Christian Athlete of the Week: Patrick Willis

Patrick Willis may be one of the hardest-hitting linebackers in football, but he also has a soft heart. The 29-year-old is entering his eighth season in the NFL and throughout the past seven years, he’s had quite a journey, both on and off the field. His walk with God has been a crucial part of his life ever since he was a little boy.

“My grandmother, she always just you know, told us about faith and always put us in church,” Willis said. “I’ll never forget my Uncle Arthur who was a professional boxer. He would always tell me, ‘Just always remember to give God all the praise, glory, and honor.'” (Credit: CBN.com)

The Ole Miss product has 20.5 sacks in his illustrious career and has had at least 104 tackles in six of the seven seasons he has played in his career. He is the backbone of the San Francisco 49ers’ defense and has been a perennial Pro Bowler ever since his fantastic rookie season in 2007 where he logged in 174 tackles and 4 sacks. However, his love for the game of football is nothing in comparison to the love he has for Christ. Check out this video clip below:

Born in Bruceton, Tennessee, Willis grew up poor and never knew what it was like to live in luxury. He had to work at the age of 10 in cotton fields in order to provide for his younger siblings. Without a mother and an alcoholic and abusive father, Willis moved his two brothers and sister out of their trailer park and moved in with his high school basketball coach at the age of 17.

Now, Willis gives back to his surrounding community, working with kids who have cancer. He is part of a foundation, Childhood Cancer Charity, that raises money and awareness for these kids who have an uphill battle ahead of him. Willis also runs off-season football camps and teaches kids how to play the game that basically saved his life.

Today, Willis looks to bring his 49ers a Super Bowl and will have to lead this defense to postseason glory. He will do this while also bringing attention to God at the same time.

“I just go out there and I always pray, I say, ‘Lord, I don’t know what today’s game is going to be like, but I just pray,” Willis said. “‘I pray that you bless me to go out here and play for you. Be a soldier for your army, go out here and lead this team the way you want me to lead it.’ So each time I play, I don’t want to go out there and say, tell people, ‘I’m playing for the Lord today.’ I just want them to see it and know that when I, whether good, or bad, or indifferent, you know I’m playing for the Lord.”

 

 

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Christian Athlete of the Week: Larry Fitzgerald

Like Aaron Rodgers in the last article, Larry Fitzgerald is also very mild-mannered and does not spend much time in the media spotlight. He tries his best to humble himself before God and others. The All-Pro wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals is one of the greatest players in franchise history. He currently has caught 846 receptions for 11,367 yards and 87 touchdowns and he is only 30 years old! Fitzgerald was drafted third overall by the Cardinals in 2004 and really made an impact in 2005 when he put up 103 catches for 1,409 yards and 10 touchdowns. Since then, he has had six 1,000-yard seasons and has had double-digit receiving touchdowns in five of them.

Fitzgerald was a ball boy for the Minnesota Vikings and watched Cris Carter how to play the position up close and personal. He went on to play for the University of Pittsburgh where in 2003 he was named the best receiver of the year and 1st-Team All-American, putting up monster numbers. Now, the veteran has been to 8 Pro Bowls and holds seven franchise records for the Cardinals. He also holds the NFL record for the most catches, yards and touchdowns in the postseason when Arizona went on that Super Bowl run in 2008. This guy is definitely a superstar and still one of the best receivers in the league. However, he lets God decide his fate on how great he is.

“I believe in God,” Fitzgerald said. “God controls my fate. Whatever God’s plan is, I will follow.” (Credit: Athletes4Christ)

Fitzgerald has come a long way since being a ball boy in Minnesota. He never knew that God would cut out a path like this for him. Fitzgerald understands that God holds the future in His hands and He decides whether or not things work out our way. All that matters is that He gets the glory and Fitzgerald does that through his play in football.

“Faith in God, a positive mind-set, and hard work will take you a long way,” Fitzgerald plainly puts it.

Fitzgerald established the “Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund” to help kids and their families by funding positive activities for kids during the summer and throughout the year, supporting kids and families in crisis and supporting health-related organizations that work with families. Each summer, Arizona and Minnesota holds youth football camps through Fitzgerald’s charity. He also partners with other companies to provide children with technology, new football helmets and new recreation equipment. In the past, Fitzgerald has made trips to places like Africa, India, Thailand and the Philippines to support economic growth in the underprivileged communities.

