Manalizing 40 Boo Andersen: The Refiner’s Fire — Boo Anderson on Football, Faith, and Becoming Who You Really Are

He was a linebacker for the University of Utah — strong, driven, and unstoppable. But the real story started after the lights went out and life got quiet.

🎧 Episode Description

Boo Anderson is a man who’s lived both power and pain.

A former University of Utah linebacker and now a successful financial planner, husband, and father, Boo opens up about what happens when life doesn’t go according to the playbook.

In this episode, he shares his story of chasing dreams, tearing his ACL, watching the NFL slip away, and going through divorce and fatherhood from a distance. He talks about the dark stretch that followed — living with his parents, wondering who he was — and how humility, faith, and fatherhood slowly rebuilt him from the inside out.

We talk about manhood, accountability, and how God refines us in the fire — not to break us, but to make us whole.

This is one of those conversations that starts with football but ends in something deeper: peace, purpose, and the kind of strength that only comes from surrender.

⚠️ Content Warnings

Divorce, loss, parenting struggles, faith transitions.

🧭 Highlights

• Growing up shy — and learning to speak up
• The dream of the NFL, and what happens when it slips away
• Divorce, disappointment, and the slow rebuild
• Learning humility through failure
• Fatherhood from a distance — and how to keep showing up
• Finding Christ and discovering real freedom
• Why trials are the refiner’s fire, not punishment
• “Your life is not just for you — it’s about who you help.”
• “The Lord left me in the fire just long enough to not be destroyed.”
• “The hardest part of losing wasn’t football — it was being away from my kids.”
• “You can’t change the event. You can only change your response.”
• “Life isn’t about you. It’s about who you help.”
• “The Lord won’t let you ruin your spiritual self chasing the wrong dream.”

🔍 SEO / Keywords

Boo Anderson, University of Utah football, faith after failure, divorce recovery, fatherhood, humility, refiner’s fire, LDS Church, men’s mental health, accountability, self-worth, Garth Haslem, Manalizing podcast

🧠 Resources Mentioned

• The Optimistic Child — Martin Seligman
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
• Financial planning through Diversify.com
• Manalizing.com — where men talk about what men don’t talk about

If Boo’s story reminds you of your own — chasing dreams, falling hard, and finding faith again — share this episode with someone who’s rebuilding.

Then visit Manalizing.com — find a tribe, tell your story, and see who you really are.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/manalyzing/donations