Famous Catholics in Sports

Dominique Dawes, also known as “Awesome Dawesome”, is a four-time Olympic medalist (one gold, three bronze), the first African-American woman to win a medal in artistic gymnastics, the first black person of any nationality to win a gold medal in gymnastics, a minority owner of the Washington Spirit and in 2010, was appointed the co-chair of the president’s council for fitness, sports, and nutrition alongside Saints quarterback Drew Brees.

Besides having one of the most impressive professional resumes of any athlete under the sun (she also starred in the 1994 Broadway Musical “Grease”), she is a wife, a mother to four children, and a Catholic convert.

“Throughout my career, at times I felt as if I was alone, whenever I was going through a dark period in the sport of gymnastics.  However, when I would take the time to go back to my Christian roots, I would realize that I was not alone.”

“Many times, when I wanted to quit, I wanted to give up, I was too tired or frustrated, I would lean on Him and realize that He was going to help me through.”

“I came into the Catholic faith initially in my late twenties.  I felt very called to go to a church in the Rockville (Maryland) area… And I don’t know what led me initially, but, I would go into the Catholic church and I would not go to Mass necessarily, but I would… walk in and really just sit in silence and connect with Christ, get to know Mother Mary a little bit more, sometimes pray, sometimes have a conversation, and really just sometimes sit in silence.”

“I really do feel as if I was led to the Catholic faith at that time because I really was feeling a little lost in the world and even a little lost in my Christian faith, just feeling a little incomplete and not feeling as if I was being led by Him.”

“When I felt led into the Catholic faith and going to RCIA, I chose Saint Kateri Tekakwitha as my saint of choice for my grandmother.”

“There’s so many great parts of the Catholic faith, but I love the connection with Mother Mary because I’ve never had a very strong healthy and deep relationship with a mother figure.  And so I’ve really leaned on her for guidance or leaned on her to kind of lead my way through Christ in my walk today.”

“They asked who would I want to sit down and have dinner with and (I said) Mother Angelica… And just having a great deal of admiration for Mother Angelica and her ministry and the great impact that she’s made globally on millions and millions of people and leading them to the faith and strengthening their faith.  So, just really admiring her heart and her pursuit and really her will in listening to Christ.”

“Christ… is with me and He is guiding me.   I just have to choose to shut off the noise of this world and listen to where it is that He’s leading me to be.”

“Even through hardships in life, it’s where He wants me to be and it’s where I’m going to be strengthened and where my character will truly be at its best.”

“We make it very clear that every kid that walks through our doors, they’re something special, they’re God’s gift, they’re unique, and they’re to be appreciated and valued.”

Dominique began the interview by talking about her childhood and what it was like growing up. She grew up in a Christian family, attending a nearby Baptist church on Sundays with her parents, cousins, and grandparents. However, as the years went on, she began practicing more inter-denominational Christianity because she lacked guidance in the years she lived with her gymnastics coach who did not “have faith in her life.”

This lack of spiritual guidance combined with the intense, non-stop training and performance for the Olympics led to a feeling of hunger in Dominique and she alluded to the type of confusion many Olympians experience when their careers end. Their identity has become so wrapped up in the 6-hour training days, the workouts, the pressure, and the expectations to win that they don’t know where to turn after it’s all over. In her late 20’s Dominique said she found her way to a Catholic church and she credits her Catholic grandmother for praying to God to guide her there.

Dawes knows firsthand how merciless the lifestyle of an Olympic athlete can be. Having to spend six, sometimes seven days a week in the gym pushing your body to its limit is not a healthy lifestyle for a young person. There’s an inability to focus on school, make friends, or experience life in the same way as other kids.

That’s why Dominique and her husband started the Dominique Dawes Gymnastics & Ninja Academy. “We wanted to create a healthier environment for the sport, one in which we’re empowering children, encouraging children, lifting children up. And it’s not just about being champions in the sport of gymnastics, but more importantly happy, healthy kids.”

Michael John Sweeney (born July 22, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball designated hitterand first baseman. Sweeney played his first 13 seasons in the majors with the Kansas City Royals, first as a catcher, then at first base and designated hitter. Sweeney also played for the Oakland Athletics, Seattle Mariners, and Philadelphia Phillies. On March 25, 2011, Sweeney retired from baseball. He now works as a special assistant for the Kansas City Royals. Sweeney was inducted into the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame on August 15, 2015.

Sweeney was drafted by the Royals as a catcher out of Ontario High School (Ontario, California) in the 10th round (262nd overall) of the 1991 MLB draft. He signed with the Royals in May 1991, a month before his graduation from Ontario High School. He had just led his Varsity baseball team as the team captain to a CIF victory with an undefeated record of 26-0 for the 1991 season. 

Sweeney made his major league debut on September 14, 1995 as a catcher. He got his first major league base hit against Cleveland Indians' pitcher Paul Assenmacher at Jacobs Field in the final game of the season. While Sweeney's ability with the bat impressed the Royals, they were less than enamored with his skills behind the plate.

Sweeney hit his first home run, off Seattle Mariners' pitcher Jamie Moyer, on August 12, 1996. It was a three-run shot.

Sweeney is a devout Catholic and has appeared on EWTN's Life on the Rock, a program targeted towards young Christians. On October 24, 2006, he was featured in a political advertisement opposing an embryonic stem cell research bill in Missouri. It was in response to a pro-embryonic research advertisement featuring actor Michael J. Fox. Sweeney appeared with Jim Caviezel, Patricia Heaton, Jeff Suppan, and Kurt Warner.

Sweeney is also the advisory chairman of the Catholic Athletes for Christ and spokesman for Life Teen, the largest Catholic youth ministry program in the United States.

Former competitive figure skater, she had a very successful ice skating career since a very young age & received many accolades & awards for her talent. She competed in the 2006 Olympics & at the time she was the youngest American competitor in those games. There, she ended up winning sixth place, & from there her victories kept getting bigger & bigger. She is the 2006 Figure Skating World Champion, the 2007 Four Continents Figure Skating Champion, & the 2007 U.S. National Figure Skating Champion. With these championships, she became the first American & the first woman to ever win all three major ice skating competitions. She retired after the 2009 season, but she still continues working on the ice. Since her championships, she has had a successful career doing ice shows for free skating events (even being a full time member of the Stars On Ice touring show), has done occasional endorsements, & has also done charities to help children with cancer. She is also the second female skater to ever perfect & land a triple axel jump!  She goes to church on Sundays - the family belongs to St. Ignatius Parish in Hickory, Md. - and she goes running with her dogs, watches television and snuggles at night with her cat, Ozzie. "Sometimes he'll sleep on my head," the teen said with a grin. Since she first hit the ice at age 6, her love of skating has been as gripping as the toe pick on the blade of a figure skate. "Skating makes me so happy," said the young Olympian, who is coached by Pam Gregory. "I'm not just doing it for a medal." Even when she's told she should rest, Meissner said, she is anxious to get her feet onto the ice. Over the span of a decade, her passion for and dedication to the sport have remained unwavering. "I try to remind myself what my ultimate goal is," she said. "It could just be a little goal for the day like I want to skate a clean round or it could be a big goal like I want to go to nationals." At the end of the day, the teen says it's practice that's the most fun. "You're challenging yourself, and when you achieve a goal it makes you feel so good about yourself," she said, a grin lighting up her small, pixie-like face. As sharp as she is on the ice, Meissner does have one routine she always follows. "I always put my left skate on first and then my right and I always take my right skate off first and then my left," she said. Meissner glides into a discussion about her family and her faith as smoothly as she swirls around the Delaware ice rink. "God plays an important role in my life," she said. "I realize my talent was given to me by him, and I try to use it to the best of my ability." She never prays to God to help her win, but when she was suffering a cold at nationals and her energy was sapped, she did look to God and thought, "I just need to do one program, and I would love to do good." The teenager is keenly aware of her parents' sacrifices. "My mom gives up a lot of social time," Meissner said. "And the boots and blades can be expensive. Everything piles up. I wouldn't be where I am today without their sacrifices." "We're just so proud of her, because as good as she is on the ice, we know she's even better off the ice," said Judy Meissner.  My family always went to Church when I was younger. It was a way for all of us to become closer and share our faith together. I used to say my prayers at night. I still do. My parents still go every weekend to our Church, St. Ignatius.  I went through a period when I questioned everything in my life, including my faith. I'm just getting out of this and am getting back to life in the Church. Even in that period of my life, I continued to pray on my own, but it is a great feeling to rediscover the Church. I feel much better now that I've figured some things out. I understand what I believe again.    I definitely feel that my faith and skating are connected. I have always believed that God gave me this amazing gift and it was my job to show [it to] people.  My faith helped me to believe and to carry on even when I was frightened or nervous. It helps me relate to people, too, and skate to certain music. Being a Christian has shown me my way to helping others and connecting with people. I also feel like my faith helped bring out my compassion and my work ethic.

I try to live my life the way God wants me to live it. By sharing my gift of skating, I become closer to God.

Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant died Sunday in a helicopter crash in Southern California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Bryant, the father of four, was Catholic.

In all nine people were killed in the Jan. 26 crash.

Bryant, 41, is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He retired in 2016 after a 20 year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, in which the shooting guard won five NBA championships, a league MVP award, two scoring championships, and myriad other distinctions.

In the immediate aftermath of Bryant’s sudden death along with eight other people, including his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, in a helicopter crash Jan. 26, it soon became known that Bryant stopped by Queen of Angels, located a couple miles from his Newport Coast home, for a few moments of reflection and prayer, leaving just 10 minutes after that 7 a.m. Mass started to head to John Wayne Airport.

Father Sallot later confirmed to various local news outlets that he had seen Bryant after he had prayed in the chapel.

“We shook hands, I saw that he had blessed himself because there was a little holy water on his forehead,” Father Sallot said. “I was coming in the same door as he was going out ... we called that the backhand of grace.”

Though Bryant was well-known for his discipline (Mamba Mentality), cosmopolitan ways (giving interviews in multiple languages) and, most of all, love, admiration, and devotion for his daughters (the trending hashtag #GirlDad among the tributes), the fact that Bryant took his faith so seriously seemed to take many, including those in the media, by surprise. 

