38-35. That was the final score in a tremendously exciting Super Bowl decided in the last few seconds by Harrison Butker, the Kansas City Chiefs kicker who is also a devout Catholic.
Butker gave the Chiefs the victory in the dying seconds for the second consecutive game, having kicked a field goal to win against the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that sent the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. He then kicked the game-winning field goal in the last seconds to win the Super Bowl. More on Butker later, but this game had different aspects of the Christian faith demonstrated, not only during the game but in the buildup to it.
Only a few short weeks ago Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin essentially died due to heart failure on the field during a game. Through quick and thorough medical intervention and a massive amount of league and nationwide prayer he not only survived but is recovering well.
The result of this incident from a faith perspective has been unprecedented. Teams have been joining hands at midfield in prayer for Hamlin. Some broadcasters on air have been asking viewers to join them in prayer. There may be no connection, but the Super Bowl even had a couple of commercials with Christian messages.
The game itself featured two very Christian quarterbacks in superstar Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs and the supremely talented Jalan Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mahomes, who was playing in his third Super Bowl in four years (having won two of them), commented recently “My faith plays a role in everything that I do. I always ask God to lead me in the right direction. I want to make sure I glorify him on the biggest stage.” KMBC News reported. “You can’t be half in and half out with God. I need to be fully in.”
Hurts, who has been compared to Mahomes in stats, leadership style, and now in faith, believes strongly that God is responsible for where he has been placed.
“I am a man of God, a hard worker, and a family man … I lean on God’s grace favour and guidance,” CBN News reported.
Grant Aasen, left, and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker are seen in this undated photo. As teammates at Georgia Tech University Aasen convinced Butker to go to confession and return to his Catholic faith. (CNS photo/courtesy Knights of Columbus)
Friends who read my columns sometimes say they are surprised to see that there are so many high-profile Catholics who will speak publicly about their faith. Remember that in many professional sports the media are told to not ask about an athlete’s religious faith. In some sports (like hockey) the athletes are encouraged to simply fit in.
Increasingly however pro athletes, especially in the NFL, have been speaking out. Harrison Butker is one of them. Being a place kicker in football comes with a great deal of spotlight and pressure. Most pro athletes have sports psychologists, but serious men and women of faith trust in the Lord. Through wins and losses it is Jesus who they turn to. After great accomplishments and embarrassing errors it is Jesus who they run to.
Butker has played through all of the above and as a result he leans on God greatly, embracing the prayer “Jesus I trust in you.”
In fact, he was injured for the first part of the past season and might easily have wondered whether his career was over.
“I always pray that God’s will be done, whether I make a kick or miss it. I couldn’t come in to work with a smile on my face after blown kicks if I didn’t trust God’s will,” he told EWTN. However, he now has two Super Bowl rings to show for his trust in God.
After drifting from his Catholic roots he came back home after his Catholic friend Grant Aasen at Georgia Tech University convinced him to go to confession. “When I left that confessional I really changed my life around. I saw the fruits of it – living a holy and grace-filled life, he told EWTN.
His strong belief is that we are all called to be saints, which involves fighting hard against one’s habitual sins and dominant defects, which can better be identified with a spiritual director. It’s much like an athlete who needs to make adjustments to his/her performance. They need a coach to help in the process.
Butker, who is married and has two children, is inspired by the Latin Mass, at which he often serves.
Asked whether he prays for Super Bowl victories he emphatically answered no; he to be a saint and a good husband and father. “I am trying to spread the faith the best I can.”
Butker should have a larger audience to spread the faith with now that he’s a Super Bowl hero. Is there a friend you could give a nudge to like Grant Aasen did for Butker?