. Matthews Baptist Church in Louisville. But he is probably best known for his magic act which he has performed all over the United States and abroad. “Using tricks to share the truth,” is how he described his ministry.

So, what do these two men have in common besides a name?

That is the question NFL Films Producer Chip Swain asked when he contacted magician Garrard back in March. Swain told Garrard that he was collecting information for a profile piece about the Jaguars quarterback to be aired on ESPN2, and each time he did a Google search on the name “David Garrard,” the magician’s Web site would show up. Garrard said Swain offered him an opportunity to be a part of the TV segment and he accepted.

As Swain continued his research for the piece, he found something else the two men shared—a strong faith in Jesus Christ.

Two weeks later, Garrard was scheduled to perform at an Upward awards program at East Pointe Church in Jacksonville, Fla. Prior to his act, he met with Swain and quarterback Garrard for a dual interview segment. The magician said it was exciting to meet his namesake whom he had followed since his days playing college football at East Carolina University.

“He was just a real friendly, genuine kind of guy,” Garrard recalled. “I’m a little bit taller than he is, but he’s a whole lot bigger than I am.”

Magician Garrard was surprised to learn that the NFL quarterback also knew of him prior to their meeting. “He would go to the Internet to search himself after a game … and I would come up,” Garrard said. “He was interested in what I was doing.”

Following the interview, magician Garrard and an NFL Films camera crew hurried to the church to start his act. Close behind was quarterback Garrard, who agreed to serve as the magician’s assistant for his straitjacket escape.

“I … introduced him, and of course the place just went crazy,” Garrard recalled.

On a tight time schedule, the quarterback had to leave immediately following the trick, but magician Garrard said he was pleased to get to know a little more about the man whose name he shares.

“When that is your name, you’re grateful the guy’s not a thug,” Garrard explained. “It just kind of reminds us that we carry the name of Christ, and how do we represent Him? Because a lot of times that’s how people will know Him is through knowing us.”

The NFL Films program is scheduled to air on ESPN2 Oct. 14 at 1:30 a.m., and Oct. 15 at 2 p.m.