Trinity Financial Co-Founder Lee Rouson was born in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, to Cecil Lee and Shirley Rouson. At Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro he served as student body president and lettered in three sports. While in high school, he was recruited by the University of Colorado. As a team captain for the Buffalos, Rouson was a four-year letterman and became the school’s fourth all-time leading rusher. After an outstanding college career, he was drafted into the National Football League by the New York Giants in the eighth round. He played for the Giants for six years and was a part of two Super Bowl Championships (XXI, XXV). In 1986 he was named the Giants’ special teams player of the year. He was traded to the Cleveland Browns in 1991, where he earned the starting running back position. After suffering a severe ankle injury, he decided to retire after seven years in the NFL.

With that chapter in his life complete, Rouson began full-time ministry. He joined Sportsworld Ministries and began traveling both nationally and internationally, speaking to young people about their relationship with God and each other. In 1999, he was ordained as an evangelist with Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This broadened his ministry to church and business leaders.

Rouson was later named the New Jersey regional director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. His most recent ministry effort was co-founding New Horizon Church Ministries in Harlem, New York, under the leadership of Rev. Michel Faulkner. He is also the commissioner of the Institute for Leadership, a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering our next generation of leaders. Additionally, Rouson serves as a para professional in the alternative school program in the Mt. Olive, New Jersey, school system, where he mentors all boys and young men from the 4th grade to 12th grade during school hours. He also heads up the group called Partners in Compassion.

Rouson notes that his most important ministry is to his family. He and his wife, Lisa, have been married for more than 20 years and have four children.

Among Rouson’s speaking opportunities, he talks to students about things like bullying.