Good News for both SeaHawks and Steelers Fans:

The major media will probably not tell you these stories, so here is the Super Bowl Pre-show from Baptist Press.
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Motor City Super Bowl gives players & coaches faith platform
By Art Stricklin

EDITORS’ NOTE: Sportswriter Art Stricklin, in his third year of BP coverage of the spiritual side of the Super Bowl, will be reporting this week from the site of Super Bowl XL in Detroit.

DETROIT (BP)--While snow and temperatures in the 20s and 30s are predicted in the days leading up to Super Bowl XL in the Motor City, a number of players from the NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks and the AFC Champion Pittsburgh Steelers hope to heat up the week with their testimonies for Jesus Christ.

“I’ve told the Christian players that a Super Bowl ring won’t be worth what a testimony to Jesus in public will be this week,” longtime Steelers chaplain Jay Wilson said. “These players are excited to speak about their faith in Him if they get a chance.”

Several marquee players from both sides -- Shawn Alexander and Matt Hasselback from Seattle and Pittsburgh’s Antwaan Randle El and Ben Roethlisberger, with the famous PFJ (Play for Jesus) tape on his shoes -- should have ample chances to talk about their faith.

The last two NFL championship games in Houston and Jacksonville were safely inside the Bible belt, with Southern Baptist volunteers involved in an array of committees and activities. But this year’s contest in wintry Michigan, closer to Canada than any Baptist strongholds, represents a different challenge, giving the players themselves and the fans more of a Christian impact.

“Every city’s dynamics are different,” said Tim Knopps, a sports ministry consultant with the North American Mission Board and evangelist based in Oklahoma. “We’re flying more under the radar here. We don’t have as much relationship with the host committee as we have in the past, but we are still working at getting the word out.”

Bobby Gilstrap, a Detroit-area associational director of missions, said it can be a great time for people of faith to share their love for God and for football via the most-watched sporting event of the year, with 1 billion worldwide expected to tune in for Sunday’s game.

“It’s a great opportunity for us to share around the game, and several of our Baptist churches are doing that with watching parties and the Super Bowl of caring programs. We don’t have the size churches you have in the South, but we want to make sure it’s not a lost opportunity for some.”

The week’s activities include the annual Super Bowl media day on Tuesday, when more than 3,000 journalists from around the world will descend on downtown Detroit’s Ford Field, site of Sunday’s Seahawks-Steelers match up, to fire questions at players and coaches over an hour-long period.

Both teams’ Christian players see the media session as a special opportunity.

“I have told our Christian guys that they will have a chance to speak about their faith if they find the right forum,” said Seattle team chaplain Karl Payne, an ordained Baptist minister who pastors Antioch Bible Church in a Seattle suburb.

“We have some very dedicated and articulate players and coaches who I think could be excellent in sharing what is most important to them. I promise if anybody says something controversial, it will get out, so why shouldn’t God’s Word get out as well?” Payne said.

Both head coaches in the Super Bowl XL matchup, Seattle’s Mike Holmgren and Pittsburgh’s Bill Cowher, are believers in Jesus Christ and are supporters of their team’s chaplain programs.

The Seattle coach went so far as to ask Payne to accompany the team not only in the home locker room but also on the road for spiritual guidance. Payne and his wife will be on the official team plane bringing wives and family members to Detroit later this week.

“I have a very good situation in Seattle and some very good players,” Payne said. “I think they are eager for this kind of spotlight to share their faith.”

Cowher, meanwhile, is a regular at the Steelers team chapel, which Wilson has led for the last 11 years.

Cowher is leading the Steelers to their first title game in 10 years, when they lost Super Bowl XXX to the Dallas Cowboys, 27-17. Holmgren, who coached the Green Bay Packers to a win in Super Bowl XXXI, is leading the Seahawks into their first-ever title game.

Other faith-based events during the week include a special luncheon honoring Christian believers and Fox TV announcers Pat Summerall and James Brown. Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy is expected to speak in honor of the duo. The annual Super Bowl Gospel Celebration will take place Friday night at the historic birthplace of Motown gospel, Detroit’s Masonic Lodge, with several players expected to give their testimony to the sold-out crowd.

The annual Athletes in Action breakfast Saturday morning at the NFL headquarters hotel will include the awarding of the Bart Starr Award for the athlete who best exhibits qualities of character in professional football.

