Surround Yourself With
Greatness
Proverbs 13:20:
“He that walketh with wise men shall be
wise: but a companion of fools shall be
destroyed”
By : Chase Sorenson
Chad Lewis
 Chad Lewis was born
10/5/71 In Orem Utah
 Played Football at BYU and 9
years in the NFL with the
Philadelphia Eagles and St.
Louis Rams
 3x Pro Bowler
 Wikipedia. (2010, 2 16).
Retrieved from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
/Chad_Lewis


Characters
 In Surround Yourself With Greatness there are many
people who play vital role in his life and in essence
could be called Characters
 There are many of them from his parents to Andy Reid,
Donovan McNabb, Dick Vermeil, Ty Detmer, Morris
Unutoa and many more.
 Throughout the book its clear how important friendship
is to Chad Lewis and much he value’s the relationships
he has made here are a couple of the people he
mentions often throughout the book.
Favorite Characters
 As I mentioned earlier the
list of people who play a
part in this book is
countless, having said that
these are the ones who had
the most impact on me.
 Vai Sikahema, President
Kent Watson, Larry Harmer
and Roger Lewis (Chad
Lewis Father)
Favorite Characters Continued
 Via was one of the first people he met in Philadelphia
and really helped him and his wife acclimate to not only
life in Philly, but also to life in the NFL. Was a mentor
and became a life long friend of Lewis’
 President Kent Watson was his mission president for the
Taiwan mission at the time he was there, and Lewis’s
credits him during the whole book. One of the things
Lewis said of him “I was totally impressed by President
Watson. He had a great influence on me and altered the
course of my life in many ways” Which to me is the best
compliment a man could get.
Favorite Characters Continued 3
 Larry Harmer was a very big part of his life as well.
While on their mission Harmer was the one who
challenged Lewis to walk on the the football team at
BYU when he got back. And that was huge because
without that challenge he could have never tried and
this book would not be written
 Perhaps the most important character in the book to me
was his father (Roger Lewis). He helped raise him and to
me no one has more of any impact on a young man’s life
then his father. And its clear after reading this book the
impact his father had on him.
Summery (Utah To Taiwan)
 From the very start of the book it comes out and grabs
your attention and never looks back.
 The two major events of this section of the book have
to be his dad’s stroke, and his LDS Mission to Taiwan.
 Roger Lewis suffer a stroke and an aneurysm on July 2nd
1990, just 3 ½ months before Chad was to leave on his
church mission. His dad’s recovery was a miracle being
as they only gave him a 5% chance of making it through
surgery.
 Chad Lewis Entered the MTC on October 24th 1990
Summery 2 (Life At BYU)
 Walks on the football while
attending school at BYU.
 While playing football at BYU
he was named to the All WAC
team twice. Honorable
mention All American and a
semi-finalist for the Fred
Bilentikoff Award.
 Met his Wife Michele and
married while still there,
had their first daughter
Emily halfway through his
senior season.
Summery 3 (Life In The NFL)
 Lewis signed the Philadelphia
Eagles as an undrafted free
agent following his senior
season at BYU.
 During his 9 years in the NFL.
He played for the Eagles and
the St. Louis Rams.
 Made many life long
friendships and because of
his NFL career he got to
meet many people including
President George W Bush.
Setting
 The time period of this book is from 1990 to the present day.
Its important because the whole theme of the book is being
surrounded by great people. Advice like that never goes out
of date no matter what time period it is.
 The book takes events that happened in his life all around the
world. Everywhere from Orem Utah to Taiwan. I find that
important because it just goes to show that no matter where
you live in this world all you need to do to be happy is just
surround yourself with good people.
Themes
 The 1st of the three themes
I chose to do is friendship.
 The reason I chose this was
very simply while reading
this book it became very
evident to me how much a
good friend impact your
life. And the author makes
it very clear to the reader
in the ways his friends have
impacted him.
Themes 2
 The 2nd theme I chose to is faith.
 To me this book spoke to how important it is to have
faith. Weather it be in God, a friend, a religion, or just
simply the faith that things will get better everyday.
 This one really struck a cord with me because I think
that faith is a vital thing that many people today do not
have and it shows with how the world is going. And this
book showed me some amazing examples of faith.
Themes 3
 The 3rd theme I chose to do
is Greatness.
 I did this because its part of
the title of the book and who
in life does not want to be
great at whatever they do?
The answer is no one.
 This book portrays Greatness
very well. Giving countless
examples of it, but it also
talks about what one must
do to be great. And it to be
great you must “Surround
Yourself With Greatness”
Book Rating
 I would give my book a 9 of 10.
 I really enjoyed this book and
would recommend it to anyone
who would ask me about it. For
the type of book it is it really
pulls you in and never lets go. It
leaves the reader wanting to
“Surround Yourself With
Greatness”.