Fitzgerald does a lot on and off the field. Most importantly, he gives thanks and credits God in everything that he does. He serves as a good role model in the NFL community and establishes his faith in the One who controls his life for His glory.

MLS All-Star Update

The MLS regular season is a little more than halfway through, and there has been some great soccer as of late. The MLS All-Stars have already been announced and the best the MLS has to offer will play Bayern Munich on August 6 at Providence Park, the home of the Portland Timbers. Here is a list of the MLS All-Stars that will be competing in the big game: GK Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake), GK Bill Hamid (DC United), CB Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), CB Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), DEF DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC), DEF Aurelien Collin (Sporting Kansas City), DEF Chad Marshall (Seattle Sounders FC), DEF Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), MF Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), MF Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), MF Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City), MF Tim Cahill (New York Red Bulls), MF Osvaldo Alonso (Seattle Sounders FC), MF Will Johnson (Portland Timbers), MF Diego Valeri (Portland Timbers), F Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), F Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls), F Obafemi Martins (Seattle Sounders FC), F Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), F Robbie Keane (LA Galaxy), F Erick Torres (Chivas USA),  and F Bradley Wright-Phillips (New York Red Bulls).

Most of the players listed above played for the U.S. Men’s National Team during the FIFA World Cup. Twelve Americans made the list for the MLS All-Star team and eleven are international. Now, here’s how each team has been doing so far:

Kansas City has a one point lead over DC United for the Eastern Conference. United has shocked a lot of people by playing this well after finishing dead last in the entire league last year with only 16 points (3 wins, 7 draws and 24 losses). Now, they are 10-4-5 and have a goal differential of 9, the third best in the entire league. Their surprising efforts have come in due to the play of their All-Star goalkeeper Bill Hamid and their ability to play as one unit. Fabian Espindola deserves a little bit of credit for leading his team with seven goals this year. The 29-year-old forward from Argentina has been a huge help since joining the club earlier this year. His seven assists also leads the team and is tied for second in the entire league!

Back to Sporting Kansas City, they have three All-Stars on their team, but their best player didn’t even make the roster this year and that is Dom Dwyer. He is tied for second in the league with 14 goals with All-Star Erick Torres. The 23-year-old forward from England definitely has a bright future ahead and could open the eyes of some Premier League scouts.

Since 2012, Dwyer has scored 16 goals in 35 appearances for Kansas City.
Credit: http://www.sportstalkflorida.com

The team to beat right now is the Seattle Sounders. They have dominated their opposition, landing a 12-2-4 record and lead the league with 35 goals scored for them. They also lead the league with the most All-Star players with five. One of those five is National Team Captain Clint Dempsey. He has nine goals accredited to his name and fellow All-Star teammate Obafemi Martins is having one of the best years of his career. The 29-year-old Nigerian forward has eight goals and six assists in 16 appearances with the team this year. This one-two-punch combination has been deadly all year and will continue Seattle’s winning ways unless someone stops them.

Speaking of great seasons, Thierry Henry is continuing to defy his limits has he now leads the MLS in assists with eight and has scored four goals this year. The French Forward has been able to produce for New York even at the well-experienced age of 36. He has now made four straight All-Star appearances and will look to continue his amazing career after scoring 45 goals in 108 appearances for the Red Bulls.

Henry’s teammate, Bradley Wright-Phillips, is having one of his best seasons ever as well. The 29-year-old forward from England is leading the league right now with 17 goals in 19 appearances. It seems as if he’s bound to score at least one goal in every game he plays in! He will have to play just as hard for the rest of the season in order to catch up with Toronto FC just two points ahead of New York.

This is Bradley Wright-Phillips’ first MLS All-Star appearance.
Credit: http://www.theguardian.com

The next MLS game will be played this Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. and it will pit San Jose against Chicago. Stay tuned for the rest of the MLS season as everything starts to get more interesting with playoff pushes in focus.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Aaron Rodgers

Some people may not be aware of this, but Aaron Rodgers is in fact a Christian. He hasn’t been very exuberant of his faith and proclaiming it as much as guys like Tim Tebow have in the past. Rodgers tends to stay away from the media in general as much as he can. He doesn’t want to put himself in the spotlight and let the focus be on him.