The Detroit Convoy of Hope will take place Saturday afternoon as Detroit-area churches provide food to those in need at local housing projects.

The game itself will take center stage on Sunday afternoon, but those who have been working hard to prepare for this week will be looking for the real winner for a long time to come.

“We will still have Christian vendors passing out tracts in the souvenirs bags and still do some street witnessing,” Knopps said. “The key for this week is getting the Word out and sharing with the people.”
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Chaplain glad men of faith who wear Seahawks’ jerseys
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)--Karl Payne has been a Baptist minister in the Pacific Northwest long enough to know that Christianity can be a polarizing factor in his part of the country.

Most people in the Seattle area are either on fire for their faith -- or on fire to stop or ignore yours.

“There isn’t a whole lot of middle ground here,” Payne said.

But as the team chaplain prepared Tuesday to take part in the Seahawks’ first-ever trip to the Super Bowl, Payne is pleased that some of the people most for him and his faith are wearing the team’s green jerseys.

The NFC’s Seahawks, who will take on heavily favored AFC Steelers in Sunday’s Super Bowl XL, will be led by some dedicated men of faith on the field and off.

“It’s really exciting to see some great Christian team leaders like [quarterback] Matt Hasselbeck and [league MVP running back] Shaun Alexander on this team,” Payne said.

“They have done a great job for us this year and will have a great platform for the Lord this week.”

Among other Christians on the team are Michael Boulware; linebacker D.D. Lewis, a former University of Texas star; and kicker Josh Brown.

The strong nucleus of Christian players has been bolstered by an equally strong group of faith-filled coaches, Payne said.

When Mike Holmgrem left Green Bay to take over at Seattle several years ago, one of the first things he did was ask Payne to travel with the team on the road and spend as much time as possible with his team at home.

“I had to tell him I was a pastor at a local Bible church and had responsibilities with my congregation and couldn’t be gone every week to be on the road.”

Payne was able to enlist the help of Christian authors Chuck and Barb Snyder to help teach Bible studies during the week and take on various other responsibilities with the team, players and coaches.

Payne was able to do all the home chapel services, conduct a Friday Bible study with the players and get people to lead chapel when the team was on the road.

But you can expect him to be on the sidelines of Ford Field on Sunday for the showdown with the Steelers. “I can miss one week at church for the first-ever [Seattle] Super Bowl,” he said.

“I won’t pray for our team to win because I know there are Christians on both sides, but I can pray that God will tip the ball for our team or at least not against us.”

Payne said the church where he serves as one of the pastors, Antioch Bible, a relatively large biracial fellowship, is not only solidly behind his chaplain work with the Seahawks, they’re one of the reasons he has his current NFL assignment.

When he joined the staff at Antioch, coming from San Diego in 1992, he began to disciple some men in his congregation. Several were retired Seahawks players as was the church’s senior pastor, Ken Hutchison.

After about a year of the teaching and fellowship, the men came to Payne asking he if would mind doing the same thing with the current Seattle football team. He talked with then-Seattle coach Dennis Erickson who gave his blessing to having a team chaplain.

“The team has been very kind and gracious to give me total freedom to teach the Bible, which I feel is one of my callings,” Payne said.

The team is flying him and his wife to Detroit on an official team charter to be able to bring encouragement and speak with the team before their final game.

“Having a coach who is a Christian and doesn’t fight you or your ministry at every turn is a real blessing. I am very blessed with my situation with this team.”

While his congregation in Seattle has been understandably excited about the Seahawks’ first-ever Super Bowl trip, Payne said he has found a peace with an equally excited congregation of Seattle football players and coaches.

“I have a congregation of 130 players and coaches who were great athletes, but also some of them know they have a platform to tell others about their faith.

“With that type of eternal perspective,” Payne said, “it’s easier to reach out to the players and the public at large.”
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Chaplain is fan of Steelers who live out their faith
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)--Jay Wilson grew up in Cincinnati, where he was a Bengals fan as a kid. Now, even though he’s in his 11th year as chaplain for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he admits he doesn’t even own a Terrible Towel, which will be waved by the thousands during Sunday’s Super Bowl XL match up with the Seattle Seahawks.

Wilson, rather, is a fan of the many players who are followers of Christ on this year’s team, which is making its first Super Bowl appearance in a decade.

“I’m not as much a fan of the team but of the many great individuals on the team,” Wilson said. “I’ve had a chance to see some players gain a real maturity level on this team and that’s what’s most exciting to me.”

