Steelers QB Praises God After Win: ‘Thankful’ for ‘Opportunity’
By Movieguide® Contributor
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph led the team in a huge 34-11 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday night.
Following the game, he credited Jesus for the victory.
“First off, I wanna say, just so thankful to my Creator, Jesus Christ, for giving me the opportunity to play this game and for carrying me through dark times, and getting me back here for this special moment,” he told NBC in a post-game interview.
This isn’t the first time Rudolph has been vocal about his faith. In 2017, the quarterback was on the cover of an FCA Magazine, where he said, “I passionately pursue Christ because I want to be a witness for Him and use this platform to impact our community.”
“Christ is at the center of it,” he added. “It’s Christ who will always be there for you; He’s your foundation. So just getting in the word and leaning on a few of my life verses throughout the week, as well as constant communication with my parents and grandparents – that’s my secret to success.”
Rudolph also referenced Mark Batterson’s book, “Chase the Lion,” saying, “We try to diligently lay out a plan for our lives—for the day or the month or the year—and a lot of times he kind of just laughs at us because it’s his plan for our lives, not ours. The way [God has] orchestrated my career in football, as well as my life off the field, I don’t think I would’ve dreamed it would’ve gone this way.”
However, success hasn’t always been at the forefront of the quarterback’s career. In fact, for most of his time in the NFL, Rudolph felt he “never had a fair chance” at the starting quarterback position.
Church Leaders reported, “Rudolph always has had a bad rap in Pittsburgh,’ according to sportswriter Mark Madden. The QB got mocked online after being knocked out cold during an October 2019 game. The next month, Browns player Myles Garrett yanked off Rudolph’s helmet and swung it at him. Garrett also accused Rudolph of shouting a racial slur—an accusation that was never proven.”
But after Saturday’s win, reporter Jim Wexell wrote, “The man who was lied about as a racist, discarded as a player, forgotten as a human being, was nothing but class.”
“With a lot of gratitude,” Rudolph told 247 Sports about how he plans to celebrate the big win. “Just so thankful to God for throwing me a bone and giving me an opportunity to play. I got my family here and celebrating Christmas, so it’ll be a fun time.”
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