The media may have first met him as a star in Lower Merion High School in Pennsylvania before the Lakers obtained him in a 1996 NBA draft trade, but considering Bryant started living in Milan, Italy, at age 7, since his father, Joe, played seven seasons in the Italian League after his own NBA career ended in 1983, Catholicism seems to have been as natural a part of life as basketball. 

Bryant was willing to talk about his faith with anyone willing or wanting to listen. It was there, he said, at both his highest and lowest moments. 

When, by his own admission, he had allowed his life to spin completely out of control, being accused of rape in a Colorado hotel room, one of the first people he turned to was a Catholic priest, telling GQ magazine, “The one thing that really helped me during that process was talking to a priest.”

The day after his last NBA game, one in which he scored 60 points, he told an ESPN reporter that he celebrated by rising early, drinking a cup of coffee, and going to church.

“It was me, alone,” he said. “After 20 years, I think it’s important to give thanks.”

MIKE PIAZZA is recognized as one of Major League Baseball’s best players of the late 20thcentury. A 12-time All-Star and 10-time Silver Slugger Award winner, Piazza is often regarded as one of the best-hitting catchers of all time and holds the record for home runs hit by a catcher, with a career total of 427. Piazza played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres, and Oakland Athletics, before retiring in 2008.

A catcher who played most notably for the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers, Piazza has also played for the Oakland Athletics, Florida Marlins, and San Diego Padres. He has been called the greatest hitting catcher of all time. Piazza was featured in the DVD documentary Champions of Faith and its follow-up Champions of Faith: Bases of Life, which explored the intersection of Catholic faith and sports.

Simone Biles made history in 2016 by breaking the world record for medals earned by a gymnast. In winning the 24th medal of her career, a gold on the balance beam, the then-22-year-old Biles surpassed Belarusian Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 23 medals, which he has held since 1996.

Biles earned five Olympic medals, four of them gold, at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Not one to rest on her laurels, after her triumph at the Rio Games, Biles expanded her repertoire to include two new technically difficult, original skills that are now known in the official Code of Points as the “Biles dismount on beam” and the “Biles II on floor.”

Despite her unexpected difficulties at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, she still won two Olympic medals, cementing her reputation as one of the greatest athletes in the history of the sport and as an advocate for mental health.

Her path to success hasn’t been without obstacles, and it has been her Catholic faith that has helped her surmount them. She joined other US Christians in Tokyo, reaching for their Olympic gold, including gymnastics teammate Grace McCallum.

Born in Ohio to a mother who battled drug and alcohol abuse, Biles was raised by her grandparents, who adopted her and her younger sister. Raised in the Catholic faith, Biles attends Sunday Mass with her adoptive parents, and has been open about her faith.

During the Olympic games in Rio, Biles revealed to Us magazine the contents of her gymnastics bag when a reporter noticed a white rosary that fell out. Biles explained, “My mom, Nellie, got me a rosary at church. I don’t use it to pray before a competition. I’ll just pray normally to myself, but I have it there in case.”

In her 2016 autobiography Courage to Soar, Biles wrote about the training and sacrifices she made to make it to the top of her sport, and how her Catholic faith helped take her there.

Describing the day she received the sacrament of Confirmation, Biles wrote: “I marched into St. James the Apostle Church that Sunday in a line of teenagers with solemn faces… in a way, our procession reminded me of a medal ceremony, except that no gold, silver, and bronze medals would be given out. Instead, our prize would be something much more powerful: in a few moments, each of us would bow our heads to receive the Holy Sacrament of Confirmation.”Simone Biles, 25 and a resident of Texas, having won 25 World Championship medals, is considered by many to be one of the greatest gymnasts of her era. Her seven Olympic medals tie her for the most Olympic medals won by an American gymnast. In 2022 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Joe Biden. Biles is a practising Catholic who has written and spoken about the importance of faith in her life, about praying the Rosary and the Hail Mary and also on how she lights a candle to St Sebastian, patron saint of athletes, prior to competitions.

He played his entire Major League Baseball career in one city, and that city remembers Roberto Clemente as the ancient Greeks remembered the heroes of their epics.

Pittsburgh has named a major bridge in Clemente’s honor and raised a monumental bronze statue of him. There is a museum dedicated to the minute examination of Clemente’s life — in the game and beyond. This year an artist unveiled a colossal mural overlooking the interstate highway.

The city of Pittsburgh unveiled this mural and tribute to Clemente earlier this year. Clemente played for the Pirates for 18 seasons until his death. In Pittsburgh he’s still called “The Great One,” 40 years after his death. Jerseys with his number, 21, remain the standard equipment for fans of the Pirates.“It would be difficult for an American to measure the importance of Clemente’s name in Latin America,” said former Sports Illustrated writer, William Nack, in an ESPN SportsCentury documentary about Clemente’s life. “He’s been deified. He’s a larger-than-life saint.”

What was it that made Clemente larger than life — and makes him larger in death? At root, it was arguably the quiet intensity of his Catholic faith. He did everything with intensity, and almost everything seemed to revolve around baseball. But baseball was not something removed from his faith. “I am convinced,” he once said, “that God wanted me to be a baseball player. I was born to play baseball.”
Some years ago, Clemente’s friend Father Cheetham told journalist John Franko: “We know [Clemente] was a great sports figure, but more than that he was a great humanitarian. He was a good, religious man. That’s what we should remember.” Clemente’s widow, Vera, agreed: “My husband was a very religious man. His faith guided him to help others.”

And the statistics bear out his claim. He was a four-time National League batting champ, once the league’s Most Valuable Player. He batted a lifetime .317 with 3,000 hits. He was the first Latin American inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Clemente’s play certainly helped him garner influence, but not at first. For years, he was criticized by the media for his poor English and propensity to miss games due to injuries — injuries that some said were mythical. 

But he always spoke up for what he believed was right and played hard when he was on the field. And over his 18-year career, as he amassed 12 Gold Gloves, 15 All-Star appearances, four NL batting championships, an MVP, and a World Series MVP, people began to respect him, including the pool of always-cynical old and stodgy sportswriters.

His performance on the field alone set him apart, but it’s his respect and admiration for those living in poverty that helped him earn his true legacy. 

“He told me more than once, ‘People who struggle are the people who know the true essence of what to be alive is,’” said Clemente’s friend, Luis Mayoral, in the documentary.

In the offseason after his final game when he earned hit number 3,000, Clemente was at his home in Puerto Rico when a major earthquake hit Nicaragua. There was a rumor going around that aid being sent from Puerto Rico was being sold by the Nicaraguan National Guard. Clemente knew that if the rumor was true, his presence and reputation would be enough to stop this injustice. 

So he helped organize a shipment, working around the clock. When the supplies were gathered and loaded onto the relief plane, he joined the crew. The plane took off on New Year’s Eve, 1972, but never made it to its destination. Due to technical malfunctions and a cabin overloaded with supplies, the plane crashed into the ocean and Clemente’s body was never found. 

Americans, Puerto Ricans, and the Latin community mourned his death. One sportswriter said the only other death during his lifetime that had that type of national impact was President John F. Kennedy’s. Three months later, on a special ballot, Clemente was voted into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame — nearly five years before he was eligible. 

“Everybody knew Clemente, the ballplayer,” said another friend of Clemente’s, Osvaldo Gil, who also participated in the documentary. “But the way he died, it was for people to know the man. He had to die like that for all the world to know what kind of a man he was.”

Interestingly, other than Nack referring to him as a saint, Clemente’s faith is never mentioned directly or indirectly in the documentary. It seems like a significant oversight because he let his Catholic faith and his relationship with God guide him through everything he did, from playing baseball to putting others before himself — just like he did when he got on that plane on the last day of the year in 1972.

Clemente’s example is one that Major League Baseball wants all of its players to follow, which is why each year the league gives an award named after the Hall-of-Famer to the player who most exemplifies a commitment to his community and helping others. The Vatican also values the contributions Clemente made. Though rumors of his canonization are premature, he is someone the Church believes young people should aspire to be like. Even if you don’t have his once-in-a-generation arm, you can still serve others and support dignity in those who suffer.

Duane Rieder, executive director of the Clemente Museum in Pittsburgh.

Rieder said he has spent time talking to family, friends and nuns who knew Clemente; they say he predicted his own death through dreams of him dying in the ocean and his body not being found.

But Rieder said he feels that the most important part is not the way Clemente died, but the way he lived his life for others.

"He's the only true baseball hero. He's the only person, player that ever gave up his life helping other people. Everybody else, you know, Babe Ruth wasn't a hero. He was a hell of a baseball player," Rieder said. "Roberto Clemente was the only true baseball hero."

George Herman “Babe” Ruth. The man transcended the confines of the diamond, becoming a worldwide icon by popularizing home-run hitting. Ruth credits learning how to play the game as a child from Xaverian Brother Matthias while at St. Mary’s Industrial School for troubled boys in Baltimore, Md.

“He used to back me in a corner of the big yard at St. Mary’s and bunt a ball to me by the hour, correcting the mistakes I made with my hands and feet,” Ruth wrote in a reflection in Guideposts, published days after his death. “Thanks to Brother Matthias, I was able to leave St. Mary’s in 1914 and begin my professional career with the famous Baltimore Orioles.”

The Great Bambino was also a member of the Knights of Columbus, often collaborating with local councils during barnstorming tours, bringing the game west when no MLB team existed beyond the Mississippi River. (The Dodgers would move to Los Angeles in 1958, the same year the New York Giants relocated to San Francisco.) This exhibition spirit extended overseas to Japan in 1934, when Ruth and other MLB stars helped solidify that country as a hotbed for baseball (which, no doubt, later influenced players like phenom Shohei Ohtani).

Tucker owns the all-time NFL record for field goal accuracy, having made 91.3 percent of his career field goal attempts, and the advanced stats show that he doesn’t just make his kicks, he makes them perfect. He set the NFL record for kicking the longest fieldgoal ever – 66 yards!

He said he’s more excited than nervous on the field.

“Not a lot of people get to do what we do so I’m taking everything in stride and really appreciating it,” he said.

