6 Christians playing in Super Bowl LVIII
Written by Angela H. on February 8, 2024
6 Christians playing in Super Bowl LVIII
With millions of spectators watching, Super Bowl LVIII this Sunday at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas will feature a match-up between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, four years after the two teams met in Super Bowl LIV.
While much of the media coverage will focus on the athletic talent of the major players competing in the game, athletes on both rosters have spoken publicly about their Christian faith both this year and in the past, with some doing so this week during their media availability.
The following pages highlight six professed Christians playing in Sunday’s big game.
Brock Purdy
49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who has proven his doubters wrong since being selected as the last pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, discussed the significance of his Christian faith this week during a press huddle. He was asked by the Christian media ministry Sports Spectrum if he prays during games.
“Yeah, I do,” he said. “It’s not, ‘God, can we win here? Can we do something great here?’ It’s more just to have that peace, that steadfastness in all the chaos. That’s really what it is. It’s sinking back into, ‘Holy Spirit, take over and lead me here in this moment and allow me to think clearly, allow me to obviously go through my reads.’ Like I said, just have an even-keeled mind that I get from the Holy Spirit.”
In an interview last month with NFL great Steve Young, Purdy described how he was “rooted” in his Christian faith, which he said enables him “to just play and not be afraid to fail.”
“I know that God’s going to take care of wherever I’m at in my life, whether it’s football or not, and so I’m actually able to use that when I’m making decisions and playing football,” he added.
Purdy remains confident that “my identity isn’t in football.” The Iowa State University standout defined his approach to life as “God, if you want me to do great with this, great; if not, all right, let’s go do something else, wherever you need me.”
In an appearance on the Sports Spectrum podcast last year, Purdy cited Mark 8:34 as a Bible verse with special significance in his life.
The verse declares, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.”
As he continues his football career, Purdy feels a special obligation to do just that.
“I didn’t want to grip onto this life of, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m in the NFL, I have a starting quarterback role, I’m, you know, I can’t lose it.’”
“I was reminded what Jesus had told us thousands of years ago in terms of don’t try to hold onto your life, you’re going to lose it, you know, and the world wants you to go this way or that way,” he said.
“The minute you have fame and if you’re trying to chase status and money and all this kind of stuff, it’s, you’ll lose your life rather than, you know, denying yourself, picking up your cross, keeping my eyes on Jesus.”
Christian McCaffrey
During his media availability this week, 49ers star running back Christian McCaffrey, who is engaged to marry former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo, was asked what his faith in Christ means to him.
“It means everything to me,” McCaffrey, one of the top running backs in the league, said. “My faith has gotten me where I am in life and through all the ups and downs when I rely on God.”
“Anytime I’m having a tough day or having a bad time in my life, I just get back to getting in the Word — it’s got all the answers,” he said. “So it’s the most important thing in my life, and it’s something that I know I’ll always have to lean back on and to make a priority.”
“It means everything to me. I think my faith has gotten me where I am in life.”
During opening night at #SuperBowlLVIII , Sports Spectrum asks @49ers RB @CMC_22 why his faith in Christ is important to him. https://t.co/g9FAwhHhVCpic.twitter.com/nY2LPA2z2H
— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 6, 2024
Riley Scott, who teaches at McCaffrey’s alma mater, Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, told Sports Spectrum that he appreciates that his former student always seeks to grow in his faith.
“I appreciate seeing [McCaffrey] achieve success on the field, but more importantly, I love seeing him continue to pursue and grow in his faith, use his gifts and abilities to honor our Creator, and develop into the fine young man and soon-to-be husband that he is today,” Scott was quoted as saying. “To me personally, that’s more meaningful than any accolade or championship he’s a part of.”
Patrick Mahomes
Two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes, who led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl LVII last year and in 2020, has repeatedly touted his Christian faith publicly as his athletic career has placed him in the national spotlight as one of the faces of the league.
Ahead of last year’s Super Bowl match with the Philadelphia Eagles, Mahomes told reporters that “my Christian faith plays a role in everything that I do.”
“I always ask God to lead me in the right direction and let me be who I am for His name,” So, it has a role in everything that I do.”
Mahomes expressed gratitude for the opportunity to play “on a huge stage in the Super Bowl that He’s given me,” adding, “I want to make sure I’m glorifying Him while I do it.”
“I know that I am here for a reason, to glorify Him,” Mahomes added. “It means everything, not only about my football career but all the decisions that I’ve made. I have a faith backing, and I know why I am here. It’s not about winning football games. It’s about glorifying Him.”
Mahomes identified Acts 20:7 as a Bible verse that has special significance to him, noting that it is the subject of his tattoo. He summarized the meaning of the verse as “about being half in and half out on God,” stressing, “You can’t be half in and half out.”
Reflecting on the challenges experienced by his team throughout the regular season in remarks to CBS last week, Mahomes commented, “God put a lot of adversity in our way this year.” He expressed gratitude that “we accepted the challenge, and we’re better for it.”
Harrison Butker
Speaking with Sports Spectrum ahead of last year’s Super Bowl, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, a member of the Catholic fraternal order Knights of Columbus, credited his faith with enabling him to excel both on and off the field.
“If I didn’t have faith in God, I don’t think I would be the father I am, the husband I am, the kicker I am,” he said. “That kind of sets the tone for everything else, and everything falls under that. But that gives me the strength to do everything that I need to.”
“I know that I’m a child of God,”
Butker elaborated on his confidence in God: “You miss some kicks, and you’re like, ‘my identity can’t be all as a football player.’ So, I grew a lot in my prayer life and knowing that I’m nothing without Him. I got to lean on Him, and if He wants to take anything away from me, He can. And if he wants to add anything, He can. … It’s all up to Him.”
Arik Armstead
49ers Defensive End Arik Armstead, whose mother is a praise and worship pastor, stressed the importance of his faith in a 2020 interview with Sports Spectrum.
“[Faith] is super important to me. That’s the foundation, my backbone, everything that I believe in. My family instilled that into me at a young age, and we grew up in the church,” he said.
Armstead pointed to his mother as a positive influence on his faith.
“She’s always done a great job of keeping us level-headed and always remembering the important things and the reason why we’re so blessed in the situations we’re in in life,” he said. “Anything that we go through, that’s what we rely on is Christ. She always does a great job reminding us of that.”
Chris Jones
Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones spoke about his faith in a 2020 interview with Sports Spectrum. When asked about the wristband he wore that reads “I am Second,” Jones responded that he has been wearing it for years.
“It’s a Christian wristband,” he said, and that means,
“I am second, God is first.”
Jones noted that he had another wristband, stating, “I play for Him.” As a “very religious guy,” Jones said, “I believe my faith is everything, and that’s what I live by.”
He said that about 200 feet from his grandmother’s house is a small church everyone in his neighborhood attends.
Reflecting on his performance in the 2019 regular season that concluded with the Chiefs’ victory in Super Bowl LIV, Jones said, “I feel like my faith and my belief helped me stay grounded within [the season] because, through my tough times, I try to go look at the Bible and look at Bible quotes … and try to relate those to my situations. And that kind of helped me get through.”
Jones said the story of David and Goliath is his favorite passage.
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Russell Wakefield On February 11, 2024 at 12:10 pm
And each one failed to read the 4th commandment in the 10 commandments…
If these men are Christians, they would not be playing, they would sit out and keep the day of the Lord holy…
Which is more pleasing to God, their lip service or their faithful service to God…?
For the Lord said, these men speak of me with their mouth, yet their heart is far from me…