By Mallory Mattingly
Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck confirmed just how much NFL players pray.
“The Damar Hamlin thing came up, and, you know, I think people were surprised, like, ‘Oh my gosh, so many people are praying.’ Like, ‘I didn’t know you brought them to prayer.’ I’m like, ‘I guess you guys don’t know what it’s like in the locker room,'” Hasselbeck shared on an episode of the “Sports Spectrum Podcast.”
“People pray all the time,” he continued. “Like, [quarterback] Kirk Cousins was asked, ‘Oh, do you ever pray during the game?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, the whole game.’ And I just think…we would pray at the hotel. We pray in the locker room. We pray in the tunnel. We pray during the game, maybe right after the national anthem, then after the game at the 50, then you pray with your team, collectively. And like, it’s just that’s what you do.”
“And so, like, I remember leaving the NFL and coming into, like, sort of like, quote, unquote, the real world, and like…that wasn’t the thing, you know…not everyone was doing it in their daily work, you know. But like, for my daily work, for almost two decades, it was like, ‘Yeah, this is what you do every day,'” Hasselback added.
The quarterback played in the NFL from 1999-2015.
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Incredibly, many NFL players speak openly about their prayer lives, and fans often see them speaking to God, whether it be on the 50-yard line after the game, in warm-ups or in the tunnel before the game.
In 2024, fans spotted Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud praying on the sidelines.
“In the midst of the roaring stadium, quarterback CJ Stroud, of the Houston Texans, takes a moment to pray,” Sterling Harris Ministries wrote of the moment. “His head bowed, hands clasped — a reminder that even on life’s biggest stages, we all need a moment to center ourselves and invite God into our every moment.”
“Whether you’re facing a crucial game or a challenging day at work, taking time to breathe, reflect, and pray can be your secret weapon,” the post continued. “Stroud shows us that success isn’t just about physical preparation, but mental and spiritual readiness too. What’s your pre-game go to for life’s daily challenges?”
San Fransisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy told Sports Spectrum that he prays for God’s will before he takes to the field.
“Holy Spirit, take over and lead me here in this moment,” he said, sharing his prayer, before adding, “Allow me to think clearly, allow me to go through my reads.”
In the college football world, Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss recently shared his reliance on talking to God.
“I rely on it heavily,” he said of prayer in an interview at the Fiesta Bowl, adding, “You know, I pray with my mom, you know, before the games, as you guys see, I pray every night. I try to go to church every Sunday.”
Next time you’re watching an NFL game, whether on TV or in person, pay attention to the players and the moments they take to pray to God.
Read Next: How a High School Injury Helped Kirk Cousins See God’s Providence
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