Lex Luger Testifies of Overcoming Drug Addiction and Returning to God
Lex Luger, whose real name is Lawrence Wendell Pfohl, was interviewed recently by the editor of the Christian Index, the newspaper of the Georgia Baptist Convention. The interview, which was published by the Baptist Press Wednesday, tells the story of the former WWE and WCW superstar's struggle with the law and drug and alcohol addictions, before finally finding sense in God.
Luger, once a successful football player and a happy family man, became famous as professional wrestler after he started working under the banner of the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) in 1987. His nickname was "The Total Package."
But somewhere between then and his new life related to church, his path turned into a dark area. Luger, 53, was reportedly struggling with drugs and alcohol abuse, with the darkest moment of his addiction occurring between May and August of 2005, as he said in the interview.
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"I could have overdosed at any time," Luger said. "It is a miracle of God that I survived during that period of time."
The wrestler also got into trouble with the law, including being arrested for drug possession in 2003.
According to media reports, the former wrestler was also being investigated for causing the death of his then-girlfriend, Elizabeth Ann Hulette -- also known as "Miss Elizabeth" -- who died of drug overdose in May 2003. Hulette's death was eventually ruled accidental, but Luger remained at odds with the law for a while.
In 2005, he had his first moment of spiritual awakening, when he literally awoke from a drug-infused nightmare with thoughts of finding salvation in God, he said in the interview.
But before his real spiritual awakening, Luger ended up in a Minnessotta jail for a few months, where he developed a relationship with the jail pastor, Steve Baskin, according to the interview.
On April 16, 2006, Luger attended a groundbreaking service at the Clarkdale First Baptist Church in Georgia and heard Pastor Marvin 'Doc' Frady preach on Matthew 7:24-29, about one man building his house on the sand and another man building it on a rock.
"I felt like God was speaking through him to me. I could see all my stuff on sand with no foundation," Luger said in the interview. "All my life was built on shifting sand and was nothing more than a house of cards. My empire was not built on a rock, but sand."
"I never felt stronger. I felt a power inside of me that I interpreted as the power of the Holy Spirit," he added.
The sermon was preached by the Rev. Marvin "Doc" Frady, who became Luger's spiritual mentor. They reportedly meet regularly to study the Bible and pray.
Frady reportedly said that that new chapter in the wrestler's life also helped him leave alcohol alone.
In 2007, the wrestler experienced a severe spine injury resulting from working out too intensively, that nearly left him paralyzed. That episode, he determined, helped him leave every vanity completely behind.
"I was trying to be 27 at age 47, but God had to get rid of my vanity," Luger said. "I had trouble letting go of the old Lex physically. My human fleshly nature didn't want to let go of what had come to be billed as 'The Total Package.' I guess God had to help me get rid of the last remnant of that vanity and pride."
"It's been an incredible five-and-a-half years," Luger said. "but I have learned that God is with us through whatever challenges we face."