Wilson, 45, came to the Steel City in 1989 to help out with Athletes in Action ministries, working first with major league baseball and colleges before joining up with the Black and Gold.

He doesn’t claim to be of any special help with wins or losses, having been in Phoenix when the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XXX.
But in looking forward to this weekend’s game, he noted, “We have some guys who want to speak a word for the Lord. We have some new Christians, but [also] guys who want to speak out.”

A normal week for Wilson includes a Bible study for any interested players, usually 10-20, on Fridays after practice. His wife holds a Bible study for the wives of coaches and players during the week, and on Sunday mornings, Wilson leads a chapel service for the players. Pittsburgh head coach Bill Cowher, sometimes a fiery presence on the sideline, never misses a chapel service. “It’s a great release for me,” Cowher told a Pittsburgh newspaper this summer.

On the road, players often gather in center Jeff Harting’s room for prayer on Saturday nights as a way of staying close in their shared faith.

Wilson said one of the highlights of his years with the Steelers has been the opportunity to set up summer clinics with the players in city neighborhoods and to take players on overseas mission trips.

Two years ago, Wilson took Harting on a mission trip to Nicaragua, where the center picked up the nickname of “Christian Giant” for his big frame and bigger heart in handing out sports gear along with his personal testimony of faith in Jesus Christ.

“While Jeff made the Pro Bowl for the first time last year, he told me he’s glad he came back for this season because he has his priorities right and he’s playing with the right focus on his faith,” Wilson said. “He’s one of the most teachable players I’ve ever been around. A real joy to work with.”

Among other players active in Wilson’s ministry among the Steelers are wide receiver Antwaan Randle El, strong safety Troy Polamalu, fullback Dan Kreider, defensive end Travis Kirschke, backup quarterback Tommy Maddox, tight end Heath Miller, cornerback Willie Williams, offensive lineman Barrett Brooks and tackle Max Starke.

“When we have our Bible studies we talk about the Lord and how he wants us to spread His Word,” Wilson said. Each team he has worked with, he said, has faced all the hurts and pains, joy and laughter like a large family.

Much of his ministry with the Steelers comes by bumping into players around the practice facility or praying with them over the phone. Unlike many team chaplains, Wilson doesn’t have regular access to the locker rooms or the practice field and usually doesn’t travel with the team on the road. Until a few days ago, he was still unsure if he would be in the stadium for Sunday’s game with Seattle.

When the Steelers lost three regular season games in a row during the season and it appeared to many they wouldn’t make the playoffs, he spoke to the weekly chapel service about Elijah and how to deal with pressure, knowing that’s what many of the players were feeling at the time.

Since then, the Steelers have won seven straight games to give Wilson and the believers on the Steelers squad a chance to speak on the biggest stage of all before thousands of journalists and an estimated 1 billion fans worldwide watching Sunday’s Super Bowl action.

Before both teams arrived here in Detroit this week, Wilson called Seattle chaplain Karl Payne to talk about the week and share their common bond of ministry.

“I’m happy when they [Steelers] win, but I’m more involved in sharing and telling people the Good News every week, no matter who wins,” Wilson said.
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Seahawks QB leads team to Super Bowl & beyond
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)--In the two-week buildup to a championship game with hundreds of different plotlines, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck leaned forward in his chair at the Super Bowl media day as if he intended to divulge one of the secrets for his team’s successes.

“I don’t think many people realize,” the softspoken, seventh-year quarterback from Boston College said as reporters learned forward for what they expected to be a juicy tip from the Seahawks playbook, “how many Christian guys we have on this team and how united we are.”

“There are a lot of us on this team from all parts of the country, but we are united in Christ, and the unity you see on this team is very encouraging,” Hasselbeck said.

Encouraged by their quarterback and their league MVP running back Shaun Alexander, Christian players on the Seahawks spent a majority of their hour-long session with the media sharing their faith and the need to focus on more than just Sunday’s final score.

“We believe life itself with Jesus Christ is more important than what we do on the field,” Alexander said. “We want to make sure our focus is on more than this game. We have a bigger calling.”

Nearly half of the Seahawks players and coaches who were given their own platform on media day spoke freely about their personal faith to the media.

