‘Victory and Honor Belong to You’ Ravens Coach John Harbaugh Praises God after Team Advances to AFC Championship

“There’s something that was said to me before the game, and it just was meaningful to me, so I’m going to share it with you because I think it’s the right thing to do,” Harbaugh said, who is Catholic.

Opening the Bible, he read 1 Chronicles 29:11, which declares, “greatness, power, glory, victory and honor belong to you because everything in Heaven and on earth belongs to you.”

“The Kingdom belongs to you, Lord, you are the head and the ruler over everything,” Harbaugh continued.

After commending the “amazing spirit on this team,” the coach emphasized his need to give “honor and credit where it’s due.”

Last month, after the Ravens defeated the Los Angeles Rams, Harbaugh also cited from his faith during a post-press conference.

“This is your moment in life, and this is your time,” the coach started his meaningful statement.

He mentioned how it was the season of Avent, noting that that “Advent comes from the Latin adventus, which means anticipation and preparation for an amazing event, which is the coming of our Savior and celebrating the Christ–the Good News that changes the world and changes it for all eternity.”

“Five years from now, none of us are going to be around,” he continued. “Five-hundred years [ago], none of us were here. So we’re given this time with these people in this place for a purpose. There’s December, and the time is December. December football has a meaning to it. It’s preparation for great events to come. You have to put yourself in position for December football for what’s to come.”

Ravens team chaplain Johnny Shelton has been a help in strengthening the faith of multiple players on the team, including hosting Bible studies for players, coaches and their families. During a recent interview on the “Today show”, Shelton shared “we play as a team.”

“I pray for [the team’s] safety, for their minds, their hearts to be clear, to be able to focus on the task at hand,” Shelton said.

“Life is hard enough. And at the flip side of that, football is hard enough. So, when you put those two together, it’s crazy,” the chaplain added.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Marcus Millo

Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for Christian Headlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.