Underneath his good humor, Tucker also has a strong faith life. Raised Catholic, Tucker can be seen blessing himself before every kick, a practice he began in his high school playing days.

“More than anything, it’s just to give glory and say thanks for the opportunity,” Tucker explained. “Not many people get to do what I do … and in college even fewer. And now only 32 guys get to do what I do. I’m just ever thankful for the opportunity whenever it presents itself. I really just ask more than anything that God’s will be done, and I’m happy with it.”

The Ravens offer a Mass on Sunday mornings. There are quite a few of us who are Catholic and attend Mass together, which is a pretty cool deal. Then, in the locker room, just before the game, we grab hands as an entire team, and someone always offers a prayer that we play to glorify God and to thank him for the opportunities with which we have been blessed.

Just like a family that prays together stays together, our team prays together, and each player knows the man next to him has his back. Our focus is to give all the glory to God, while emerging victorious in the process.

Some people think it must be tough maintaining a Christ-centered life in the NFL, or in any pro sport for that matter, but I’ve found it to be quite the opposite. I know, without a doubt, how fortunate I am to do what I do, and I am very grateful for my opportunities. All these blessings make me think of the One who gave them to me.

Both of my parents, Paul and Michelle, are Catholic, so I was raised in the Church from birth. The rich traditions of the Church have always been a part of my life. Every time I’ve faced a tough challenge or had a setback of some kind, I’ve always gone back to my faith — in the Holy Trinity, the communion of saints, our holy Mother Mary.

The saint I admire most for his firm standing in Christian faith as the “Rock” — or the protector — of the Church is Peter. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus says to Simon, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

I find Peter’s story very inspiring for the Church and all her people across the world. Jesus takes a simple man who he knows has something great inside him and changes his name to Cephas (“rock” in Aramaic). In that moment, Peter is both blessed and challenged with the task of sustaining and protecting the Christian faith for all generations to come. This is still done today through Peter’s intercession, but also through other men in the Petrine ministry, or the papacy.

One of the things I truly love about the Church is her rich history, through both good times and bad. Jesus promised us that the Church would never perish, and he directly prompted Peter to carry the Church on his back, just like Jesus carried the cross on his.

Tucker said he’s of the school of thought that people should be able to believe what they want.

“I like the Golden Rule just as much as anyone else,” he said. “You know just be cool with everybody and hopefully they’ll be cool back.”

The brown-haired, blue-eyed kicker, who has put 11 out of 12 kicks through the uprights this season, said he thinks it’s one of the coolest things the Ravens do to offer both a Catholic Mass and a chapel service at the hotel each week before the games. Father Christopher Whatley, pastor of St. Mark in Catonsville, celebrates Mass for the home games.

Tucker, who looks at spirituality and religion as a conscious choice and an effort as opposed to an obligation, also recounted a particularly poignant moment when he was just 11.

“I was in fifth grade and my best friend at the time passed away in a plane crash,” he said. “That was my first experience really with the death of someone I was close to. A verse in the Bible mentions child-like faith and I really experienced it. I try to carry that same feeling with me every new day. In a sense, I’m thankful for my experiences through that. It’s really kind of an opportunity to grow in faith.”

Tucker is also a family guy and is looking forward to his parents, his girlfriend and her parents visiting for this weekend’s Dallas game (“Happy Birthday, Amanda!” he says) and to two sisters attending the Texans game the week after.

“I’m a big believer because of my experience growing up, that the family that prays together stays together,” he said. “And we like to have fun too.”

Tucker’s mom, Michelle Tucker, said that as an ardent Catholic, it warms her heart to no end that her son is able to celebrate Mass before each game.

“What a gift that is and what a gift this entire Ravens NFL program is that they offer that to their players,” she said.  

When it comes to the faith the Ravens front office and coaches had in him at the start of the season, Tucker said he’s happy.

“All I can do is keep trying to prove them right,” he said. “I think that’s the attitude everyone has. You know, bring your lunch pail to work, keep your hard hat on, keep your nose down to your work, and as long as you do that, I think it’ll be alright.”He said he’s more excited than nervous on the field.

“Not a lot of people get to do what we do so I’m taking everything in stride and really appreciating it,” he said.

Underneath his good humor, Tucker also has a strong faith life. Raised Catholic, Tucker can be seen blessing himself before every kick, a practice he began in his high school playing days.

“More than anything, it’s just to give glory and say thanks for the opportunity,” Tucker explained. “Not many people get to do what I do … and in college even fewer. And now only 32 guys get to do what I do. I’m just ever thankful for the opportunity whenever it presents itself. I really just ask more than anything that God’s will be done, and I’m happy with it.”

Tucker said he’s of the school of thought that people should be able to believe what they want.

“I like the Golden Rule just as much as anyone else,” he said. “You know just be cool with everybody and hopefully they’ll be cool back.”

The brown-haired, blue-eyed kicker, who has put 11 out of 12 kicks through the uprights this season, said he thinks it’s one of the coolest things the Ravens do to offer both a Catholic Mass and a chapel service at the hotel each week before the games. Father Christopher Whatley, pastor of St. Mark in Catonsville, celebrates Mass for the home games.

Tucker, who looks at spirituality and religion as a conscious choice and an effort as opposed to an obligation, also recounted a particularly poignant moment when he was just 11.

“I was in fifth grade and my best friend at the time passed away in a plane crash,” he said. “That was my first experience really with the death of someone I was close to. A verse in the Bible mentions child-like faith and I really experienced it. I try to carry that same feeling with me every new day. In a sense, I’m thankful for my experiences through that. It’s really kind of an opportunity to grow in faith.”

Tucker is also a family guy and is looking forward to his parents, his girlfriend and her parents visiting for this weekend’s Dallas game (“Happy Birthday, Amanda!” he says) and to two sisters attending the Texans game the week after.

“I’m a big believer because of my experience growing up, that the family that prays together stays together,” he said. “And we like to have fun too.”

Tucker’s mom, Michelle Tucker, said that as an ardent Catholic, it warms her heart to no end that her son is able to celebrate Mass before each game.

“What a gift that is and what a gift this entire Ravens NFL program is that they offer that to their players,” she said.  

When it comes to the faith the Ravens front office and coaches had in him at the start of the season, Tucker said he’s happy.

“All I can do is keep trying to prove them right,” he said. “I think that’s the attitude everyone has. You know, bring your lunch pail to work, keep your hard hat on, keep your nose down to your work, and as long as you do that, I think it’ll be alright.”h their target audience.

Hall of Famer and St. Louis Cardinal legend Stan Musial was known to never miss Sunday Mass — as he amassed seven batting titles, three MVPs, three World Series titles, and 24 All-Star Game appearances (which is tied for the most of all time with Hank Aaron and Willie Mays).

Timothy Cardinal Dolan has taken to Twitter to honor baseball legend Stan "The Man" Musial.

The baseball Hall Of Famer and one of the game's all-time hitting legends died Saturday at the age of 92.

Dolan called Musial a "great Catholic" and a "great man," and the Cardinal also reposted one of his blog entries about the St. Louis Cardinals legend.

In a blog posting from Jan. 19, 2012, Dolan wrote: "On the morning it was announced that the Holy Father had nominated me a cardinal, one of the journalists at the press conference in front of the Christmas crib in St. Patrick's Cathedral asked if I had ever 'wanted to be a cardinal.'

'Yes,' I readily replied. 'When I was six years old. I wanted to be Stan Musial!' Stan, of course, is one of the greatest baseball players ever, to this day the most renowned of my beloved hometown St. Louis Cardinals. He is 'the Man.' As a kid, I idolized him."

In the blog post, Dolan praised Musial for his strong work ethic and for being a good role model and influence on all who watched him play.

Dolan wrote than Musial "readily admits one of the highpoints (sic) of his life was getting to know his fellow Pole, Blessed John Paul II," and that he "never missed Sunday Mass."

Of course, Musial was not just an amazing baseball player, admired by everyone. He wasn’t just a gentleman with major personal accomplishments, including a marriage that lasted more than 71 years. He was also a devout Catholic. I was curious how the media would handle that aspect of the story.

I’m one of those people who want to know about religious affiliation in every single obituary I read. It’s the thing I want to read first in an encyclopedia entry, too. It’s a very important piece of information for me. But because Musial’s Catholicism was such an important part of his life — from his regular worship to the charities he was involved with — it’s an important part of the picture even for more typical readers who, I assume, don’t quite share my level of interest in religious affiliation.

A two-time Olympian (London 2012 & Beijing 2008), four-time World Champion and a world record setter.  In total she won 15 medals in international competition. She retired from swimming in 2016 and has since earned her MBA and helped launch two companies. She is a holistic high-performance coach and a national speaker.  As a youngster she had also played softball and basketball.

Guest quotes:

“We were raised in the Catholic faith.  So, went to church every Sunday, grew up going to CCD and getting all the sacraments and that was a really significant part of my upbringing.”

“Most kids don’t want to go to Catholic high school because of uniforms or they think it’s going to be boring, and, I was the kid who begged to switch from public school to Catholic school.”

“I think (my parents) were also a little taken aback by a twelve-year old saying, ‘Can I get more religion in my life,’ but that was me.”

“I think it was less me choosing the water and (more) the water choosing me.”

“My mom would hide little cards in my bag, my suitcase, my swim bag… These little cards really encouraged me… Every single one she would write a Bible verse in it for me.  And she would remind me of how much the Lord loved me, whether I won, whether I lost, no matter the performance, she would remind me that she loves me and that God has got me in His hands.”

“God is faithful and so good and He helped me.  He answered that prayer but in a way that I never expected.”

“As much as swimming gave me wonderful blessings… I also, at a pretty early age… I desperately wanted validation and love… And I started to see God as almost like a bank teller.  ‘Here, I’ll make my deposit now.  You give me something in return.’  And, that is so far from the relationship that I now have.  Thank you, praise the Lord that He has healed me and helped me get out of really this prison of a performance-based identity and now instead I see my identity in Christ.”

“Since retiring from swimming I started working with athletes on how to change their mindset so that they can really get all the blessings out of a sport.  Perform to the best of their ability but also not over-identify, not become so really constrained by the fear and doubts and insecurity of losing that they lose their faith.”

