Throughout the history of sports, faith has always been a critical component, whether praying before a game, making the sign of the cross after scoring, or pointing to the sky after a big hit. It has always been important to most athletes, but the one sport in which faith has significantly impacted is football. There have been countless athletes throughout football history, such as past greats like Reggie White and Kurt Warner. Most famously known for being outspoken about their faith in the National Football League (NFL) was quarterback Tim Tebow, and now many quarterbacks of today are outspoken about their faith, such as Lamar Jackson, Brock Purdy, and reigning Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs. For most athletes, especially those in football, finding their faith is sometimes a long process that can feel impossible, but it’s not since it is a long-lasting journey that will impact the rest of their lives.
Retired NFL tight end and Christian Brett Brackett says, “[Faith] has been a continual growth in my life.” He elaborates, saying, “I came to Christ and knew that that was who I was.” But do faith and football ever conflict? Brackett explains that true faith is clearly on display in your life. “I think that faith, it’s within you… It’s who you are and manifests itself within you and what you’re doing,” he says. He explains that the relationship between faith and anything else is not about balance but about consistency. Faith should be apparent in the way that you talk, walk, and play the game.
This is corroborated in the Bible, where 1 Timothy 4:8 says, “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” This indicates that faith should take priority over sports and that they are also compatible with each other, as it refers to physical training as “good.” However, should it ever come down to a choice, faith should take precedence. Many people don’t talk about their faith due to many reasons, such as being judged for their belief in God or being stereotyped for being a Christian since most question those who are Christian for why they believe in God so heavily. On a team, there are many different players of different backgrounds and beliefs, yet they all work together for their common goal. Brackett says that in his experience, one must be rooted in faith to stay strong in it.
According to Matt Bartuska, a Junior on the Pennridge football team and a Christian, “Jesus always has a plan for you, whether football or not. At the same time, [the relationship between faith and football is] about your commitment to football, but I believe they are connected.” Bartuska later adds, “[God] is with us everywhere we go, and it’s incredible to see His work put out for us while we step out onto that field.” This draws back to the fact that no matter what, a person of faith, such as Christianity, will always be doing it to glorify God in some capacity to show others what he has done in that person’s life.
Although some believe that Christian athletes are just using their faith for clout, whether posting about their faith on social media to help others find theirs, it is beautiful to see how athletes like Tebow and Brackett use their positions of fame to bring glory to God. For example, Tebow wrote “John 3:16” on his eye black to give glory to God in front of millions of people and Brackett now runs a non-profit organization called Uplifting Athletes, which helps raise money for rare diseases and also teaches athletes how to use their position of fame to help others by lifting their lives and showing the love of Christ.
Overall, faith and football have always been a well-blended concept since they both share many common values such as hard work, perseverance, and character, which are essential traits to have in life. The unique platform that athletes have is a great place for them to demonstrate their faith in Christ and to share the Good News with others through not just their words, but their deeds as well.
Sources:
https://www.profootballhof.com/news/2020/04/faith-and-football-2020/
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/womantowoman/2023/08/faith-in-the-nfl-the-role-christianity-plays-in-pro-football/
https://www.deseret.com/2024/1/16/24030601/nfl-playoff-qbs-share-their-faith/#:~:text=Patrick%20Mahomes&text=%E2%80%9CObviously%20I%20want%20to%20win,Super%20Bowl%20appearance%20in%202020.
https://www.outkick.com/culture/tim-tebow-has-no-regrets-about-how-his-faith-may-have-impacted-his-nfl-career
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/10spot-divisional/tim-tebow-phenomenon-gets-eerie–adam-schefter-10-spothttps://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/page/10spot-divisional/tim-tebow-phenomenon-gets-eerie–adam-schefter-10-spot
https://timtebowfoundation.org/
