JAG’s Sports Blog

Do you ever wonder how sincere an athlete is when you see them all huddled up together praying after the game or when a player scores a touchdown and points to the sky? I certainly am and decided to research which athletes actually proclaim their Christian faith, love for God, and how their actions are visually noticed by others out in public and what influence they may have with those actions.

Any person can profess to being a Christian, but there’s truly only a certain breed of athlete that professes their faith for all to hear and not be ashamed of what the response will be or what anyone thinks. I’ll provide a breakdown of as many athletes that I can that profess to be Christians, but I want to highlight those athletes that are well-known for their Christian faith. You’ll see their deeds will generally match their actions and not just a sound byte for fans in an attempt to gain a measure of respect for being a good guy as compared to some other athletes that seem to stay in the media for their negative actions off of the playing fields.

There are several athletes that profess their Christianity and are known for openly living the life with God as their role models and inspirations. These guys never miss a chance to spread the word to anyone that will listen and how it has influenced their lives. The athletes I will profile are the late football great Reggie White, quarterback Kurt Warner, future hall of fame center David Robinson, and former L.A. Lakers forward A.C. Green. I chose to profile these athletes because their lives have generally been exemplary during and after their playing days and not just people that later on claimed to be reborn or just having just discovered God. Their influence is clear in that they have lived their life in a way that others know it’s an every day thing and not just for the benefit of the cameras.

Reggie White earned fame playing defensive end first in the USFL for the Memphis Showboats, then the Philadelphia Eagles and then became one of the first African-American free agent stars to actually sign with the Green Bay Packers at a time when no black players willingly did that on their own. The practice up to that time was to leave at the first opportunity. He finished his career with the Carolina Panthers as the all-time sack leader with 198, but has since been passed by Bruce Smith with 200. White was a minister and made no secret of it to his teammates. He tried not to directly preach to those that didn’t care to hear his views, but wouldn’t shy away from speaking the gospel to anyone that was open to hearing it or may have needed it and knew Reggie would work with them. White once said in an interview that “I know God’s given me this game as a platform to proclaim his name.”

White’s strong beliefs didn’t always go over well with the public. White made a speech in March 1998 before the Wisconsin State Assembly where he spoke of different races and what they did well and how they were in God’s image. It came off as racial stereotypes and that caused an uproar when what he really tried to say was everyone has positives to them if you take the time to look. He also spoke in an interview saying that gays and lesbians could stop their sexual preferences. This caused a big stink with Green Bay and the NFL because he used his uniform and that means the team and the NFL sanctioned the comments, which they didn’t want any part of. White clearly was loved and respected by his teammates and fans as witnessed after his death getting his uniform number retired in 2005 by his college (Tennessee), the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles. No matter his religious views, Reggie White was one of the most respected athletes ever and he was a strong advocate for God and the ideas that come with believing in him.

Kurt Warner is one of the most notable Christian athletes in sports today. He rose up as an unknown quarterback in the Arena Football League after being released by the Green Bay Packers and allocated to Amsterdam of NFL Europe. Warner lives his life literally with a sign around his neck saying he’s a Christian and sings the praises of the Lord every place he speaks and without pretense. The way Warner lives his life is what he chose to name his organization. ‘First Things First’. You can find it at www.firstthingsfirstfoundation.com

‘First Things First’ reads in their description of impacting lives by promoting Christian values, sharing experiences and providing opportunities to encourage everyone that all things are possible when people seek to put ‘first things first.’ The organization is involved in many projects that help influence kids and the community as a whole. Warner lived in an abusive family situation and he never gave up and found God and has put him first in his and his family’s life and that’s what he attributes his success to. As an athlete, Warner confesses to tithing 10% of his salary back to the church. That’s a surprising admission because no one should truly expect this from someone that earns in the millions yearly. This makes it easy to accept his walk with the Lord.

A.C. Green was a 16-year NBA veteran playing power forward on 3 Los Angeles Lakers title teams, Phoenix, Dallas, and the Miami Heat. He holds the record for most consecutive games played at 1,192. Green’s name kind of symbolized a joke around the NBA because he preached and lived abstinence in his personal life until he married his wife Veronique in 2002. I personally remember all the jokes on talk shows when he got married because not many professional athletes wait until they’re almost 40 years old to have their first sexual experience. This was even more amazing when you consider the Lakers teams of that time. Green stayed strong and didn’t let his teammates influence him to have sex when many of them were wandering around on the streets and partaking in all the groupies that feed off of professional athletes.