“From a faith perspective, when I faced challenges there were times where I really leaned on the Lord.  And there were times where I saw adversity as some sort of punishment.”

“One of my Bible study teachers, she said, ‘We can either control or we can have faith, but you can’t have both.  So, which do you choose’?”

“At the end of the day the Lord has the best plans and we’ve just got to trust in that.”

“I had this mistaken belief that I could just do it alone.  And what I realized was ohh how mistaken I am.  The Lord created us to be in community.  And He has blessed me so profoundly with incredible mentors, friends, spiritual guides in my life from the most unexpected people.”

As a professional hockey player, Mark Van Guilder wears a lot of gear. Yet, it is not the skates, nor the Milwaukee Admirals jersey that define him – not even the “A” on the jersey that signifies his role as alternate team captain. What might best define him is the bracelet he wears with Philippians 4:13 imprinted on it: “I have the strength for everything through him who empowers me.”

“I love the apostle Paul. Awesome. Just a genius,” he said. “A lot of stuff goes over my head still, but I love reading Paul. I love Philippians.”

Like his three siblings, the second son of Mark and Elizabeth Van Guilder was raised in a faith-filled environment.

“Since they were very little, if it wasn’t a Christian story, it was Christian music, or Christian-based story on tape,” Elizabeth said of the children’s media consumption.

While all of the Van Guilder children played traveling hockey, that did not interfere with their faith formation.

“We never missed Mass. It was never an excuse – ‘Oh, we’re too tired,’ ‘Oh, we have practice,’  ‘We were up late.’ It was a priority. We worked around it,” Elizabeth said, adding that the children rarely missed Wednesday night religion classes because of hockey. The family belongs to St. Odilia Parish, Shoreview, Minn.

Today, Van Guilder, 29 and single, not only reads Scripture, but reads Christian literature and listens to CDs recommended by his mother, whom he terms his “spiritual leader.”

“I want to learn as much as I possibly can. And I think you’ll find that the more you learn and the deeper you get into it, the more you hunger for it and the more you want to learn – the more you want to share it with the people in your life,” he said.

Sharing the faith didn’t end when Mark left his Roseville, Minn., home after graduating from high school in 2002 to play junior league hockey for the Tri-City Storm of Kearney, Neb.

And neither did his family’s support.

“My family is unbelievable, just unconditional support, not only from my parents, but from my brother and sisters. They’ve been great siblings and great friends of mine, too.”

Admitting that she “cried for a year” when Mark moved, Elizabeth began texting him before every game – and has been doing so, almost without fail, for 11 years.

 “’God bless your game.’ ‘God bless your game.’ Well, this is boring, so I started texting him Bible verses based on how I thought he felt – if they won, if he was injured,” she said. “(I’d choose it) based on how he is feeling, what he needs. I don’t know if it’s impacted him or not, but it’s impacted me.”

 Van Guilder, who attributes his commitment to community service to his parents’ example, considers himself “fortunate” that his profession affords him “so much free time” – time he uses to visit schools and to speak to Catholic groups.

“We have an obligation as pro athletes that have these unbelievable lives and so much extra time on our hands, it’s our obligation to help out when we can,” he said. “We’ve been put in such a great situation, a situation most people will never get to experience so it’s up to us to give back and to set a good example for kids.”

On Feb. 26, he visited St. Charles Borromeo School, Milwaukee, where he spoke to 120 third-eighth graders who, according to their principal, Ellen Knippel, “were intrigued” by what he said.

“He spoke about sportsmanship and that faith comes first,” Knippel said. “He told them about the need for education before sports.”

She added that Van Guilder stressed “the importance of going to Mass,” and how, no matter where he was playing, he always made a point of getting to Mass.

“That was important for our middle school students to hear,” Knippel said.

Prior to joining Lumen Christi Parish, Mequon, last year, Van Guilder belonged to the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist for three years.

Fr. Jeff Haines, cathedral rector, said Van Guilder, whom he termed a “remarkable young guy who takes his faith seriously, was “faithful to the Mass,” and that he didn’t always attend by himself.”

“He often brought teammates with him,” the priest said. “There were more than a few occasions when he had a player in tow.”

Mass and much more

For Van Guilder, living his faith extends beyond the celebration of Mass.  

“It’s a lot more than just showing up for me, that’s for sure, more than just going to Mass. It’s taking what you learn there, what you’ve learned at home, and putting it into practice in your life,” he said. “The most important thing is do your decisions, do your actions, do your words follow your faith?”

His mom’s version is similar.

“Your actions are the Bible that some people read. Kids watch whatever you do. We’ve always used good manners. If they said something bad about somebody, they had to say five good things,” she said. “We prayed together – the rosary. We discussed things.”

Van Guilder has fans, and is a fan, too.

“I’m a big fan of the Virgin Mary – her incredible humility: ‘Let it be done to me according to your word.’ That is one of the most unbelievable lines in the entire Bible. How hard is that? How scared she must have been?” Van Guilder said. “And then you think about the tiny, insignificant obstacles in our life when we want everything to go our way. Mary’s a great example of letting go and letting God’s will take over.”

Earlier this month, for the fourth consecutive year, Van Guilder was named the Admirals’ IOA/American Specialty American Hockey League Man of the Year for “outstanding contributions to the Milwaukee community during the 2012-2013 season.”

He recently completed his most successful regular season with the Admirals, playing in 73 games, scoring 14 goals and assisting on 18 others. He had the winning goal in Milwaukee’s 2-0 victory over Chicago Wolves on Saturday, April 20. The win kept the Admirals in contention for a Calder Cup playoff berth, which they clinched the next day in Peoria. Milwaukee opens Calder Cup play against the Texas Stars, Friday, April 26, 7 p.m., at the BMO Harris Bradley Center.

The NHL – if it’s in God’s plan

After spending two seasons in Kearney, Van Guilder went to the University of Notre Dame. Upon graduating in 2008, he joined the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League, eventually moving up to the Admirals where he has played steadily since 2010.

“Things just happened real quickly. For someone like me, it was God leading you where you should be … I knew about Notre Dame, but I didn’t even know what state it was in,” he said with a laugh. “I didn’t know anything about it. It just kind of happened.”

Van Guilder admitted that he, like all players in the AHL, thinks about playing with a National Hockey League team, but he is cautious not to look too far ahead.

“As my faith has grown, I’ve found more peace with my life,” he said. “Instead of worrying about the future, I’m taking it in stride, taking it one day at a time.”

Elizabeth recalled a conversation with a couple of people who knew Mark. One of them said, “I bet he’s jealous” of those making large amounts of money in the NHL.

“’No, that’s not Mark,’ I told them. ‘Because we know whatever God’s plan for him is that is what’s happening,’” she said. “I don’t ever feel he is jealous of anybody because he is so secure in who he is, and he wants to please God and wants to do what God wants him to do.”

One of the reasons Van Guilder doesn’t think too much about his future is that he’s “having so much fun the way my life is right now.”

“My faith is the most important thing in my life,” he said. “Hockey is my next biggest passion. I can’t imagine myself not being involved in hockey in some way after I’m done playing.”

According to Fr. Haines, coaching could be in Van Guilder’s future.

“If you’re a parent looking for a guy to coach your kids, you’d want Mark to be that guy,” the priest said.

Van Cuilder didn’t expect to play junior hockey in Nebraska, go to Notre Dame or play for Milwaukee, which is why he’s leaving his future to God.

“It’s been a great ride. I‘ve learned to let go and let things happen,” he said.

For three-time Olympian Katie Ledecky, her incredible journey to winning four more Olympic medals at this summer’s Tokyo games began many years ago and winds through several roads – among them are two Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Washington, a few area pools and the tight-knit community of her Bethesda hometown.

One of the early paths in her championship-swimming career is her alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, where Ledecky returned on Sept. 17 to a hero’s welcome. She stopped by the all-girls Catholic school in Bethesda to share stories of her recent Olympics experience, of how she became a remarkable distance swimmer, and to encourage the students in their future aspirations.

But most of all, she wanted to convey her deep gratitude for the lessons she was taught and the support she received from Stone Ridge going back almost a decade ago when she first hit the world’s stage in international swimming competitions.

“It’s so great to be back here at Stone Ridge,” said Ledecky, emphasizing to the students that it’s where her Olympic story first unfolded. Ledecky was a rising 15-year-old Stone Ridge sophomore in 2012 when she won her first gold medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle race during the London Olympics.

At the Tokyo games, 24-year-old Ledecky won her 10th Olympic medal for swimming, adding two gold and two silver medals to her collection. She won the inaugural gold in the women’s 1500-meter freestyle swim, a first-time Olympic event. In the 800-meter freestyle race, she touched the wall at 8:12:57, repeating her gold medal success from 2012 and 2016 in that race. Her silver medals came in the 400-meter freestyle and in the 4x200-meter freestyle races. She is the current world record holder in the 400-meter, 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle swimming events.

she still says the Hail Mary prayer before every race to calm any nerves, just as she did at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.

“My faith remains very important in my life, especially the last two years,” said Ledecky, adding how much being able to “attend” Mass virtually every week with her family whom she hadn’t seen in person since December 2019, helped her through the challenges of the pandemic. “My faith is strong, and I realized more how important that is.”

The Stanford University Catholic community and her godfather, Jesuit Father Jim Shea, whose livestream Masses were celebrated at a parish in Charlotte, North Carolina, kept her going spiritually during the global shutdown, when she had to pivot her swim training from the university to a nearby Palo Alto backyard pool and the initial disappointment of the 2020 Olympics being postponed for one year.

More significantly than her accomplishments in the pool, Ledecky, a Bethesda, Md., native, is a devout, actively practicing Catholic. She credits her faith to a strong Catholic formation, which included attending Little Flower Catholic School through eighth grade and then Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart for high school.

“It’s a big part of who I am and how I’ve made it here,” Ledecky said of her Catholic faith

I think the beauty of Catholicism is its consistency through both successes and difficulties. I’ve counted on my faith to give me strength through both training and competition — but also in school, with my family and everyday life.

So while my goals in the pool have changed, my faith remains something that’s consistent and something I can always rely on.

What do you appreciate most about Catholicism?

