PHOENIX – When medical staff rushed onto the field Save Damar Hamlin’s life After the Buffalo Bills defenseman collapsed during a game in Cincinnati last month, many who witnessed the horrific scene did the only thing they could to help. they prayed
Players and coaches from both teams knelt, held hands and tearfully cried out to God to heal their fallen brother.
Fans in the stadium and millions of viewers at home did the same, sharing and posting their prayers on social media. In a moment of fear and despair, Prayer was the focus in the NFL.
#PrayForDamar was trending for the next few days. Hamlin’s family and friends asked for more prayers while he was there in the hospital and after his discharge. Faith was back at the helm of the NFL for the first time since praying on the field was labeled tebowing.
“They were affected because they saw themselves.” Philly Eagles Chaplain Ted Winsley told The Associated Press. “You have been slapped in the face with the reality of what this is. Damar was in that situation, but it could be me. They felt for him, but it reminded them that this was a matter of life and death. … And then it also causes you to confront the fact that there is someone bigger than me that I need to trust.”
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, who has established a Christ-centered culture in the organization, was pleased that prayer was emphasized during a difficult time.
“We are very pleased that Damar is doing well and it has been very comforting to see the amount of support coming to God for him and the people at a very scary time,” Hunt told the AP. “One of the things I’ve enjoyed being associated with the NFL is all the locker rooms that I’ve been in, God is always there. The players pray before the game, they pray after the game. So that wasn’t uncommon in that regard, but I think you’ve seen more fans and more media realizing the importance of prayer in a situation like this.”
Hamlin believes his pain had a higher purpose.
“What happened to me … is a direct example of God using me as a vehicle to share my passion and my love with the whole world straight from my heart,” Hamlin said in a video.
Public expressions of faith are nothing new in football or sport. It started long before Tim Tebow and is part of every game.
The late Herb Lusk is credited with being the first NFL player to pray on the field. Lusk was an underused backlog for the Eagles when he rushed for 70 yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants on October 9, 1977.
Lusk had already scored on a one-yard run that game. After his second goal, he knelt in the end zone and prayed.
“I said, ‘Thank you, Jesus,'” Lusk recalled years later. “And then I said to myself, ‘It’s about time.'”
Lusk never scored another touchdown and retired two years later to continue duty. Pastor Lusk led the Greater Exodus Baptist Church in Philadelphia for 40 years until he died last September at the age of 69. Lusk also served as Eagles coach chaplain for about 17 years. Winsley, who has been the players’ chaplain for over 20 years, now fills both roles.
Hamlin’s recovery sparked a spiritual awakening among his teammates. In Buffalo’s first game after the incident, Nyheim Hines returned two kickoffs for TDs. It had a profound effect on Bill’s star quarterback Josh Allen.
“I just went up to my teammates and said, ‘God is real,'” Allen said of his reaction when Hines scored.
Players understand that God has no rooted interest, but they found solace in feeling His presence in that moment.
Many players struggle with success and failure. Some find it difficult to deal with temptation off the field. When it’s over, the transition to life after football isn’t easy. Team chaplains try to help players deal better with whatever comes their way, positive or negative.
“My main message is to help athletes realize that there is more to their lives than their sport,” Denver Broncos chaplain Reza Zadeh told AP. “Sport is what they do. It’s not who they are. A footballer is just what his calling is, but it’s not his identity.”
Hall of Famer defenseman Reggie White — a former player for the Eagles, Packers and Panthers known as “Secretary of Defense” — is credited with starting the midfield post-game prayer circle in the 1980s. Now it’s common to see players immediately come together, hold hands and pray after spending three hours hitting and attacking each other.
“Regardless of victory or defeat, good or bad, it would be a credit to God that He gets the credit and that it’s about Him, not me,” Tebow told the AP.
Jaguars kicker Riley Patterson made sure he did just that last month, after kicking off the game-winning field goal to cap Jacksonville’s 31-30 comeback win over the Chargers in an AFC wildcard game.
Patterson held his cross necklace in front of cameras while teammates lifted him onto their shoulders.
“I made sure he got the credit for every action I got here, not me,” Patterson said on the AP Pro Football Podcast. “Nothing I have done or anything my family will do is other than a gift from God. … I have prayed many times that if I were ever faced with such a situation, I would praise God with my actions and my words.”
Winsley was part of a unique team that had a strong belief culture in 2017. The Eagles won the first Super Bowl in franchise history that season. The foundation of the team’s success was laid by men of faith like Super Bowl MVP Nick Foles, Carson Wentz, Zach Ertz, Trey Burton, Jordan Hicks and others.
Winsley and Burton christened players in the cold tub at the team’s training facility in 2016. Through weekly Bible studies together, a tight-knit group of men bonded through their faith and overcame many adversities on their way to a championship.
These Eagles (16-3) are one win away from the other Super Bowl title. They face the Kansas City Chiefs (16-3) on Sunday.
Winsley has watched her grow and develop in her faith journey throughout the year. Eagles coach Nick Sirianni is a constant present at the weekly coaching sessions.
“We’re just brothers trying to be better men, and that’s creating a culture that I believe will endure,” Winsley said.
Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, a finalist for AP NFL MVP, quoted his favorite Bible verse while answering a question about criticism after leading the team to a 31-7 NFC Championship win over San Francisco.
“It came as a big surprise to a lot of people,” Hurts said of the Eagles’ 2020 draft. “My favorite verse, I went through a lot of stuff in college and it kind of stuck with me, John 13:7: ‘You I don’t know now, but later you will understand.’ Hopefully people understand.”
___
Follow Rob Maaddi on Twitter at https://twitter.com/robmaaddi
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
___
The Associated Press’s religion coverage is supported by AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. AP is solely responsible for this content.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, transcribed or redistributed without permission.