Hasselbeck, whose father Don played in the NFL, has completed a remarkable personal transformation on the field: from a first-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers when he came out of college, to a late-1990s trade to the Seahawks, where he lost his staring job to good friend and fellow believer Trent Dilfer, only to regain it when Dilfer signed with Cleveland last year.

He has received much of the credit for the Seahawks’ first-ever trip to the Super Bowl this year inside Detroit’s domed Ford Field.

Hasselbeck said his whirlwind of a football season, which will be highlighted on an international stage Sunday before a worldwide viewing audience of 1 billion people, has been made easier through his personal faith in Jesus Christ.

“If you let it bother you, the pressure of this week could really get to you. There is so much happening with interviews and posing for pictures and talking with ESPN and ABC and everything,” Hasselbeck said.

“I just remember what Trent [Dilfer] always prayed in the tunnel before the games, ‘Lord, may we perform for an audience of one.’ To know that I have God in my heart and that I’m performing for an audience of one on Sunday, and I want to be a good teammate, is very comforting.”

Fullback Mack Strong has been bashing his body into bigger and stronger defenders for almost a decade, clearing the way for Alexander and other more publicized backs, but he said the greatest moment of his career was when he became a Christian in 1997.

“We have been given a great opportunity to play football, but it’s short-lived. Five years from now people won’t remember that I sat in this chair on media day or even what I said unless they look at the video.

“We believe in something bigger than this game, that we have to stay strong for a bigger purpose.”

Asked to describe himself by one of the many non-sports reporters at media day, Strong, a committed husband and father of two kids, said his commitment to Christ as the biggest thing in his life.

“My turn-ons? Humility. My turnoffs? Pride before the fall. Am I afraid of a commitment? No, I already have a commitment to Christ. Have I had breakups in the past? Yes, I broke up with those who have a different philosophy.”

Backup quarterback David Greene, a rookie who starred at the University of Georgia where he was active in campus ministries and greatly influenced by his Christian head coach, said those looking to explain Seattle’s success coming into Sunday’s game need to look closer than wins or statistics.

“We have a lot of guys on our team who don’t get caught up in the extra stuff. We have guys who are in the Word every day when you could be getting stressed out.

“When you’re living with pressure, you have to surround yourself with good people and that’s what we try to do. If you believe in Christ, then you can live with pressure regardless of what happens on Sunday.”

Starting offensive guard Chris Gray spent 14 years in the league before ever realizing his dream of being in the Super Bowl, but he said the better blessing for himself and his teammates is knowing Christ.

“That’s the best blessing you can have,” he said.

Defensive tackle Michael Boulware will have the responsibility of helping slow down the Pittsburgh offensive attack Sunday, but he said he has been spending a good deal of his pre-game preparation working on another attack.

“The devil always tries to attack you along the way, but when I focus on Jesus Christ and put my heart on God, that’s the kind of focus I need for this game. We have great leaders on this team which lead the great way. That’s what its takes to be successful.”
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Super Bowl players tell the world’s media of their faith
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)—-While former Chicago Bears quarterback Jim McMahon once got media attention for writing offbeat messages on his headband during Super Bowl week, Pittsburg strong safety Troy Polamalu plans his own method of expression during Sunday’s championship contest, even if it will never be seen by the millions watching in TV on in person.

He will be wearing his simple, silver wedding ring under his black gloves as he goes about his defensive exploits against the Seattle Seahawks.

“I don’t think we put any value on marriage any longer in our country and, to me, the wedding band is a symbol of my wedding bond with my wife [Theodora] and my bond with God,” Polamalu said during the Super Bowl media day Jan. 31.

He was one of several Steelers happy to talk about their faith in Christ to the assembled worldwide media at Detroit’s Ford Field, the site of Sunday’s championship game.

Wide receiver Antwaan Randle El eagerly surveyed the chaotic media scene of hundreds of journalists with notepads in hand, dozens of video cameramen and countless live radio interviews being conducted. Then he gave his assessment of the proceedings:

“People think this game may go down in history, but it’s really only temporary. I thank God that I am here, but I know I have to ask Him for guidance because I didn’t know what to expect....

“I can’t let this game get me too high or too low,” El said. “I have to stay focused on God and stay focused on His word.”

Steelers starting center Jeff Hartings, a former Detroit Lion who was nervous being a favorite target of local media welcoming home a former player, said his faith in God extended even into the media session.

“I’ve been praying every day that I would honor Him and I’m praying now that I don’t embarrass Him during this time,” Hartings said. “I want to give Him His praise all the time and use this time as a platform not for me, but for Him.”

