Michael Pierce Retires from NFL, Honors God’s Guidance
By Movieguide® Contributor
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce has announced his retirement from the NFL.
In an episode of the Sports Spectrum Podcast, Pierce announced, “I’d like to thank a few people personally,” Pierce said. “Obviously, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ first and foremost.” He then went on to thank family members and NFL coaches, front-office personnel and teammates.
When asked why he wanted to announce the news on the Sports Spectrum Podcast, Pierce explained it was to bring glory to God.
“I wanted to bring light to God,” the defensive tackle responded. “Obviously, He’s the only reason I’m here. … I’m grateful for everything that God has blessed me with. And like I said, it’s been a true joy.”
Throughout his entire life, Pierce was known as a PK (Pastor’s kid), at first he would rely on the faith of his parents, but quickly realized he needed to have his own relationship with Jesus.
“To the PKs (pastors’ kids), there’s something I had to learn,” he urged. “You cannot get by on your parents’ faith. You cannot get by on your parents’ faith. I had to learn that in college when I got myself into a situation. I wasn’t playing and all this stuff, and my life just was a mess. And I ended up transferring to Samford from Tulane. I had to learn faith for myself, not through ritual, not through anything else, but through my relationship [with Christ].”
As far as Pierce’s plans after the NFL, he plans to work with his family doing real estate as well as work with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes program. He also plans to work with his alma mater, Samford University, in a “Christian campus ministry” called Ransom.
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“I’ve just been able to do more than — I guess [the Bible] would say exceedingly more than, abundantly more than — you can ever think or imagine. … God’s handprint has guided me to this point,” Pierce explained. “And then I’m sure He’s going to send me somewhere else where I can use His voice and His reason and His grace to, you know, magnify His presence in my life and others’ as well. …I’m just going to walk the way God has called me to walk and be the person He’s called me to be.”
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