Miles McPherson is the President of Miles Ahead Ministries and Senior Pastor of the Rock Church and Academy in San Diego, California. A nationally known speaker, McPherson’s bold, down-to-earth, humorous style has become his trademark. His relevant messages challenge both the young and young-minded and often compel them to recalibrate their lives in light of the Gospel.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, in March 1960, the second oldest of five children, McPherson was raised on Long Island in a strong family. After excelling in football throughout high school, he attended the University of New Haven, where he majored in engineering. McPherson was the university’s first player to achieve All-American honors in football and be drafted into the NFL. Strong athletics run in the McPherson family; Miles’ brother, Don McPherson, was a Heisman Trophy runner-up in 1987.

Miles was originally drafted by the Los Angeles Rams; he was cut and went on to play defensive back for the San Diego Chargers.

Off the field his life began to spiral out of control. Two years into his professional football career, McPherson was battling a drug problem and living an immoral lifestyle. That’s when teammate Sherman Smith, now an NFL coach, asked McPherson a simple question, “If you were to die right now, would you go to heaven?”