I think our devotion to Mary is very beautiful. She has a sacred role in Catholicism, and her strong faith and humility are things we can learn from.

What’s the significance of saying the Hail Mary before your races?

More than anything, praying just helps me to concentrate and let go of things that don’t matter in that moment. It gives me peace knowing I’m in good hands.

Brett Favre, one of the greatest NFL players of all time, will be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. On Thursday he was presented with the prestigious “gold jacket,” the highest honor a player can get in the NFL. 

What is unique about the event is that his wife Deanna presented him with the jacket and will formally introduce him at Saturday’s induction ceremony. She is only the second wife of a football player to do so.

Favre said about the decision to have his wife participate, “Deanna is the best teammate I’ve ever had…She has been by my side throughout this journey and I’m so excited that she gets to play such an important role for me.”

The two have been together since high school and their teamwork was tested early on in their relationship. At age 19, Deanna found out she was pregnant and as Favre was the starting quarterback at Southern Mississippi University, they were not ready to be parents.

Her friends pressured her to have an abortion, but Deanna refused, saying, “there was no way I could destroy an innocent life.” She even admitted that having premarital sex was “a bad choice, and for every choice there’s a consequence.”

It was their shared Catholic faith that ultimately convinced them not to have an abortion and so Deanna gave birth to their first daughter, Brittany. They remained together throughout Favre’s success in college and the NFL and finally got married in 1996 at the height of his career with the Green Bay Packers.

Everything seemed to be going right. Favre became a three-time league MVP, won a Super Bowl, and started to break all the records. 

Then everything changed in 2003 and 2004.

A day before a game against the Oakland Raiders, Favre was notified of the death of his father. This devastated Favre as he greatly admired his father, from whom he received much of his hard work ethic and stubborn personality. In fact, his father had always wanted to present Favre at the Hall of Fame ceremony and would have done so if he were alive.

He took his pain to the football field, passing for 399 yards and 4 touchdowns to solidify a 41-7 victory. His father wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Ten months later his brother-in-law was killed in an accident and shortly after that Deanna was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was a whirlwind of a year full of emotions that ultimately strengthened them and deepened their Catholic faith.

Deanna said in an interview with The Compass, “I just feel like, with faith, it helps me see the good in everything…I thank God all of the time that I have faith because I don’t understand what people would do without faith.”

She credited her mother for giving her a firm foundation, something to stand on during the many trials they experienced, “She was a huge influence. We were brought up Catholic and we’re still strong Catholics.”

After four months of chemotherapy, Deanna was declared cancer-free. The experience prompted her to extend their charitable foundation to include organizations that provide financial assistance to breast cancer patients. Their foundation, Favre4Hope, has donated $8 million dollars to charitable organizations since its inception in 1995.

Additionally, Deanna was the driving force behind a pink Pray for a Cure Bible that was published to raise awareness of breast cancer. Deanna handpicked Bible verses aimed at breast cancer survivors and patients. Her favorite Bible verse is Romans 8:28 (“We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose”), which has motivated her to persevere in every trial. 

Priests who knew the Favre family in Green Bay and Mississippi said they were impressed by their faith. Fr. Tommy Conway, their pastor in Mississippi, said, “I think Deanna has shaped Brett Favre into the man he is today. I give her an awful lot of credit. They have faced adversity in their lives and they are both better people for it.”

In the end, while Brett Favre will go down in history as one of the best NFL players to ever play the game, he and his wife understand that none of it will matter when they part from this world to the next. Faith helped them get through some of the most difficult trials in their lives and continues to guide them forward into whatever else God has in store for them.

Scott Alexander Scheffler (born June 21, 1996) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He is currently the world number one, first reaching the position in the Official World Golf Ranking in March 2022, and has held that ranking for a total of 41 weeks.[2] He has won one major championship, the 2022 Masters Tournament. He also won the 2023 Players Championship.

In August 2020, Scheffler finished tied for fourth at the 2020 PGA Championship. He won $528,000 in prize money in the tournament.

On August 21, 2020, Scheffler shot a 12-under 59 at The Northern Trust. His round was the joint second-lowest in PGA Tour history and just the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.

He was named the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year for the 2019-20 season.

Scheffler is married to Meredith Scheffler (née Scudder). They met each other in high school, and married in 2020.[35]

Scheffler is a Christian.[36] He attends Bible study with his caddie Ted Scott, who caddied for Bubba Watson for 15 years. When requesting Scott to be his caddie, Scheffler said "I really want to work with a Christian. That's how I try to live my life."[37] Scheffler and his close friend Sam Burns co-host an annual retreat with members of the College Golf Fellowship, a faith-based ministry.

Scheffler is currently ranked as the best golfer in the world, and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. Finishing with a 10-under in 72 holes, Scheffler achieved the most prized  accomplishment in all of golf, snagging his first green jacket at Augusta National this month. Aside from his excellent tournament performance, Scheffler’s humility and faith stood out. 

“The reason why I play golf is, I am trying to glorify God and all that he's done in my life, and so for me, my identity isn't a golf score,” Scheffler said in the post-tournament press conference. 

The world’s top golfer Scottie Scheffler said in a press conference that glorifying God is the purpose of his career after becoming the Masters Champion.

The 26-year-old PGA Tour world champion and practicing Christian explains that “it’s not about a golf score.” He also reveals how his wife encourages him in faith.

“The reason why I play golf is…I’m trying to glorify God and all he’s done in my life,” Scheffler says in the interview. “My identity isn’t a golf score.”

“All I’m trying to do is glorify God. That’s why I’m here,” he continues. “That’s why I’m in this position. For me, it’s not about a golf score.”

“Like Meredith told me this morning, she says, ‘If you win this golf tournament today, if you lose this golf tournament by ten shots, if you never win, if you never win another golf tournament again, I’m still going to love you.

“‘You’re still going to be the same person. Jesus loves you, and nothing changes.’”

“Meredith always prays for peace, because that’s what I want to feel when I’m out there on the golf course,” Scheffler continues. “I want to feel peace and have fun and just feel His presence.

“And so, that’s her prayer every day. That’s my prayer, and I really felt that today.”

“I cried like a baby this morning. I was so stressed out. I didn’t know what to do,” he says. “I told Meredith that I don’t think I’m ready for this. I’m not ready for this kind of stuff. I just felt overwhelmed.

“She told me, ‘ Who are you to say that you’re not ready?’ Who am I to say that I know what’s best for my life?’

“So, what we talked about is that God is in control, and the Lord is leading me, and if today’s my time, then today’s my time.

Matt Birk was raised Catholic but fell away from the Faith in college.  He enjoyed worldly success during the first few years of his NFL career, but was still wandering and thus, not fulfilled.  When an evangelical team chaplin challenged the Catholic Church, Matt went on his personal search for truth, and ultimately claimed his Catholic Faith as his own.

Matt not only fell in love with the Church, he lived out his faith during his football career.  Matt was recognized for his community service work by winning the prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2011.  Upon winning the Super Bowl in 2013, Matt declined an invitation to go the White House, citing then President Barack Obama’s support for Planned Parenthood as the reason.  Matt strives to not only talk about the faith, but live it as well.

Matt made national news showing admirable courage and exercising his right to put God above all things and stand up for his Catholic beliefs.
"Former Ravens center Matt Birk skipped the Ravens trip to the White House this week because he disagrees with the President's stance on abortion" - CBS Sports Article  
"I wasn't there," Birk said on KFAN-AM in Baltimore. "I would say this -- I would say that I have great respect for the office of the presidency, but about five or six weeks ago, our president made a comment in a speech and he said, 'God bless Planned Parenthood.  Planned Parenthood performs about 330,000 abortions a year. I am Catholic. I am active in the pro-life movement, and I just felt like I couldn't deal with that. I couldn't endorse that in any way." 

Matt and his wife, Adrianna, live in St. Paul, MN with their 8 children.

Former NFL center and Super Bowl champion Matt Birk’s reputation as an outspoken Catholic is well-known.

Still, it might surprise you to learn to whom he looks up these days.

“I look at when I was growing up, my heroes were professional athletes,” said the former Minnesota Viking and Baltimore Raven who played in six Pro Bowls. “Nowadays, my heroes are priests.”

Birk played football at Cretin Derham-Hall High school in St. Paul and Harvard University before a 14-year professional career that saw him spend 10 years with his hometown professional team, then four with the Ravens. Baltimore won the Super Bowl in 2013, after which Birk announced his retirement.

The next year, he was named the NFL’s director of player development.

Birk has long been an active member of the pro-life movement; he spoke at the 2018 March for Life in Washington, D.C. He has publicly stood up for the defense of marriage between a man and a woman during his time in the public sphere, too.

He also established the HIKE foundation, which seeks to “impact the lives of at-risk children by providing interactive programs and resources needed to guide a child through the key educational transitions between elementary, middle, high school and college.”

The father of eight spends a lot of his time coaching his children in football and other sports these days. He also tries to get out to the golf course — which is where Birk shared some of his thoughts on his faith and the leaders who tie it altogether.

“We kind of have a front row to the future of the church,” Birk said at the St. John Vianney College Seminary’s annual Vianney Cup golf tournament this fall. “It’s great to have [the seminary] here, not just to support it because we know it’s important, but to be able to go over there and visit or attend Mass or other events that … the seminary’s putting on.

“All these good, holy priests we have, not just in this archdiocese but throughout the world, it’s such a source of encouragement for me to keep going and just to keep fighting the fight and running the race.”

A lifelong Catholic who attended parochial schools in St. Paul, Minn., Matt Birk had always considered himself pro-life. Especially after cradling his first newborn baby, the former center with the Baltimore Ravens instinctively knew life is a gift from God.

The six-time NFL Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro didn’t really put his pro-life values into action, however, until Archbishop William E. Lori called him unexpectedly in 2011 and invited him to speak at the Maryland March for Life.

Participating in the Annapolis march set Birk on a new path of very public pro-life activism.

“It’s not hyperbole to say that that night changed my life,” said Birk, noting that he was moved by the testimony of women who told him they regretted having abortions.

“That was just something really profound,” said Birk, a Harvard graduate who spent the last four years of his 15-year NFL career with the Ravens. “It really hit me. I was thinking, ‘My gosh, these women – they’ve been through it all and they want to tell everybody that abortion is wrong and that it’s a bunch of lies and the pain lasts.’”

