“Glory to God first and foremost, we wouldn’t be here without him.”
Those were the first words from star tight end Zach Ertz as he took to the podium after the Philadelphia Eagles first ever Super Bowl victory.
Ertz scored what turned out to be the winning touchdown late in the 4th quarter of their win over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Faithwire has reported extensively on the outspoken faith many of the Eagles players have displayed all season long.
WATCH: The Faith of the Philadelphia Eagles
“Just another game, right Nick?” Dan Patrick asked MVP quarterback Nick Foles before the 70,000+ capacity crowd. “Unbelievable. All glory to God,” Foles said as his little baby daughter Lilly tries to grab the mic. “Obviously Lilly really likes this mic. She has no idea!”
“To be here with my daughter, my wife, my teammates, this city.. we’re very blessed.”
Despite reportedly being snubbed by Patriots QB Tom Brady at the end of the game, Nick Foles remained gracious in the post-game presser. Brady stormed off the field following their defeat and did not shake Foles’ hand despite his wondrous performance. “I didn’t get to see Tom. I was looking for him,” Foles told reporters. “Things got pretty crazy pretty fast. He’s one of the greatest of all time. The guy does it right. He’s been unbelievable. He was unbelievable tonight. I can’t say enough about him.”
The Eagles are well-known to be a team with an unusually high number of believers, and clearly the entire unit has an extraordinary brotherhood with one another.
“I’ve seen like three guys get baptized at the team facility,” said safety Malcolm Jenkins. “I don’t think that’s happened anywhere. It’s just one of those things that faith is a really important part of this team. And we commune with one another often times. We talk about it, and it’s been unique and special to watch that unfold in an NFL locker room.”
Ertz echoed the same sentiment.
“I dedicated my life to Christ back in March. I was baptized in March, got married the next day. Our marriage has been built on that foundation from the word and Jesus and it’s changed my life,” he explained. “And just to have these guys hold me accountable on a daily bases has been phenomenal for me. I hope I do the same for them.”
“My faith in the Lord has been my foundation. It’s been as they say your rock, your strong point. He’s what I stand on. As a team, we’re strong in the faith. People say underdogs, and we’re like, we consider ourselves blessed,” added Eagles Tackle Will Beatty.
Eagles’ star quarterback Carson Wentz, who was downed with injury a few months ago, said he could not be happier for his star man replacement, Nick Foles.
“I’m stoked for Nick,” Wentz told reporters.
My bro is gonna shine bright tonight! So excited to see him & this team go out and compete tonight. Been through it all this year as a team, & yet, here we are! WE ALL WE GOT. WE ALL WE NEED. God’s writing an unbelievable story and he’s getting all the glory! #AO1 #flyeaglesfly pic.twitter.com/eYu9aBwgCL
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) February 4, 2018
“Given the career he’s had, the ups and downs. Given he was so close to retiring, it’s crazy how its all unfolded. God’s had a plan for him throughout this whole thing and he knows that. I couldn’t be more excited for him.”
God is so good!!!! World Champions!!!! So proud of this team!!!! Told y’all my boy @NFoles_9 was gonna shine tonight! Well deserved my bro! #AO1 #flyeaglesfly
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) February 5, 2018
“My faith in the Lord means everything. I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and that’s first and foremost. That’s everything. I wouldn’t be able to do this game without Him because I don’t have the strength to go out and do this. This is supernatural,” Foles said of his incredible journey to Super Bowl stardom.
“It’s also an opportunity to go out there and share what’s He’s done in my life. And it’s not about prospering at all. It’s about how He’s humbled me. In my weaknesses, He made me strong, 2 Corinthians 12:9. You know, whenever I was at my lowest, that’s where my relationship with Christ grew.”