Super Bowl: players and coaches talk about their faith

The Seattle Seahawks will play against the New England Patriots in SuperBowl XLIX on Sunday at the University of Phoenix Stadium, in Glendale, Arizona.

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson said at the Super Bowl media day on Tuesday that though he loves playing football, his “faith is everything”, according to Christian Today.

Wilson explained that while he wanted to be recognised as a successful football player – a “winner” – he also wanted to leave a legacy as a Christian man who serves others.

“In terms of my legacy off the field, I want to be a Christian man that helps lead and helps change lives and helps serve other people. It's not about me, you know”, Wilson said. “It's not about me and it's about just helping other people. So that's kind of where I keep my focus”.

“In terms of my faith, my faith is everything: God comes first, family and friends come second, and football comes third”. he added. “I think when you keep it in that order, great things happen to you. You don't stress out about much”.

Speaking of the importance of integrity, he said: “We all make mistakes or whatever, but we're football players. We're able to use our gifts. For me, I'm able to use my gift to glorify God. That's what it's about for me”.

CHRISTIAN COACH

Sherman Smith.

 Seahawks's coach Sherman Smith affirmed how are the priorities of his life. “If this were just about winning a football game, this is a serious waste of time”, Sherman told Baptist Press during Super Bowl Media Day (Jan. 27) at the US Airways Center in Phoenix.

“But it's bigger than that”, he said. “Absolutely, no doubt. This is about [His] glory. This is about [His] Kingdom. This is what it's all about”.

And on the Seahawks, Smith is not alone in being vocal about his faith. Fellow Seahawks Russell Wilson, Russell Okung, Clint Gresham and fellow coach Rocky Seto all spoke about their faith in Christ on Media Day.

But for Sherman, life wasn't always about honoring the Lord on and off the football field. Sherman shared his testimony last year in a video, “The Making of a Champion”, which also featured the testimonies of Wilson, Okung, Gresham, Chris Maragos, who now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, and Seto.

In The Making of a Champion video Sherman shared, “The world we live in today, we get so many people telling you how you should live, what it means to be successful, what you should strive after. And I just think you have to have a desire to want to know why you are here. ... A lot of this other stuff is not as promising as everyone says but God's Word is solid. The foundation is solid. The promises are solid. The future is solid”.