How These NFL Players Showcase Faith Ahead of Super Bowl LVII
By Movieguide® Staff
As the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles prepare to face off in this year’s Super Bowl on Feb. 12, several players from both teams are relying on their faith in Christ.
Last year, over 100M people watched the Super Bowl, making the famed game one of the largest sporting events each year and giving players a platform to stand boldly for the truth.
Dueling Quarterbacks with Mutual Faith
Patrick Mahomes, the Chiefs’ star quarterback since 2017, is open about his faith and gave glory to God following his Super Bowl victory in 2020.
Mahomes will face off against Eagle’s breakout star quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is also motivated by his faith in God.
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Despite the immense pressure to bring home the Lombardi trophy for their home-states, Hurts and Mahomes are outspoken about their faith in God in interviews and on social media.
“I’ve just matured and realized that God is everything, and He’s worthy of praise,” Hurts told CBS Sports in a recent interview. “You have to put Him at the center of everything that you do. That’s what I believe. All my spiritual wisdom — all of my wisdom as a whole — comes from Him, in some way, shape or form, whether that be passed down from my father, my mother, my grandmother. I just think, in all the things that we experience in life — good, bad or indifferent — you have to keep Him in the center.”
Mahomes and the Chief’s lost their last Super Bowl appearance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tom Brady. Although disappointed, Mahomes said that he finds peace within his identity in Christ.
“Before every game, I walk the field and I do a prayer at the goalpost. I just thank God for those opportunities and I thank God for letting me be on a stage where I can glorify Him,” Mahomes said in the FCA video. “The biggest thing that I pray for is that whatever happens, win or lose, success or failure, that I’m glorifying Him.”
Young Stars Trusting God
The two quarterbacks aren’t the only ones who are bold about their faith.
In 2020, Chiefs defensive back Juan Thornhill tore his ACL in the final game of the season and was forced to watch his team from the sideline. Although he had to watch their Super Bowl victory, this time around he is looking forward to helping his team from on the field.
In a past interview, Thornhill said that he relied on God during the injury and recovery.
“With this ACL injury, it can really knock you down. A lot of guys don’t really know how hard it is on the body and on the mind. The biggest thing for me, I was trying to keep a positive mentality, relying on God, reading different books and things like that, just so my mind could stay clear. Because if your mind’s not clear, you’re not going to be able to make it,” Thornhill said. “There were some hard times throughout the year. I was struggling mentally and physically, but was just keeping my faith in God, just knowing that He’s going to push me through those hard times and get me back to where I want to be.”
“Whenever you’re down, there’s always the Word of God that can lift you up and bring you through that hole,” the athlete said.
Another Chiefs’ star is Nick Bolton, who is already serving as the Team Captain in only his second year in the NFL.
However, the young linebacker said that he relies on strength from God and is thankful for the opportunity to play football at the highest level.
“I don’t think a lot of things in life would happen without God,” Bolton told Sports Spectrum. “We can’t choose our family, we can’t choose our support system. God blessed me with the ability to have my mom, my family, my support system around me. I grew up with both my parents. A lot of people don’t have that opportunity.”
“…Just a lot of gratitude … how much I’ve grown as a person, as an individual, a football player, a teammate, a follower of Christ,” he said.
God’s Plan Revealed For New Additions
On the other side of the field is Eagle’s receiver A.J. Brown, who is ready to play in his first Super Bowl with a new team after being traded from the Tennessee Titans at the start of the season.
“This is why we play the game,” Brown told the media last week. “I’m not playing for any individual awards. I’m playing the game to be the best and hold the trophy up at the end. Right now, we’re right here. We’re at the door. We just have to go take it.”
“I had plans and God had other plans,” Brown told Sports Spectrum. “I try not to lean on my own understanding. I read the Bible a lot because that’s how I fight my problems. I’m not trying to stand up here and be a perfect guy because I’m not; nobody is. But I just lean heavily on my faith and try to let Him direct my paths.”
While many of the young players are ready to play in their first Super Bowl, 15-year veteran Brett Kern is excited to be playing at all.
The veteran punter was released at the start of the season, and thought his dreams of playing in the Super Bowl had come to an end. However, after the Eagle’s starting punter was injured in their week 14 win against the New York Giants, Kern’s number was called.
“It feels great going from what happened after preseason to just kind of waiting week by week, just kind of staying in shape, staying ready,” Kern said. “I just really didn’t know who’s going to call or if I was going to get a call.”
As a member of the Tennessee Titans, Kern led Bible studies and consistently encouraged others in their faith.
“When you’ve been in one place for 13 years, to come somewhere else, put on a different uniform, is a little weird,” Kern told Sports Spectrum. “But I’ve definitely gotten used to it, and my family’s gotten used to it. It’s definitely been a blessing.”
“That’s my story, the story of where God has brought me through this whole process and the little things I’ve learned along the way,” he added. “Whenever my career is done, yeah, they’re gonna know me as a punter and whatnot. That’s great, but I want people to know that I was faithful to my wife, that I love Jesus. That’s the most important things to me.”
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