“Surround Yourself With Greatness is a
feast of compelling stories, skillfully
told. I Genuinely enjoyed the book and
felt inspired by the power of its
message” – Michael O Leavitt Former
US Secretary of Health and Human
Science
Social Issue
 My social issue is Church
and State, and the role of
god in America.
 I chose to do this because
this is an issue that affects
everyone in America.
 God was also a major role
in the book I chose to do
my report on.
Social Issue Continued
 The song I chose for my
social issue is “In God We
Still Trust” by Diamond Rio
And Pink Houses by John
Mellencamp.
 The Video link is
 http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=u1SonwyVx4I
 http://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=qOfkpu6749w
 I used these two media’s
because they both portray
what I believe on this issue
 With that said I know that
on this issue there are
many different opinions
and interpretation's of the
laws
Declaration Of Independence
 “When in the Course of human events
it becomes necessary for one people to
dissolve the political bands which have
connected them with another and to
assume among the powers of the earth,
the separate and equal station to which
the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God
entitle them, a decent respect to the
opinions of mankind requires that they
should declare the causes which impel
them to the separation.”

The Declaration of Independence appeals to
God no less than three times. Four to those
who can see His Name in the phrase
"protection of divine providence". Five to
those who can admit the phrase "created
equal" means created by God, not evolved
from chaos.

www.ushistory.org/declaration/document
First Amendment
 “Congress shall make no law
respecting an establishment
of religion, or prohibiting the
free exercise thereof; or
abridging the freedom of
speech, or of the press; or
the right of the people
peaceably to assemble, and
to petition the Government
for a redress of grievances.”
 www.firstamendmentcenter.
org
Supreme Court Rulings
 McCollum V. Board Of Education Dist 71(1948)
(Court finds
religious instruction in public schools a violation of the establishment clause and
therefore unconstitutional.)
 Torcaso V. Watkins (1961)
(Court holds that the state of Maryland cannot
require applicants for public office to swear that they believed in the existence of
God. The court unanimously rules that a religious test violates the Establishment
Clause.)
 Engel V. Vitale (1962)
(Any kind of prayer, composed by public school
districts, even nondenominational prayer, is unconstitutional government
sponsorship of religion.)
 Stone V. Graham (1980)
schools unconstitutional.)
(Court finds posting of the Ten Commandments in
 www.infidels.org/library/modern/chruch-state/decisions.html
Supreme Court Rulings Con.
 Wallace V. Jaffree (1985)
(State's moment of silence at public
school statute is unconstitutional where legislative record reveals that
motivation for statute was the encouragement of prayer. Court majority
silent on whether "pure" moment of silence scheme, with no bias in favor of
prayer or any other mental process, would be constitutional.)
 Edwards V. Aquillard (1987)
(Unconstitutional for state to
require teaching of "creation science" in all instances in which evolution is
taught. Statute had a clear religious motivation.)
 Allegheny V. ACLU (1989)
(Court finds that a nativity scene
displayed inside a government building violates the Establishment Clause.)
 www.infidels.org/library/modern/chruch-state/decisions.html

Founders View
 " You do well to wish to learn our arts and our ways of life, and above all,
the religion of Jesus Christ. Congress will do everything they can to assist
you in this wise intention." George Washington
 "History will also afford frequent opportunities of showing the necessity
of a public religion...and the excellency of the Christian religion above all
others, ancient or modern." Benjamin Franklin
 “It is the duty of all wise, free, and virtuous governments to help and
encourage virtue and religion.” John Jay
 " Let...statesmen and patriots unite their endeavors to renovate the age
by...educating their little boys and girls...and leading them in the study
and practice of the exalted virtues of the Christian system." Samuel
Adams
 www.christianparents.com/ffathers.htm
Bibliography
 www.christianparents.com
 www.infidels.org
 www.heritage.org
 www.firstamendmentcenter.org
 www.ushistory.org/declaration/document