Hartings accompanied Steelers chaplain Jay Wilson on a mission trip in 2004 and said that trip, along with the knee injury he overcame to gain his Pro Bowl status, has changed his career.

“God humbled me with the injury, but over last three years I’ve been able to refocus on Him and honor Him with my play. Every year, I just take it one step at a time if He wants me to continue to play. That’s the way it’s been lately for me and the way it should continue to be,” Hartings said.

“I just want to be a Christian man giving Him the glory. That’s my plan for this game.”

Steelers fullback Dan Kreider said the familiar routine of daily prayer times with his wife over the phone and morning Bible reading in an unfamiliar city is helping him overcome temptations connected with the Super Bowl.

“There certainly is a lot of temptations here with parties and women and things we know we shouldn’t be a part of,” Kreider said. “It keeps you humble when you can pray over the phone every night with your wife or spend time at the team Bible study.

Offensive tackle Max Starks said the annual media gathering, which drew more than 3,000 participants, was seen as a God-given opportunity to the Christian Steelers players, not a hindrance.

“I’m just a tool from God and this life is just a test from Him,” Starks said. “God has given the Christian guys a world stage in this big game and promises us a reward in the end. You have the opportunity to use your faith in everyday conversation. That’s what we need to be doing.”

Polamalu has been nicknamed the Tasmanian Devil for his frenetic on-field defensive style, but didn’t hesitate to use his opportunity to promote his faith as a key to success.

“Keep God No. 1 in your life all the time,” he said in response to an ESPN Argentina reporter who asked how his soccer-mad country could be successful in American football as well.

Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Barrett Brooks, who is in his 10th year in the NFL but only his third with the Steelers, said the constant shifting of players among teams has made it difficult when Christian brothers face each other on the football field.

“You know a lot of Christian guys in this league, but we just have to keep strong for Him and give God the time He deserves,” Brooks said.

“God will have His will regardless of what we seek on the field,” he said.

With less than five days to go before the final showdown between the Steelers and Seahawks, there will be plenty of time to talk, scheme and study every possible way to defeat the opposition.

But for a number of the players, their focus is on more than just a three-hour encounter.

“This [Super Bowl] is big to the world,” Hartings said. “But I have to separate myself, give God the glory and honor He deserves. Give my best on the field on Sunday and off of it every other day.”
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Steelers coaches cognizant of God’s hand in their lives
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)--Pittsburgh special teams coach Kevin Spencer has spent a lot of his time wondering this week.

Not wondering if his Steelers can match up with Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL -- or if his special teams can keep the opponents from making a big play, but wondering about God’s goodness to him in his coaching profession.

This is the fourth NFL team he has worked for and his fourth year to lead the Steelers’ special teams. But it’s his first trip to sport’s most-watched game, with more than a billion people expected to tune in from around the world on Sunday.

“You wonder why God puts you in a position like this,” Spencer said. “You pray a lot and you ask for guidance, but you don’t know why God decides to bless you like this.”

Spencer, who became a coach after playing the game himself, has watched countless big games on television and has seen plenty of championship moments, but now he will be a participant in the biggest match up of the year, live and in person.

“When they gave the [AFC] championship trophy to [team owner] Mr. Rooney after the game, my locker was only about two to three feet away from that and I was able to stand there and watch the entire thing in person. God is so good to me.”

Rather than being nervous about the biggest game of his career, Spencer said his faith has helped him gain a confidence during this hectic week of preparations.

“When you lean on your Christian faith, you know it’s in the Lord’s hands, who loves me and will take care of me. That helps me cope and enjoy the week.”

Steelers’ director of player development Ray Jackson, another first-time Super Bowl participant, planned for a week full of fans, meetings, media and distractions.

But one of the first things he did when he checked into his room at the Steelers’ headquarters hotel was flip on the television set -- not to catch the latest headlines on ESPN or hear how great the Steelers appear to be, but to get some food -– spiritual food.

“I wanted to see if I could find some spiritual program, preaching or teaching which would lift me up,” Jackson said.

“Then I called my wife and we had a prayer over the phone about the week ahead. During the week we have the family members get together for Bible study and prayer on Wednesday night and I don’t want to miss that.”

During the season, Jackson makes a commitment not to read the newspaper because he doesn’t want to read the overly negative or positive things being written about his team. He also makes it a point to stay close to the other Christian players and coaches on the team.

