Jacksonville Kicker Riley Patterson Relied on God to Make Game-Winning Kick
By Movieguide® Contributor
Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson relied on God to make his team’s game-winning kick against the Los Angeles Chargers in a nail-biting close to their Jan. 14 wildcard game.
Right before the kick, Patterson pulled out his cross necklace and kissed it.
After making the 36-yard field goal that won the game, Patterson continued to wear the necklace during both the immediate on-field celebrations and the postgame press conference.
Sports Spectrum reports that Patterson’s kick completed one of the greatest comebacks in NFL postseason history, as the Jaguars turned a 27-0 deficit into a 31-30 win.
For Patterson, though, the kick was about more than winning the game.
His Instagram bio reveals the importance of his faith, reading, “He died for me so I live for him,” and an Instagram post he shared after the game showed the kicker holding his cross necklace, while his caption cited Luke 9:23-24.
The verses read, “Then [Jesus] said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.’”
Patterson has been open about the role his faith plays in his life as he holds one of the most high-pressure positions in sports.
“Fortunately or unfortunately, I’ve been in both situations, helping the team win, then helping them lose,” he told Sports Spectrum in 2020.
“Having a constant relationship with God, that’s the salvation that I have. Football is not the biggest thing in my life. It may seem like that from your friends and from your family, but there is a much greater purpose that I have in my life than just being a kicker,” he explained.
The 23-year-old also shared how he came to Christ in high school.
“I was in a tough moment, and I was in my bed one night and thinking about how grateful I am for everything,” Patterson recalled.
“I just started praying and hours passed. I thought of all the little things, all the big things, all the people that God had placed in my life to be successful in things I never even thought of. Spent hours honestly crying and coming to Christ in that moment. That’s where my life kind of changed.”
Patterson is now in his first season with the Jaguars after bouncing between teams since his rookie season in 2021.
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