Rodgers’ faith started with his parents. He always looked up to them as Godly examples and it was from them that he knew more about Christ.

“I grew up knowing what a stable relationship was by my parents’ example and how it centered on Christ,” Rodgers said, “When our family had its ups and downs, I knew my parents relied on God for everything and He always got us through those rough spots.” (Credit: Beyond the Ultimate)

There was a time early in his life when Rodgers had drifted away from his faith. Luckily for him, he had two mentors that put him on the right path: Andrew Burchett, his youth pastor and Matt Hock the leader of his old youth group “Young Life.” God always puts other people in our life to help us follow Him. He works through these role models so that we can have a better understanding of who God really is. Because of these two men, Aaron Rodgers dedicated his life to Christ when he was 16 years old.

Since then, Rodgers has been a phenomenal quarterback for the Green Bay Packers. I loved this guy before I knew he was a Christian because he had to replace a legend in Brett Favre and he did it well. He had to wait three years to get his chance to start, but when he did, Rodgers threw for over 4,000 yards  and 28 touchdowns in his first season as a starter and had a 93.8 passer rating. Then in 2010, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Super Bowl and Rodgers took home the Super Bowl MVP. The very next season, he won the NFL MVP award after putting up 4,643 passing yards and 45 passing touchdowns, while only throwing six picks. It’s still a NFL record of a 3.62 touchdown to interception ratio. Rodgers also holds the record for the best career passer rating in NFL history with 104.9. He is also the only quarterback in NFL history to have a passer rating over 100 in both the regular season and the postseason. As of right now, the 30-year-old veteran has 188 touchdown passes and has thrown for over 24,000 yards in his career. In other words, he’s pretty good.

Even with all of these great things happening to him, Rodgers stays quiet during the off season and never brings any attention to himself. When given the opportunity, he always gives the glory to God.

“I feel like my stance and my desire has always been to follow a quote from St. Francis of Assisi, who said, ‘Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary, use words.’ So basically, I’m not an over-the-top, or an in-your-face kind of guy with my faith,” Rodgers said. “I would rather people have questions about why I act the way I act, whether they view it as positive or not, and ask questions, and then given an opportunity at some point, then you can talk about your faith a little bit.”

Rodgers is the kind of man whose actions speak louder than words. He never talks down to anyone or makes himself known in the media. He has always remained honest and true to his heart. Rodgers also understands that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship.

“I try to build relationships,” Rodgers said. “I feel if you are not personally invested in the people you spend every day with, then you are missing out on building a relationship and wonderful life experiences. That is what I like about Jesus: Jesus is about relationships.”

Rodgers is also a big contributor to charities and humanitarian efforts around the world. He is the founder of his own charity called itsAaron, which raises awareness for organizations and people who are changing the world. Once again, he shows through his actions that the focus is not on him, but the people who physically help others everywhere they go. He is also a big supporter of the MACC Fund (Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer) and RAISE Hope for Congo. Rodgers is a great role model to young athletes and kids everywhere. He shows them that life is more than just football and putting up big numbers on the field, it’s about Jesus Christ and serving Him and Him alone. Rodgers’ favorite Bible verse is John 10:10 which says,

“I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness.” Rodgers summarizes, “The Lord is my Rock. He has always been there, always present at good times and bad; and to me when I feel His presence, my life is full.”

 

Germany wins the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Germany defeated Argentina in extra time 1-0 to take home their fourth FIFA World Cup title! This is their first championship win since they beat Argentina back in 1990. It was substitute player Mario Gotze who scored the game-winning goal for his country. He was subbed in the 88th minute and then in the 113th minute, Andre Schurrle hit a cross that bumped into Gotze’s chest and then he immediately kicked it in the side of the net for the win. Before Gotze was brought on the field, his head coach, Joachim Loew gave him some motivation.

“I said to Gotze, ‘Show to the world that you are better than Messi and you can decide the game.'” (Credit: SB Nation)

What a moment! As for Argentinian superstar Lionel Messi, he ended up winning the Golden Ball award, which is given to the World Cup’s best player. However, it wasn’t near as satisfying as what all of the Germans are experiencing now. Staying with awards, German goalie Manuel Neuer was voted the tournament’s best goalkeeper. The thought of winning his first World Cup has still not sunk in yet for the world’s elite goalie.

