This spring, the Chicago Bears settled on a kicker who went undrafted last year after only two seasons with the Florida Gators: 23-year-old Eddy Piñeiro. But it looks like the NFL team made the right pick.
On Sunday night, Piñeiro kicked a 53-yard field goal — the biggest moment of the young athlete’s nascent career. During post-game interviews with the press, he credited God, and Jesus, in particular, for his successful kick.
During his first post-game interview, when he was still on the field, Piñeiro told a Fox Sports reporter: “For everybody listening, man, if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you better start, because he’s real. I promise you that.”
Piñeiro’s faith-based comment came after the journalist told him the Bears had struggled during preseason to find a kicker, but that he was apparently the “answer” to the team’s search for the right player.
Then, while speaking during a post-game press conference over the weekend, Piñeiro once again credited Jesus for his athletic rise.
Before making his kick, Piñeiro said, “I was praying, ‘God, give me this shot, give me this shot.’ Thank God it happened.”
“It felt great,” Piñeiro said. “The first thing that came to my mind was just thanking God. It was an emotional kick. My teammates, everyone, just, for them, for Chicago, they deserve it.”
This is not the first time Piñeiro — who has a cross tattoo on his left wrist — has thanked God for his accomplishments.
In late August, he posted a photo of himself pointing upward with the Bible verse Matthew 6:34, which reads, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
And not long after being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in February 2018, Piñeiro posted a tweet crediting God for the accomplishment, writing he “wouldn’t be in this position without my Lord and Savior.”
As for Sunday’s game, the Bears pulled out a win over the Denver Broncos with a final score of 16-14.