Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots 41-33 in their first Super Bowl victory on Sunday night.
“I’m grateful that I made the decision to come back and play. I wouldn’t be out here without God, without Jesus in my life. I can tell you that first and foremost,” said quarterback Nick Foles.
Foles won with an 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz with 2:21 remaining. However, what many people don’t know about the team is how important faith plays a role in their lives. In a recent NBC sports article, Foles said,
"So I'm not perfect. I'm not Superman. I might be in the NFL, I might have just won a Super Bowl, but, hey, we still have daily struggles, I still have daily struggles. And that's where my faith comes in, that's where my family comes in."
The team hosts Bible studies in the locker room, pray together, and grow in their faith. The team’s website shows a video on how they place God in their lives and during games. One Bible study was about "staying humble and walking in surrender to the Lordship of Jesus."
Foles almost quit football after a challenging loss but stuck to a bible verse that inspired him. 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
One player, Marcus Johnson, got baptized in a hotel pool while being surrounded by teammates back in October. This post portrays the importance of community. With teammates by their side, this creates a surrounding of accountability and encouragement daily, even with a busy lifestyle.
No matter where you are in life, fulfilling your dream or just trying to get through, God uses these opportunities to help you grow in faith and become closer to him. No matter where you are, God is going to use you to grow and uplift others and yourself. Be obedient and go wherever God is calling you. Go with a grateful, humble heart. Praying together, the team is strengthened through faith and trust in God’s timing.
According to the Christian Post, Foles thanked God for his performance on the football field. “It took a lot more faith to come back and play than it would’ve to go in the other direction,” Foles told the AP. “Either way would’ve been fine. Either way, I would’ve trusted in God. I would’ve done something else and glorified God in that instance. I knew as a person that the more growth I’ve had and the more opportunity I would have to glorify God and trust in him would be to go back and play football,” he added.
"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
To learn more about this team, visit their website .
