7 Famous Christian Athletes

Here is a list of seven famous Christian athletes.

Eric Liddell

Eric Liddell (1902-1945) was a devout Scottish Christian, missionary to China, and rugby player who ran for the glory of God and giving Him all credit. He would say “I can feel God’s pleasure when I run.” In 1924, Liddell refused to run in the Summer Olympics in Paris because the race was on a Sunday, despite being the favorite among all the 100 meter runners in the world. Since he considered Sunday the Lord’s Day, he could not compete in the Olympics due to his conscience troubling him and thus, was willing to give up a sure gold medal rather than run on a day that he felt was dedicated to the Lord. When he was offered a chance to run another race, the 400 meter race, one in which he had not trained, he ended up winning the gold medal. In honor of Liddell’s faith, the movie Chariots of Fire was released and showed that he would rather obey his conscience than earn a coveted gold medal in the 100 meters. Tragically, he died at a relatively young age of 43 from total exhaustion and a mental breakdown due to his grueling missionary work for God, literally losing his life for the sake of Christ.

Billy Sunday

Billy Sundayy (1862-1935) was born on November 19, 1862, in Ames, Iowa, but shortly after, his father died, leaving his mother with three small children to care for and no means to care for them. By age 13, he was sent to an orphanage because his mother couldn’t possibly earn enough to take care of her children. Eventually, Sunday became one of the best players in Major League Baseball but after he trusted in Christ, he saw the conflict of playing baseball verses preaching the gospel. He felt compelled to go on the circuit, preaching to thousands of people and bringing many to saving faith in Christ. His champion sprinter speed allowed him to steal 92 bases in one year and was topped only by Hall of Famer, Ty Cobb. After playing professional baseball for eight years he was invited to attend Pacific Garden Mission in Chicago where he says he was born again.

Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel “Manny” Dapidran Pacquiao (1978 – present) is one the most remarkable and recognizable Christians in the world and is truly a national hero of the Filipino people and is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time as the only eight-division world champion. He is only the third fighter in boxing history to win three “Glamour Division” championships and in 2015 was the second highest paid athlete in the world. He openly displays his faith for the entire world to see, unashamedly professing that Jesus Christ is his Lord and Savior, giving inspiration to millions around the world.

Clayton Kershaw

Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers is an All-Star pitcher who pitches Jesus Christ almost as much as he does a baseball. Born in 1988, he was a naturally gifted athlete who won three Cy Young Awards and was the 2014 National League’s Most Valuable Player. Kershaw is passionate about his faith in Christ and is an active participant in volunteer work. He and his wife Ellen launched Kershaw’s Challenge and wrote the book Arise to raise money to build an orphanage in Zambia. If by chance you attend Calvary Chapel South Bay in Gardena, California, then you must have already heard about Kershaw and his wife, Ellen, who speak about their charity, Kershaw’s Challenge, and their ongoing mission work in Africa.

Jackie Robinson

Jackie Robinson (1919-1972) was a trailblazer for African-American athletes and was a remarkably humble man facing bigotry and racial slurs in every Major League Baseball city he played in. Robinson was one of the most significant historical figures in American history as he heralded the end of racial segregation in major league sports. He was inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame in 1962. Branch Rickey, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers gave him a chance, taking a huge gamble in the process and being highly criticized by most the club owners, but it paid off enormously because Robinson broke the so-called color barrier and opened the way for other African-American athletes. How was he able to endure such brutal treatment after being disparaged day after day because of his color was remarkable. He attributed this to his strong faith in God. With the thousands of racial slurs, Robinson kept his reliance on God and prayed every night for strength.

Tim Tebow

For some reason, likely due to persecution, Tim Tebow (1987 – present) is one of the most despised men of sports, despite having played for a national championship team, the Florida Gators and winning two national championships in three years. He was such a devout Christian that he wore Scriptures where players put their dark shade under their eyes to reduce the sun’s glare. He rotated various powerful Bible verses to openly show his faith in Christ to the whole world, many times being on national TV and in particular in two national championship seasons. He would also kneel down to pray on the football field and regardless of the unfair criticisms of his faith; he was resilient enough to display Jesus Christ for all to see, regardless of the consequences.

Kurt Warner

Kurt Warner (1971 – present) is a former American quarterback for the NFL’s St. Louis Rams (now the L.A. Rams) who is now an NFL analyst and philanthropist. Warner was a 12-year pro after playing his college football for Norther Iowa. He may have been the best NFL player that was never drafted. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers but later reached his full potential in playing for the NFL St. Louis Rams and won a Super Bowl while earning the Super Bowl MVP where the Rams beat the Tennessee Titans. He would later lead the Arizona Cardinals to the NFL championship in 2008. Warner first displayed his faith in Christ on national TV following the Rams Super Bowl victory where he was also named the game’s MVP. After the victory and the MVP award, he first acknowledged on a national stage that “I’ve got to thank my Lord and Savior up above” and he has been proclaiming Christ ever since.

Conclusion

There are dozens and dozens of other athletes who I could have included but was limited to only selecting seven. If you can think of a Christian athlete that made a huge impact for Christ, please leave a comment and provide their name and the reasons that they should be considered as one of the greatest of all Christian athletes.

Article by Jack Wellman

Jack Wellman is Pastor of the Mulvane Brethren Church in Mulvane Kansas. Jack is also the Senior Writer at What Christians Want To Know whose mission is to equip, encourage, and energize Christians and to address questions about the believer’s daily walk with God and the Bible. You can follow Jack on Google Plus or check out his book Teaching Children the Gospel available on Amazon.