Birk and his wife, Adrianna, are the parents of eight children, including two sons they adopted as infants just a few months apart. Adrianna has long been active in the pro-life movement, having previously volunteered at a pro-life pregnancy center opened by the godfather of one of her children. The center was located across the street from a Planned Parenthood facility in St. Paul.

“They celebrated Mass and had exposition of the Blessed Sacrament facing the abortion clinic,” Birk said, “and a few years later, (the abortion clinic) closed – they relocated.”

In traveling around the country, Birk hears that same story again and again – a sign, he said, that “light always triumphs darkness.”

“It’s a beautiful thing and just proof that God wins in the end,” he said. “All we need to do is just keep being his faithful servants and doing individually what he’s asking each of us to do in this battle.”

Today, Birk continues to provoke with pro-life tweets from a Twitter account that proclaims, “I tweet for those who can’t.”

It’s not enough simply to say one is pro-life, Birk insisted. One must “do” pro-life. As an example, he highlighted the pro-life outreach of the Knights of Columbus, of which he is a member, noting that the fraternal organization has donated more than 1,000 ultrasound machines to pregnancy resource centers across the country. That’s helping women see their unborn children in the womb and make a decision for life, he said.

DALLAS – Even after becoming the toast of the sports world, golfer Jordan Spieth, a 21-year-old Dallas Jesuit graduate, remained humble and down-to-earth as he worked the crowds at Augusta, handled the media, and bantered with morning and late night talk show hosts after his historic win. 

That’s no surprise to those who know the new Masters champion, who set course records at Augusta, Georgia, from April 9-12 on his way to the coveted prize and the iconic green blazer. They say he has kept family first, especially his younger sister, Ellie, who is autistic. 

“He is just very genuine,” said Steve Koch, athletic director at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, which claims Spieth as a graduate of its class of 2011. “He says what he believes. He believes in supporting others, taking care of others before he takes care of himself.” 

Michael Earsing, the president of the Jesuit school, said that the foundation of family, balance and caring for others has no doubt created a different perspective for Spieth, one that will serve him well after winning the Masters. 

“We talk about Ignatian balance in everything we do and I think Jordan and his family are a really good example of that balance,” Earsing told The Texas Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas. “When we talk about balance, we talk about love. We talk about how much he loves his sister, someone he loves and who has kept him grounded. We talk about how important life is to all of us as Catholics. What a wonderful thing.” 

At the Masters, Spieth became the second-youngest player to win and was the first to reach 19 under par in the tournament. His 28 birdies in the four rounds at the Masters is a tournament record. He also logged the best scores after 36 and 54 holes. And if that were not enough, he is only the fifth player in tournament history to lead from start to finish. He finished 18-under par, 270. 

Spieth is now ranked as the second-best golfer in the world behind Rory McIlroy, and is watching his already rising status accelerate significantly. 

Spieth’s win at the Masters has inspired the Dallas Jesuit community, but perhaps none more so than the school’s golf team, which was preparing for a regional tournament during the Masters tournament. 

Jesuit golfer Cameron Suhy said the team members were constantly checking their phones to get the latest on Spieth, who only four years ago was in their shoes playing golf for Jesuit. 

“It was pretty nerve-wracking the whole week just watching him having to sit on the lead but when he finally pulled it out, it definitely gave our team a lot of confidence,” Suhy said. “We saw that a kid from Jesuit could win on golf’s biggest stage.” 

During his time at Jesuit, Spieth led the team to three Class 5A state titles in the University Interscholastic League. 

Jesuit golf coach Cathy Marino, herself a 10-year veteran of the LPGA, said while Spieth definitely stood out on the golf course, he was just a normal teenager. 

“When he was on the team, he was one of the guys,” Marino said. “He was a regular high school kid a lot of the time and I was glad to see that. I think that’s important especially once you turn pro and it becomes a business.” 

For Spieth, the Masters win brought him a paycheck of $1.8 million. He already has an endorsement deal with Under Armour and there is talk that other lucrative endorsement deals are in the works. 

He was on various morning shows and late night shows April 13 and April 14. Unlike other Masters champions who take the week off following the tournament, Spieth said that he would play the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head, South Carolina, April 16-19 because he wanted to give back to the tournament that was good to him when he turned pro. 

That loyalty is not surprising for those who see Spieth on the national stage. They say he is the same young man with the same value system that he had embraced at Dallas Catholic schools, including his elementary school, St. Monica Catholic School. 

“Jordan was always respectful to staff and students alike,” said Colette Corbin of the school’s Student Services Department. “He was one of those kids that would just stay and help clean up in the cafeteria if he saw that I was short on students helping. He was considerate of others’ feelings and tried to include other students that might otherwise not be part of a group.” 

And Jesuit’s Earsing said Spieth will be an inspiration for students, parents and teachers in Dallas Catholic schools. 

“I think it’s a hope of everybody who works in Catholic education that you see somebody who is achieving at such a high level, who is also a wonderful model for our students,” Earsing said. “Jordan is just the common man who achieves greatness through the blessings and talent God has given him to the maximum.”

Jordan Spieth believes in God.  And if you meet him, you’ll quickly realize that despite his great success — he remains very humble.  But Spieth doesn’t claim to be a perfect Christian.  In a recent interview, the second-youngest man to ever win the Masters shared that he desperately needs Christ, and thanks his family for keeping him grounded.

Last year, Americans fell in love with the 22-year-old golfer hailing from the good ole’ state of Texas.  In 2015, Spieth placed first in the Official World Golf Ranking, tied the 72-hole record set by Tiger Woods in 1997, and became the second youngest to win the Masters, behind Woods.  He then won the U.S. Open with a final score of 5 under par.
To say that Jordan Spieth’s career is something quite remarkable, would be the understatement of the century.  His winnings last year alone totaled $23 million – not bad for a 22-year-old.  But there’s no obnoxious athlete ego here, Spieth is as humble as they come.

But despite his world-renowned accomplishments, Spieth doesn’t worry himself with showing off or blowing his money. Instead — and unlike many other golfers of his day — Spieth makes time for Bible study, his longtime high school sweetheart, and his family.

Spieth is a humble man, and his actions reflect it.  With every sincere and gracious post-win speech, Spieth’s first thank-you’s always go to the volunteers and staff.  Spieth is so down to earth, in fact, that he still drives the same car he did in high school.

The pro golfer explained, “No, I’m driving the same car I drove when I was heading into college after senior year.  It’s just a Yukon.  Honestly, my dad’s very good at keeping me grounded with that, putting it away, growing it.  I don’t have a desire to go out and just buy stuff.”

The young golfer isn’t concerned with putting on a show or impressing anyone.  After winning the Masters, Jordan Spieth set himself apart (yet again) when he politely declined to have a celebratory reception in one of Augusta’s swanky restaurants. Instead, the young man requested a private dinner with his family and closest kin — at the local Chick-fil-A.

Spieth often shares that his 14-year-old sister, Ellie, who has autism, is one of his biggest inspirations.  Ellie’s life is what keeps him grounded and her fearless example is what keeps him going.

Spieth told CBS This Morning, “She is our motivation.  She’s my biggest fan.  It puts things in perspective when you look at the big picture and the struggles that she goes through each day just to do simple tasks that we take for granted.”
While other famous golfers pose for pictures with supermodels in skimpy swimsuits, Spieth takes photos with his little sister.

“She’s my inspiration,” Spieth told the UK’s Telegraph.  “She’s the funniest member of our family.  I really love spending time with her.  It is humbling to see her and her friends and the struggles they go through each day, which we take for granted.  They are the happiest people in the world.”

After every trip, Spieth brings home a keychain, souvenir, or small trinket for his little sister.  Spieth is so proud of Ellie, he often invites her on stage with him. To Spieth, people are far more important than golf.  Inspired by his sister, Ellie, Jordan fulfilled a lifelong dream by launching the Jordan Spieth Family Foundation.  Spieth has made it his personal endeavor to encourage and support underprivileged kids, military families, and children with special needs.

Additionally, Spieth is a loyal man.  He doesn’t waste his time clubbing or getting drunk.  And unlike most celebrity men, Spieth has remained by his lady — Annie Verret’s side since high school.

We’ve come to find out that Spieth’s girlfriend is much more than just a pretty face.  Annie Verret works at The First Tee, a youth development organization that focuses on impacting the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.
Perhaps the most inspiring thing about young Spieth, is his love and devotion to his Savior, Jesus Christ. Spieth’s lifestyle shows that the young man is wise beyond his years.  To guard himself against the temptations of fame and fortune, Spieth has surrounded himself with like-minded men who love God, like Bubba Watson.

Watson shared that young Spieth makes time to invest in his relationship with God and other believers, he said, “He goes to Bible study with us on the Tour here.”Jordan’s former athletic director in high school shared, “Jordan is just very genuine.  He says what he believes.
He believes in supporting others, taking care of others before he takes care of himself.”

Spieth’s actions reflect his Faith.  His very life is a testimony.  He doesn’t brag.  He loves GOD He goes to Bible study.  He honors his family.  He lives humbly.  He encourages and supports those around him.  Despite the thousands of adoring fans, Spieth knows who alone is worthy of adoration — his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Even though Harrison Butker kicked the winning field goal in what he described as “one of the best Super Bowls ever played,” football doesn’t define the Kansas City Chiefs player’s life. 

“I want to be a saint. And that’s the most important thing, and that’s why I’m here on this earth,” Butker recently told EWTN News In Depth’s Colm Flynn.

“I’m not just making kicks so that I can make money and I can puff myself up as this great person that people want to be like one day. I’m making kicks because God wants me to have a platform, at least for right now, to share this message of faith, of growing in virtue, of growing closer to the sacraments and of being a saint.”

Butker, 27, is outspoken about his Catholic faith, his pro-life convictions, and his devotion to the Traditional Latin Mass, where he frequently served at the altar before becoming a father. In an interview with CNA in 2022, Butker said he believes the traditional Mass “really entices a lot of young people who are looking for answers. They’re looking for happiness. And for me, I found happiness in embracing the faith offered in the Catholic Church.” 

