‘My Identity Is in Christ’: Steelers Rookie Shares His Mission in the NFL

Pittsburgh Steelers newest wide receiver Germie Bernard wants NFL fans to know one thing about him.

“I want people to know and understand that, you know, my identity is in Christ, and that’s something that I believe in the most and something that I want people to, you know, see within me and know,” Bernard said in an interview with the Steelers. “I want to bring that to the community and have an impact in any way I can through that. And I know that this organization is going to get a selfless teammate, a guy that’s going to do everything he can to help the team have success and win.”

While at the NFL combine in March, the athlete spoke about what a blessing from God it is to play football at the highest level.

“I just wanted to find new ways to be able to glorify God, you know,” he told the media. “What He has blessed me to do. And so, like, I know Ryan was wearing the eye strips, and I’m like, ‘Okay, well, this is another way that I can show people who Christ is and what Christ is doing within my life.’”

He shares his faith on the field with his eye black, often writing Bible verses on them.

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,” the beginning of Psalm 91 reads, a verse Bernard put on his face last season.

“And so, you know, on a week-to-week basis, I read certain chapters and certain verses and whatnot,” the wide receiver continued at the combine. “But ultimately, I just know I pray and ask God to put on my heart whatever He wants me to put out to other people, what message He wants me to spread, and that’s how He guides me through that.”

“And so when it may be a day before a game, or maybe, you know, earlier in the week, that He puts it on my heart. And so, I mean, that’s how I go about that,” he added.

When Bernard was in college at Alabama, he received the nickname “UNC,” not only because he was older but because of the way he carried himself.

“I feel like once you get a little bit older and you understand who you’re living for and what you’re trying to do things for, you have a different perspective on life and you carry yourself in a different way,” Bernard told Steelers’ Missi Matthews. “And like a lot of people are not used to seeing that. And so that’s kind of like where that comes from, just because I try to live a different lifestyle than what people are used to.”

Bernard is ready to make an impact for Christ in the NFL.