Green’s primary claim to fame has been his abstinence and the affect it has on kids that want to wait until marriage themselves. He has led clubs to influence kids to remain abstinent and it’s an affective tool coming from a professional athlete with a good personality. Green was recognized in the House of Representatives’ Congressional Record 26 October 1999, inducted into World Sports Humanitarian Hall of Fame in 2001, and the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2003. To read more about A.C. Green and his achievements on and off the court, go to www.acgreen.com and www.premierespeakers.com.

One of my favorite athletes was and still is David Robinson. Robinson played center for the San Antonio Spurs. www.theadmiral.com is under construction, but promises to be an excellent site because he has lived such an exemplary life starting with serving at the Naval Academy and using his riches and fame in the NBA to help build and promote schools and other projects for others. Robinson established himself as one of the top centers in the NBA playing for the San Antonio Spurs. He once scored 71 points in a game and won the NBA’s MVP award the 1994-95 season. Robinson has proven to be a bigger MVP in life.

David and his wife Valerie are famous for committing $9 million dollars to build the Carver Academy in San Antonio. The academy will house about 290 kids intended primarily for African-American and Hispanic kids on the east side of San Antonio. It will provide leadership, academic, and a nurturing family atmosphere to try and help underprivileged kids get a chance to get ahead where opportunities aren’t normally available. His belief in God has always been a trademark of his name and his actions have loudly spoken volumes in what people expect from a Christian man that has been blessed with financial opportunities.

I could go on with all the positive Christian athletes because there are so many that set great examples in how they live their lives, but this story would never end, so the following list is for those that want to read further about their favorite Christian athletes and want to know who claims to be a Christian.

Shaun Alexander (Running back Seattle Seahawks) - www.tidefans.com/saff/
1st known player in NFL to establish foundation before he was drafted.
Lance Berkman (1st baseman/outfielder Houston Astros) - www.christiansportsminute./index_1.html
Tony Boselli (Offensive tackle Jacksonville Jaguars) - www.bosellifoundation.com
Robert Brooks (Receiver Green Bay Packers) - www.robertbrooks.com
Mark Brunell (quarterback Washington Redskins) - www.mark-brunell.com
Michael Chang (French Open Tennis Champ) - www.mchang.com
Morgan Ensberg (3rd baseman Houston Astros)
Helped subdue one of two gunmen that burst into their hotel room. Prayed for the gunmen after the incident.
Jeff Gordon (NASCAR champion) - www.jeffgordon.com
Darrell Green (Cornerback Washington Redskins) - www.darrellgreen.com
Orel Hershiser (MLB Pitcher) - www.baseballplayamerica.com/page7.html
Evander Holyfield (4-time heavyweight boxing champ) - www.evanderholyfiled.com
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (All-time track & field legend)
Meadowlark Lemon (Harlem Globetrotters) - www.meadowlarklemon.com
Anthony Munoz (Offensive tackle Cincinnati Bengals) - www.anthonymunoz.com
Ruth Riley (Center Detroit Shock WNBA) - www.ruthriley.com
Deion Sanders (NFL Cornerback Falcons/49ers/Cowboys/Redskins/Ravens)

For a more extensive list of Christian athletes and coaches, go to http://www.allamericanspeakers.com/sportspeakers/christianspeakers.php

It becomes very apparent there is a large contingent of athletes that claim to be Christians and make a difference every day in the world. Not every athlete is as well-known as some on the list, but not being ashamed to speak out in public to your beliefs is what sometimes separates those that make a difference and those that are just believers. The next time you hear about an athlete that gets his head cracked open at a night club or that is gaining negative press for other reasons, remember, there’s other athletes that are setting the example by running organizations and foundations that help the underprivileged in all aspects of life. There are coaches that demonstrate a Christian man can be a disciplined, strong, and caring person in trying to lead others to live a life of values. It’s not about just trying to convert others to the religious beliefs you possess, but believing in something that binds people together and if nothing else, a life for others to admire more than just on the playing field.