Butker earlier this month made the game-winning kick for the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII. With the score even at 35-35 and seconds remaining in the game, Butker’s kick gave the Chiefs the lead over the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-35. The Chiefs secured their second Super Bowl win in four years. 

When asked about the future, the father of three noted that his teammates “notice that I am happiest when I am with my family.”

“I envision my life with my wife and having lots of children and being saints. That’s what I envision. I don’t really envision myself being in the Hall of Fame, winning more Super Bowls, getting x, y, and z records, getting that contract. It’s just not something I really think about… all of my fantasies, you could say, are all for my family and for my children,” Butker said. 

During the Super Bowl, many on social media were quick to point out that during the game he was wearing what appeared to be a brown scapular around his neck, a sacramental from the Carmelite tradition that anyone can wear as a sign of their devotion to Mary.

In his interview with EWTN News In Depth, Butker said he has been wearing the brown scapular since college, but never wore it during games until after his injury earlier this season. He said the example of a teammate, fellow Catholic Leo Chenal, helped to convince him to start wearing it during games. 

He also said he didn’t intend for the scapular to pop out of his jersey during his game-winning kick, but the fact that it did and that numerous people on social media noticed it provided a “great witness.” 

“Wow, if Harrison Butker is wearing a brown scapular, maybe I should look into it,” he said.

Butker says he stays off of social media entirely but has not gotten “any negative feedback to my face, at least from teammates or coaches” about his Catholic and pro-life views. 

EWTN News In Depth spoke to Butker while the player was on a retreat at St. Michael’s Abbey in Orange County, California. When asked if he planned to travel and party during the offseason, as many of his fellow teammates are doing, Butker asked “if that’s not going to glorify God, if that’s not going to get us closer to sainthood, then why are we doing it?” During his off-season, he said he plans to take time with his family and, of course, to spend time in prayer. 

Amid the money and fame that comes with being a professional athlete, especially a successful one, Butker says daily prayer and meditation on God’s grace help him to stay grounded and remind himself that he is ultimately “ashes… dust.”

“I don’t allow [the fame] to get to my head and change the way I view myself, because I’m a child of God. I’m a sinner. I need a savior, I need Jesus, I need the sacraments, and prayer grounds me. And then, again, always coming back to my vocation and knowing that that job is way more important than kicking a football.”

Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker offered graduating college students a wake-up call on Saturday.

“I’m about to pop off some hard truths,” the two-time Super Bowl champion said as the commencement speaker at his alma mater, Georgia Institute of Technology.

Butker, who has been outspoken about his Catholic faith, told the students that their hard work might land them a very successful career, but that would not be enough to make them happy.

“But in the end, no matter how much money you attain, none of it will matter if you are alone and devoid of purpose,” he said.

Butker said that there are “too many examples” of people who have achieved “worldly success” but remained unfulfilled. He also said that “our culture is suffering.”

“I can offer one controversial antidote that I believe will have a lasting impact for generations to come: Get married and start a family,” Butker said.

The NFL star acknowledged that he’s been praised for his game-winning kicks, noting that Super Bowl LVII was the most-watched football game in history, but he added that “all of this happiness is temporary and the truth is, none of these accomplishments mean anything compared to the happiness I have found in my marriage and in starting a family.”

“My confidence as a husband and father, and yes even as a football player, is rooted in my marriage with my wife, as we leave our mark on future generations by the children we bring into the world,” Butker said.

“How much greater of a legacy can anyone leave than that?” he rhetorically questioned.

Butker said that his experience with the university’s Catholic center “laid the foundation for me to prioritize meaningful relationships and become the husband and father I am today.”

“While I’m still striving to be a better, more virtuous man, I’m confident that with God and with my wife by my side, I can do more than I ever could have imagined alone,” he said.

Butker told the students that as they move forward in life, they will face challenges and added that there is a “war on truth” in the world.

Many have lost respect for the dignity of the human person, he said.

“Gone are the days when a plurality of thought was accepted and encouraged. Instead freedom of thought has been replaced by a culture built on cancellations for those who disagree,” he continued.

Butker encouraged the students to “take risks at the expense of being silenced.”

“There will always be critics and those that disagree with our viewpoints; however, if we shy away from confrontation then the only voices left will be the ones with the most power,” Butker said.

“I pray that something I’ve said has resonated with you all and that no matter what happens from here on out, remember your purpose, focus on meaningful relationships, and know that with or without the spotlight, your life has value and you are meant for more,” he concluded.

At 18, Molly Seidel shares a record with three-time Olympian Suzy Favor Hamilton after winning her fourth consecutive Wisconsin State Cross Country Championship last November. Molly Seidel, 18, who won four consecutive Wisconsin State Cross Country Championships and 11 state championships in track during high school, plans to continue her running career while studying biology and English as a minor at the University of Notre Dame in fall. (Catholic Herald photo by Tracy Rusch)

The 2012 University Lake School graduate also won 11 state championships in track.

And she not only maintained a 4.0 grade point average, or above, throughout high school, but she took several AP classes, was a mathlete, sang in choir, participated in field hockey, was on the ski team and sails for fun.

Even with her accomplishments in running, academics and music – she’s a  pianist and a self-taught ukulele player – Seidel is humble.

“I don’t see myself as like a bigshot runner, I just see myself as Molly,” she told your Catholic Herald.

Seidel said Brian Borkowski, track coach at St. Joan of Arc and assistant cross country coach at ULS, is her role model.

“He’s been such a force in my life. I think that he taught me to love running and to just kind of always go after my goals. …” she said. “I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for him.”

Borkowski has coached Seidel since she was a seventh-grade student at ULS taking Christian formation classes at St. Joan of Arc Parish in Nashotah. Her school didn’t have a track team, but she was able to participate in the track program Borkowski started at her family’s parish, because of her enrollment in its religious education program.

He was there when Seidel backed out of her first meet because her nerves made her sick and when she came in first place at her second meet. She was an “instant success,” Borkowski said of the Gatorade National Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year and national champion at the Brooks PR Invitational, an indoor track meet. 

While her parents never pressured her to do sports, Seidel said their family has always been active – her twin siblings, Isabel and Fritz, 16, are also involved in sports at ULS; Isabel participates in field hockey, cross country, skiing and track, while Fritz is in soccer, skiing and track.

Seidel just loved being outside and active, whether it was jogging with her dad or hiking with the dogs.

“I think that’s why my parents were a little bit surprised how well I took to running just because it kind of came out of the blue,” she said. “I had been playing field hockey for years and then I just kind of wanted to run track and then it kind of came out of nowhere.”

But Borkowski said Seidel’s work ethic has a lot to do with her success.

“Her work ethic is like second to none,” Borkowski told your Catholic Herald in a telephone interview. “She sets goals for herself that are just, they’re some people would say you couldn’t believe in them, but she never stops believing and there was one time she called me, and this was after practice, and she said, ‘Coach, I think I can run a 4:45 in the mile,’ and we went to the track at Arrowhead, and she ran a 4:44 – that was her best time ever in the mile and she did that just on her own calling and saying I think I’m ready to try for this.”

Borkowski, who was an athlete at West Allis Hale High School and at UW-Parkside, said he was Seidel’s training partner and coach because he not only designed the workouts, but also ran them with her.

“I’d rather lead by example, although, she did crush me that day,” he laughed, noting that Seidel beat him in the mile by at least 10 seconds.

Molly is also a good competitor who congratulates other runners as they cross the finish line, according to Borkowski.

Ben Borkowski coaches Molly Seidel at a track meet in this 2006 photo. As a seventh-grade University Lake School student taking religious education classes at her family’s parish, St. Joan of Arc, Seidel was eligible to run on the St. Joan of Arc parish school’s track team where Borkowski said she had “instant success.” (Submitted photo courtesy Ben Borkowski)

“When you talk to other people about Molly, they say the same thing – she’s just so good and so nice and just so humble about everything and she’s just so thankful for all the gifts that she’s been given in life,” he said, explaining that he thinks Seidel’s responsible for amping up younger runners’ interest in the sport.

Mike Dolan, Seidel’s cross country coach at University Lake School in Hartland, said he’s also witnessed humility in the way Seidel treats other runners.

“There was a runner after the sectional race two years ago (who) came up and said, ‘Would you sign my number?’ and Molly, who had just won the sectional said, ‘Tell you what, I’ll sign your number if you sign my number,’” said Dolan, who has coached cross country for about 40 years, but the past five or six at ULS.  “…she never wants to make herself look better than the next person, so yeah, that’s that humility…that’s class act through and through.”

Borkowski has also seen Seidel put her “rule” into practice that she must receive an autograph if she gives one, when younger runners ask for it.

“Kids just love that when that happens,” he said, adding that they look up to her so much that “you could hear a pin drop” the times she’s been a guest speaker at his cross country camps at ULS.

He’s also watched Seidel grow in her faith on the track.

“As a collegiate athlete and a high school athlete myself, I’m very into my faith but when I got to the starting line of every race, I was always a little too shy to make the Sign of the Cross….” Borkowski said. “She doesn’t hold back and I always wished that I wouldn’t have been the way I was and I would have been like more like Molly. She’s not shy at all. She’ll make the Sign of the Cross and take about 15, 20 seconds and I know when the time is to just leave her alone and that’s her time with God and it’s a great thing to see.”

Seidel said that her mom was always adament about her religious education attendance and going to church as much as they could – she even remembers heading to church in ski boots after Sunday morning ski practices.

“My grandma was super religious and I think a lot of it comes from that, just like praying before races or like praying to St. Jude and stuff if something’s not going right. I think a lot came from her just kind of instilling the fear of God in us when we were little,” she laughed.

Her faith was also one deciding factor in her college choice.

“Notre Dame was the only school that I went to that on Sunday night all of the girls were like, ‘Hey you want to go to Mass with us?’” said Seidel, who plans to study biology and maybe English as a minor. “…it was like the cool thing to go to Mass and I think that really stuck with me like it was somewhere that I was going to be the majority being a Catholic and want to be going to Mass.”

Borkowski said he hopes that Seidel enjoys herself and achieves greatness at Notre Dame. He thinks she could be a national champion at the NCAA level in the short term, and in the long term, an Olympian.