“It’s incredible. The team did it beautifully,” said Neuer. “At some point we’ll stop celebrating but we’ll still wake up with a smile.” (Credit: ESPNFC.com)

Lionel Messi and Argentina had multiple chances of scoring, but the chemistry was a little off for the offense as they failed to score a single goal. Their defense was able to keep them in the game, but sooner or later, The Machine of Germany was bound to score at least one goal and they did at a perfect time.

Mario Gotze’s goal in extra time won the FIFA World Cup for Germany.
Credit: podcoost.com

Germany started the tournament with a 4-0 rout of Portugal. That was a sign of greater things to come from the Loew’s team. They defeated Algeria 2-1 in the first round of the knockout stage. Then they shutout France 1-0 on the 4th of July. After that, they shocked the world by destroying Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals. Now they stand on top of the world for the next four years as FIFA World Cup champions.

Germany led all countries in goals with 18 and their superstar striker Thomas Mueller was second in the tournament with five goals. He was also second in assists with three, while his fellow teammate Toni Kroos led all players with four assists while also adding in two goals. Gotze finished the World Cup with six appearances and two goals. His rise to fame will surely continue as he is only 22 years old. Watch him in the future to develop into an elite player.

I always knew Germany was going to win, but Argentina put up a good fight. Unfortunately, Germany has a better overall team than Argentina does. It doesn’t matter if you have the best player in Lionel Messi, if you don’t have a supporting cast around him, he won’t win a whole lot of games. That is why Germany came out on top. With players like Mueller, Neuer, Kroos, Klose, Schurrle, Hummels, Mesut Ozil, Sami Khedira, Lukas Podolski, Per Mertesacker, Julian Draxler, Philipp Lahm, Gotze, Jerome Boateng, Christoph Kramer and Bastian Schweinsteiger, there’s no way this team could lose. They played together and functioned as one great unit. That is why they are World Champions. Now we will have to wait till 2018 when Russia will host the next FIFA World Cup. I’m looking at you USA!

Lord of the Two Rings: Return of the King

It’s official! LeBron James has decided to go back to his hometown and play for the Cleveland Cavaliers. A contract has not been presented yet, but James will probably get a max deal, making him the highest paid basketball player in the NBA. As for Chris Bosh, he will remain loyal with the Miami Heat and keep his talents in South Beach where he will just landed a 5-year deal worth over $116 million. Dwyane Wade is also a free agent and is probably going to stay in Miami as well. However, the Chicago Bulls have made a push to bring Wade back to his hometown. Everything will start falling into place once Carmelo Anthony makes up his mind on where he wants to play. He has narrowed his choices down to Chicago and staying in New York. Anthony is leaning towards the Knicks, but if Chicago is still a great place for Anthony to land. He will play for a championship-caliber team with a All-Star point guard in Derrick Rose and NBA-Defensive-Player-of-the-Year winner Joakim Noah. If the Bulls sign Wade, that could also attract Anthony to move west.

Now back to LeBron. James is the franchise-leader in points, free-throws made, and steals. He just needs to make 32 three-pointers and he will have the franchise record for that as well. He will also have the opportunity to play with something he has never had in his NBA career: a really talented All-Star point guard. Kyrie Irving has emerged as the leader of the Cavaliers since James left town. Now James won’t have the pressure to carry the team on his back like he did back when he first played with Cleveland. Irving will provide that All-Star power and the play-making ability to compliment James’ style. Not only that, but James will also get to play with rookie sensation Andrew Wiggins. The first-overall pick in this year’s draft will learn from LeBron up close and personal. It’s likely that the two players will share a bond on the court that will help develop the young star into one of the best rookies in the league. James will serve as a mentor for the young Wiggins, but he’ll do more than mentor him; he’ll show him how it’s done.

I think everyone in Cleveland now forgives LeBron for The Decision back in 2010 and now Cavaliers’ fans will have something to cheer about this season. Home games are going to be sold out, jerseys are going to be dug out of the trash can and Johnny Football will be closer to his new friend. The Heisman-winning quarterback will be playing for the Cleveland Browns this year and Manziel will definitely bring some excitement to the city. With both him and LeBron, a little hope has been poured into Cleveland. Now we’ll wait and see if LeBron can bring a title to his hometown.