“That way, we can hold each other accountable. That’s the greatest thing Christian men can do for one another,” he said.

After watching the Steelers finish off the Broncos two weeks ago to earn the Super Bowl trip, Jackson found Pittsburgh center and fellow believer Jeff Hartings for a bit of perspective.

“In two to three weeks, most people probably won’t remember who was in the Super Bowl,” Jackson said. “This will all be gone, but knowing God gave His Son Jesus to die for us, that is something that will live forever.”

Jackson has personal experience with the way God can unexpectedly change a person’s life. Last year, he coached for the Cleveland Browns, which suffered through another tough season, leaving him without a job at the end of the year and watching the Super Bowl on TV.

This year, he has a new job, new Christian friends and an on-the-field view of Sunday’s game.

“You can’t get caught up in the world’s view; you have to have God’s perspective. Last year, I was working for the Cleveland Browns. This year, God put me here to witness all of this and be a witness for others.”

Tight ends coach James Daniel likewise is grateful for the platform he has been given, if only for a brief time, to share his faith with those he comes in contact with during the Super Bowl week.

“You have to have faith to prepare to do a good job,” Daniel said. “You have to have faith to stay grounded in His Word and you have to be ready for this platform to touch other people’s lives in whatever way you find them this week.”
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Seattle coaches prep team for more than Super Bowl victory
By Art Stricklin

DETROIT (BP)--Seattle fans, players and assistant coaches are counting on Seahawks head coach Mike Holmgren to work his Super Bowl magic, having led the Green Bay Packers to an NFL title in the ‘90s.

Facing the favored Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday afternoon at Ford Field in downtown Detroit, Holmgren said he is counting on a different kind of power to make it through another crazy Super Bowl week: his personal faith in Jesus Christ.

“If I didn’t have a foundation in my faith with Christ to keep me through the high and lows of this week and every week, this job it would be very hard,” he said during the Jan. 31 media day.

“My faith gives you a perspective and that’s the most important thing in this job,” he shared.

Holmgren’s eternal perspective allowed him to send his wife Kathy and one of their four daughters on a medical mission trip with Northwest Medical Team, a Portland-based group this week to Africa, where they will be during Sunday’s championship game with Pittsburgh.

“My wife has been there before [on a mission trip] and my daughter is a nurse so they will enjoy it more. It’s more important.”

More important than the Super Bowl? That’s the ultimate message Holmgren subtly sought to spread to the disbelieving media.

While not outspoken about his faith when talking about football matters, Holmgren said he is happy to share the reason for his success with anyone who asks and the reason for the team’s surprising post-season success.

“I’ve always said this [job] would be hard without my faith,” the head coach said.

Defensive line coach Zerick Rollins said Holmgren is good about setting the tone for the team’s preparation for Sunday’s big game or any game.

“My faith in God is first in everything I do. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Super Bowl or a preseason game,” Rollins said. “You have to prepare to do your job and do it well, but the first thing you do is give God praise because He deserves it.”

Running backs coach Stump Mitchell has seen the high and lows of the NFL as a player with the St. Louis Cardinals and a coach for the last seven years with the Seahawks. As a Christian leader on the coaching staff, he knows this can be a tough week for his team.

“We have a lot of mountains to climb and a lot of temptations to face, but our faith puts it all in perspective.

“This,” Mitchell said of the Super Bowl, “is a small issue to God.”

After helping coach his team to the NFC Championship over Charlotte Jan. 22, putting the Seahawks in their first-ever Super Bowl, Mitchell said God quickly stepped in to show him the real importance of his life.

“When I came off the field, I found out I lost my father who had been sick and passed,” Mitchell said somberly. “This is just a game, but life goes on regardless. This is all secondary to Christ.”

To make sure Seattle is ready for its first Super Bowl game, the Seahawks coaches and players have been through seemingly endless meetings and drills to go over the attack they expect to see from Pittsburgh on Sunday.

But Mitchell said the Christian players and coaches likely will have a more important meeting this week in Detroit.

“We will have a share time with just players and coaches when we all get together. That’s a good part of our schedule.”

As a Christian coach, Mitchell said he never forgets to remind players of the blessings they enjoy on the field and off.

“They should enjoy the blessings of being a professional athlete but remember they are a role model at all times. We are instruments for Him on the field and off. That’s the most important lesson they can learn.”