Miles McPherson



Born in Brooklyn, New York in March of 1960, Miles grew up with a large and lively family. At 
an early age he had dreams of becoming a professional football player.  

After playing football in high school, Miles played defensive back for the University of New 
Haven while majoring in engineering. He became the first football player at UNH to receive All-
American honors.  

In the spring of 1982, he became the first player from the University of New Haven to be drafted 
to the NFL to play for the Los Angeles Rams. After being cut from the team in training camp, he 
went to play as a defensive back for the San Diego Chargers. With the achievement of his goal 
Miles believed he could now have a life of fulfillment and happiness he had always searched for. 

What he had thought would bring him complete happiness had still left him empty and wanting 
more. Miles began to turn drugs and women to fill this void in his life. At one of the lowest points 
in his life, Miles was battling a cocaine addiction. It was then that Charger team member, now 
NFL position coach, Sherman Smith asked Miles this question, "If you were to die right now, 
would you go to heaven?"

This question hit home for Miles, but it took the next six months for him to admit to the answer 
and face the real issue. One morning, after being up all night on cocaine, Miles came face to face 
with the maker of the universe and admitted his desperate need for God.  In April 1984 Miles 
asked Christ to be his savior. Miles was now ready to answer Sherman’s question. Having begun a 
relationship with God, the effect on Miles’ life was dramatic and permanent.  Miles stopped using 
drugs that same day and was shortly reunited with Debbie is former girlfriend, now wife.

Soon after his conversion, Miles began attending Horizon Christian Fellowship in San Diego.  He 
had a passion to reach young people and began doing motivational speaking through the Chargers' 
organization. In September 1986, within a week of retiring from football, McPherson went to work 
as a Youth Pastor for Horizon and enrolled in Azusa Pacific University's School of Theology.  He 
received his Master's of Divinity degree in 1991, and in 1992, founded Miles Ahead Ministries, a 
non-profit organization that reaches out to young people with the Gospel. Miles McPherson is the 
President of Miles Ahead and Senior Pastor of The Rock Church in San Diego, California.  

As a nationally known speaker, viewed as an expert on such issues facing teenagers, Miles serves 
as the primary evangelist for the Miles Ahead events.  Miles Ahead Ministries has grown, 
including the expansion of evangelistic events into other cities, states, and international locations. 
At the Miles Ahead crusades alone, he has spoken to over 465,700 young people in the last two 
years and seen over 39,000 people make decisions for Christ.

Though Miles’ life may have been far from perfect he knows from experience that God rejects no 
one and that the perfect love of God can transform anyone in a single moment. From despair to 
peace, from weariness to rest, from suffering to safety, God can give you everything that’s worth 
living for because Jesus Christ believed you were worth dying for.