The FIFA World Cup Final is Set

Argentina just defeated Netherlands 4-2 in a penalty shootout after both teams went scoreless in regulation and extra time. Netherlands defense was able to shut down Lionel Messi and company, but they couldn’t score a goal themselves. Their defense did great, but their offense did not. Yesterday, Germany defeated Brazil in a heartbreaking 7-1 blowout. The Germans ended the first half 5-0 and they just couldn’t stop scoring the whole game. Neymar was absent because of a back injury and Thiago Silva was suspended because he picked up too many yellow cards. Those two players were the main reason why Brazil couldn’t deliver in the semi-final.

Thomas Muller and Germany will try to win their fourth World Cup Championship against Argentina.
Credit: http://www.dailystar.co.uk

Now it is Argentina and Germany meeting in the FIFA World Cup Final for a third time. The first time they met was in 1986 and Argentina won that round 3-2. Then the very next World Cup in 1990,  Germany got their revenge  and beat the Argentinians 1-0. Argentina has a total of two World Cup championships while Germany has three. Now it will be best two-out-of-three in this meeting for the World Cup Final.

Germany has scored the most goals out of any team in the World Cup this year with 17. That last match with Brazil probably helped out a little bit. Thomas Muller is second among all players with five goals to his name and is also credited with three assists. He will be the player that Argentina has to look out for. Miroslav Klose has a record 16 World Cup goals in his career, scoring two of them in this World Cup. Andre Schuerrle has three goals for Germany and Toni Kroos has two for his team. With a stacked team like Germany to face, Argentina will have a lot to deal with defensively.

As for the Argentinians, they have arguably the best soccer player in the world on their team, Lionel Messi. The 27-year-old superstar has four goals and an assist in this year’s World Cup. He has carried his team all the way to the Finals and now it’s time to see if he can do it one more time. He hasn’t had much help on offense, so he will have to rely on his defenders to keep Argentina in the game.

It’s going to be tough to call this one, but after seeing Germany destroy Brazil in the semi-finals, I have to go with them to win the World Cup. Look for Germany to score early and put Argentina in a position where they have to make hurried decisions in order to catch up. Argentina’s bad decision-making and lack of depth will be their downfall in the upcoming match.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Adrian Peterson

The Minnesota Vikings’ running back has been carrying his team since he first got drafted in 2007. Adrian Peterson has over 10,000 career rushing yards and 86 touchdowns. His average yards per carry is 5.0 in his career, which is really good. This guy has been the most dominant running back in the NFL since 2008 and although he missed two games last year, Peterson still ran for over 1,200 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He has not gone a single season where he scored single-digit rushing touchdowns. Not only that, but he’s also the Vikings’ all-time leading rusher after spending just seven seasons with the team. He is a great athlete and an even greater person. Peterson has always been outspoken about his faith in Jesus Christ. The 29-year-old from Texas has grown in the faith since his rookie season and he continues to be a Christian ambassador in the NFL.

“Jesus Christ means the world to me,” Peterson said. “I’ve been through so many different situations through my childhood and now my adulthood. God just helped me get through them and made me stronger at a young age. Through all the adversity and hard times I’ve been through, God has always been present. I’ve always prayed to Him and asked Him to give me the strength to endure and to help others and to better understand whatever situation I deal with in my personal life. And He has always showed up! It brings hope and peace of mind knowing that God gave His only begotten Son for us.”

For more on Adrian Peterson’s relationship with Jesus Christ, check out this video below:

Adrian Peterson is also a big fan of helping out his local community. He started the All Day Foundation to raise awareness and funds for programs that inspire hope and build a better future for at-risk children, with a special focus on girls’ empowerment. He has been a great role model to the young women and has taught them how to live good, healthy lives so that they can have a better future. Peterson’s work on and off the field have inspired many and he is personally one of my favorite NFL players.

Peterson has also been through a lot of tough times in his life. He watched his older brother get run over by a car when he was just seven years old and then in 2011, he suffered a torn ACL in a game against the Washington Redskins. Through all the trials and the pain, Peterson has always placed his faith in God to get him through the tough situations. When he went through the rehab on his torn ACL, Peterson had a positive attitude throughout the whole process.