“I’ve thought about that since she was in seventh grade and her body type and her work ethic is exactly what these Olympic athletes do and she exemplifies one of them,” he said, noting she was off of the Olympic trials for the mile by about seven seconds this season and dealt with an injury at the state championships.

“I don’t think the timing would have been right, and I think right now is the time to focus on college and her education and then go after some greatness, because I think she’s right there.”

Seidel’s ultimate dream is to run in a post-collegiate running club or to run professionally after school, but she’s in no rush to get there.

“I think I want to see how I do in college and if I have the potential to run, and if I do, I will definitely take it, but I think I really just would love to have a long and healthy running career,” she said. “I want to say like I’d love to do a marathon someday, maybe an ultra marathon even…I’d love to just try and be active the rest of my life and be one of those 80-year-olds who’s still doing marathons.”

After her running career ends in what Seidel hopes is the far, far future, she said she would love to coach. 

“Just be able to help other people love running just as much as I do and kind of instill some of the stuff I’ve learned just because I’ve had such good teachers and I’d love to be able to pass that on,” she said.

The last couple miles of a marathon can be brutal, but they can be even more challenging when you're competing for a medal at the Olympics. For Molly Seidel, she says she had a little help from above to get her through the race.

The Team USA marathoner stunned the world by taking home a bronze medal in Tokyo in just the third marathon of her career, and she told TODAY that one of her mom's favorite prayers gave her the boost she needed to persevere.

Seidel's mom had texted her the prayer from St. Jude, who just so happens to be the saint of the impossible, and the athlete found it comforting to recite during the homestretch of the race.

"My mom went to the sister school of Notre Dame, where I went to university, and she found it in the grotto at ND when she was in school," Seidel told Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin on TODAYTuesday. "She prays it all of the time, really in times of difficulty or in times of need."

Crunch time in the final portion of the race in 100-degree heat with an Olympic medal on the line certainly qualified as a time of need.

"With about four miles to go of that race, when I was sitting right around that fourth, third place, and I didn't know whether or not I was going to medal, it was getting really, really tough," Seidel recalled. "I just started mouthing it to myself and was just hoping and praying that I'd be able to keep pushing through to the finish line and come away with a medal."

St. Jude helped her bring it home, as Seidel, 27, became the first American female marathoner to medal since Deena Kastor won bronze at the 2004 Olympics.

Seidel opened eyes around the world by finishing in the top three despite only previously running two marathons in her career. In the first marathon of her life, she finished second at the U.S. Olympic trials in February to qualify for Tokyo.

She has a background as an elite distance runner and was named the national Gatorade Cross Country Runner of the Year when she was a high school senior. Seidel then became an NCAA cross country champion at Notre Dame and won NCAA titles in the 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000-meter races.

8x Pro Bowler and former quarterback for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, Philip Rivers.

Rivers played for NC State University for 4 years and in the NFL for 17 seasons, during which he accumulated a laundry list of accomplishments: 2000 ACC Rookie of the Year, 2002 Second-Team All-ACC, 2003 First-team All-ACC, 2003 ACC Offensive Player of the Year & Player of the Year, 2004 ACC Athlete of the Year, 2008 NFL Passer Rating Leader & Passing TDs co-leader, 2010 NFL Passing Yards Leader, and 2013 NFL Completion Percentage Leader. Rivers also holds the NFL record for the most consecutive completions and the most consecutive games with a passer rating above 120.

But as decorated as Rivers is in the ACC and the NFL, perhaps no accomplishment is as valuable or important as his Catholic Faith. Rivers was born on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and was raised a devout Catholic by Steve and Joan Rivers in Decatur, Alabama. Steve was a football coach when Philip was a kid, so football has been a big part of Philip’s life since he was a young kid.

Philip said that when he was in 5th grade, he made a poster of his dreams and aspirations. On the poster he put three things: he wanted a younger brother, he wanted to grow up and play for his dad, and he wanted to go to the NFL. Fast forward to today, and Rivers has gotten the chance to not only play in the NFL but leave behind one of the most respected legacies of any franchise quarterback in NFL history.

“I have to say, getting to put a checkmark next to all three of those and now getting to coach my boys in high school football, it’s coming full circle.” Rivers is now the coach at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Alabama and he’s getting the chance to follow in his father’s footsteps as he began to do as a young quarterback wearing #17, just like his dad.

He recalls being given the opportunity to play for his dad, it was a very formational period in his life as it is for all boys. Having his father there to guide him and teach him through the sport of football was an unbelievable blessing. Now, he gets to do the same for his sons. Rivers expressed his gratitude at being able to do so at a Catholic high school where the faith is such an integral part of everything they do there, especially sports.

“Being at a Catholic high school, [our faith] is part of the very fabric of our football program, and certainly a part of the mission of the school,” said Rivers. “Getting to be at a Catholic high school and coach these young men, we talk about the ‘whole young man’ all the time: spiritually, physically, emotionally, academically. If it’s just about the football, then we’re missing out. And that’s what I have such a passion for, coaching at this level. It’s way bigger than the football. You want them to be better men for it when they come out of the program.”

In his final moments of the show, Rivers expressed his eternal gratitude for his Catholic faith which played such a foundational role in his value of the family, which in turn led to his love for football growing up with his dad. From a very young age, Rivers learned one unforgettable piece of advice: “We don’t miss Mass on Sundays.” Our faith comes before all else, even football.

As Rivers grew, he began to develop a spiritual life that led to him taking on a more intellectual outlook on his faith, making the faith his own, as he said. Learning to embrace God’s call to simple obedience was life-changing for Rivers as he entered new stages of his life: getting married, guiding his wife through her conversion to Catholicism, playing in the NFL while raising nine kids, leaving California for Indianapolis, and finally his retirement. All throughout his life, God has been there to walk him through it.

“Stay grounded in the sacraments…You mentioned all the blessings. We could talk about the football ones forever, but I think the blessings from God on our family and our faith would certainly supersede those by a longshot,” said Rivers. “Stay grounded in the sacraments.”Retired Los Angeles Chargers legend Philip Rivers, the eight-time Pro Bowler is a devout Roman Catholic. Rivers grew up and attended school in a Catholic environment and currently coaches football at St. Michael Catholic High School in Alabama.

Philip Rivers has never shied away from his faith, and he frequently credits it for giving him such a long and successful NFL career. Rivers' wife, Tiffany, is also a Roman Catholic.

Philip Rivers is a staunch Roman Catholic who never misses Sunday Mass. The dedicated family man has been married to his significant other, Tiffany, since 2001, and they share nine children. They are currently expecting another baby.

Rivers is a social conservative, and he is known for going against the norm. The NFL icon endorsed former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum during the 2012 Republican Party presidential primaries.

He is a member of an uber-athletic household. His dad, Steve, and younger brother, Stephen, played collegiate American football. During his college career, Stephen played for Louisiana State University (LSU), Vanderbilt University, and Northwestern State University. The football gene runs in the family.

Furthermore, Philip and Tiffany Rivers run Rivers of Hope Foundation, a program he and his wife oversaw from 2010 to 2012 to care for foster children. The Foundation raised over $1,000,000 for the cause through football camps and personal contributions from the Rivers.

These days Philip Rivers is entirely focused on his job as the head coach of the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals, a team very close to his heart.

Rivers was a top-five QB for most of the 2000s and made his mark in the NFL. The Chargers legend was the 2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He made eight Pro Bowls, was the 2010 NFL passing yards leader, the 2008 NFL passing touchdowns co-leader, and the 2008 NFL passer rating leader. He is a San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team member and was the league's completion percentage leader in 2013.

Furthermore, Rivers is sixth all-time in career passing yards with 63,440 and passing touchdowns 421. The five players ahead of him in both categories are first-ballot Hall of Famers, and Rivers case shouldn't be dissimilar. Of course, he's the only one on both lists that lacks a Super Bowl win, but that shouldn't keep him out of Canton. The ACC legend deserves it just as much as your favorite QB.

There was an unusual sight at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, in Alabama, on August 12. The former professional football quarterback Philip Rivers arrived accompanied by 70 students from St. Michael’s Catholic High School in Fairhope, where Rivers is now the head coach.

A year before announcing his retirement from the professional football league in 2021, the dad-of-nine shared: ” I (had) two childhood dreams. One was playing in the NFL. I still love that. The other was to be a high school football coach as my dad was.” 

And he is taking his role very much to heart. Not only is Rivers ensuring the athletic progress of his students, he’s also seeing to the spiritual needs of his students before a game.

In fact, the 70 junior varsity and varsity football players stopped at the shrine as they were heading to River’s high school alma mater, Athens High School, for a pre-season game, according to One Voice. Yet before donning their football gear, the team spent time together camping and then did some team building at the Diocese of Birmingham’s Camp Tekawitha in Springville. 

En route to the game the team also visited the Cenacolo Community and then the shrine, where they were able to go to a noon Mass celebrated by Bishop Emeritus Robert Baker, spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and participate in a talk about Mother Angelica.

The religious sister is well-known for founding EWTN, but she also founded the shrine after having a vision in Columbia that instructed her to build a temple that would honor the Child Jesus. She was instrumental in making sure the “Romanesque-Gothic architecture and breathtaking art facilitated prayer and worship. [Stating] “Only the best for God,” according to the shrine’s website.

Rivers shared in a little more detail what the team had been doing, and the personal connection he had with the shrine:

“We’ve been on kind of camp / retreat: Camp Tekawitha and then over to the Cenacolo Community to visit those brothers there whose stories are so impactful. [They] are fighting to grow and get back on track in their faith and in their lives, and that was very impactful for me, our staff, and our players. Then coming here to the shrine is special for me. … Its special to my family. My wife was a convert and Mother Angelica, tapes, and EWTN were a big part of that.” 

He continued: “At St. Michael’s … we talk about the whole young man, wanting to grow in our faith, in our academics, and on the football field. The Holy Spirit was alive and working here on these young men and hopefully it will have an impact on them in their future.”

Rivers seems to be truly embracing his role as head coach to the young men at St. Michael’s. Hopefully these youngsters can learn not only from their coach’s impressive football skills, but also from his deep devotion to God.