“So many different times through the rehab where you know I was down, just spiritually, just my body, mentally, things that I had to do – whether it was different exercises, as far as strengthening my leg that was painful, that I just didn’t want to endure at the time,” Peterson said. “You know but you know you have those thoughts that go through your head. You got the devil – he’s out. He’s got those darts. So you can choose to bite on those or you can choose to block them out. Just listen to the thoughts that God put in there. But without Him during this recovery, I had no chance.” (Credit: CNS News)

Adrian Peterson will keep producing for his Minnesota Vikings team during the upcoming training camp and he will try to help lead his team to victory this year in the tough NFC North division.

USA Loses to Belgium in Extra Time

The United States have been knocked out of the FIFA World Cup by Belgium in the first round. Both teams were scoreless by the end of regulation, but Belgium was able to score two and the U.S. only scored one and after the dust settled, the final score was 2-1. The loss was a heartbreaking one after expectations were set pretty high for the men’s national team. In the 93rd minute, Kevin De Bruyne scored for Belgium to take the lead and then substitute striker Romelu Lukaku kicked one in 12 minutes later. The U.S. fought back when their substitute striker, 19-year-old Julian Green, knocked in his first international goal on his first touch to give his team a spark of hope. However, time ran out for the United States and their World Cup journey has come to an abrupt end.

Superstar goalkeeper Tim Howard had one of the best performances of his career with 16 saves. That’s the most by any goalkeeper in the World Cup since 1966! However, he couldn’t do it all by himself and the United States’ offense couldn’t produce anything during regulation time after both Clint Dempsey and Chris Wondolowski had chances to score late in the game.

The U.S. team will have to wait another four years and hopefully Tim Howard will remain in good form by then. He is currently 35 years old and is getting near the end of his soccer career. Clint Dempsey should definitely return, but he will be 35 by the time the World Cup comes back around in 2018 at Russia.

One of the biggest struggles facing the men’s national team was Jozy Altidore’s hamstring injury in the first game against Ghana. Latest news says that he will be good to go for Sunderland’s next match. In 2018, Altidore will have to emerge as America’s top soccer player at the age of 28. For now, he is a 24-year-old looking to make his impact in the world of soccer. Other players like Graham Zusi, Michael Bradley and John Anthony Brooks will definitely return for the next World Cup and will be a big help for the United States in other international matches. Hopefully next time, the U.S. will have a good solid foundation to work with against other international clubs.

Christian Athlete of the Week: Drew Brees

Drew Brees and his New Orleans Saints are expected to win the NFC South this year with a great roster and a great coaching staff. Brees has always been a consistently good quarterback in the NFL and one of the elite players at his position. The 35-year-old from Austin, Texas has had quite a prolific career with 51,081 yards and 363 touchdowns and he still has a couple of seasons left in him. He is obviously the leader of the Saints, with a Super Bowl win under his belt and breaking the passing yards record in 2011 and also broke Johnny Unitas’ record of throwing a touchdown pass in 48 consecutive games the very next season. His last three seasons have been terrific as he has thrown for at least 5,100 yards and 39 touchdowns every year. Brees’ stats are amazing, but what’s even more amazing is his faithfulness to God. Here’s a video clip of Brees sharing his testimony with a reporter:

Having Brees come from San Diego to New Orleans was a huge blessing for that city. Brees even said it himself that he was being “called” to go there. The quarterback has always tried to be a good example to his teammates and to the people of New Orleans. He is known to volunteer to help rebuild the city after hurricanes have come through over and over again. He is seen as a great man that has a heart and passion for the Lord for his work off the field in New Orleans.

At first, Brees did not want to get released by the Chargers, but he realized afterwards that it was God’s plan all along to have him serve at New Orleans.

“A year later, I thought, ‘God that was probably the best thing that happened to be,’ because otherwise I never would have had the opportunity to come here and be a part of this community and this rebuilding effort,” Brees said. (Credit: Christian Post)

Brees has done a lot in the New Orleans community and hopes to do more for them by winning some football games this upcoming year. It will be a tough division with the rise of the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right on their heels, but Brees is used to the pressure and has overcome many obstacles in his path before.

“Trust that He’s never going to put anything in front of you that’s too hard for you or He wouldn’t put it in front of you,” Brees said.