The Los Angeles Rams came from behind to win Super Bowl LVI 23–20 over the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium outside of Los Angeles Sunday (Feb. 13). Here are three faith-based highlights from this year’s game.
Rams players give God glory after win
Several players acknowledged their faith in God following the Rams’ victory in Super Bowl LVI.
Wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named Super Bowl MVP after making eight receptions for 92 yards and scoring two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown catch with 1:25 remaining in the game.
“I don’t feel deserving of this,” Kupp said after the game. “God is just so good. I’m just so thankful for the guys I get to be around, for the coaches, for my family.”
In the leadup to the game, Rams defensive back Jalen Ramsey said he relies on the Lord in both his personal and professional life.
“Without my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, I am nothing honestly,” Ramsey told Sports Spectrum. “Without His grace and His mercy and dying for my sins, I mean, I’m nothing. I’m sinful by nature, and I’m not perfect, and that’s why I need the Lord so much,” he added.
“I’ve got to always lean on my faith, and I’ve got to give God the glory and let God really work through me and work through my heart and try to grow,” he continued. “That’s really how I try to grow and try to evolve as a person.”
Ramsey was part of a play in the first half of the game that was the subject of much speculation. Officials did not call a penalty on the play, though it appeared Cincinnati wide receiver Tee Higgins grabbed Ramsey’s facemask prior to making a catch that resulted in a touchdown.
Cincinnati kicker, Alabama native Evan McPherson remains perfect in postseason
Cincinnati Bengals kicker Evan McPherson set an NFL postseason record in Super Bowl LVI but received the most attention for staying on the field to watch the halftime show.
The rookie from Fort Payne High School was successful in two field-goal attempts in yesterday’s game. He went 14-for-14 in field-goal attempts in this season’s playoffs to set an NFL record for the most successful kicks without a miss in one postseason. He also tied the record for the most field-goals in a single postseason.
Fans watching at home expected McPherson to do well during the game. They did not expect to see him sitting on the Cincinnati bench to watch the halftime show, which he said he planned to do.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity really,” McPherson said, “and so in football, I feel like we got to compartmentalize a lot of things, and so I thought I was kind of able to compartmentalize the game from the halftime show. Those are some of my favorite artists. Like I said, a once-in-a-lifetime deal, and I thought it was pretty special.”
Read more about McPherson’s faith here.
Los Angeles Send Relief Ministry Center consistent presence during Super Bowl
During Super Bowl week, the Send Relief Center in the Los Angeles area partnered with groups like In Our Backyard that fight human trafficking through creating more awareness about the issue. Together, they distributed information in local businesses hoping to help those being trafficked.
“Gas station bathrooms are one of the few places these girls can go to and not be around those trafficking them,” said Send Relief Center director Daryl Spears, who is partnering with Los Angeles City Baptist Church, which is where the center is based. Spears shared that more than 30 children had been identified among those being trafficked during Super Bowl weekend.
“Around 10 days after the Super Bowl is over, they’re taken off to other parts of the state and country. They’re consolidated into this area for a few weeks, so we work hard two weeks before and up to 10 days after the game,” Spears told Baptist Press.
While Los Angeles is often seen as a place of prosperity, Spears noted many come to the city “looking to experience hope, and we can explain that hope to them.”
“L.A. is a place where people come because they have hope in many things,” he said. “When they get here, though, one of the biggest reasons they struggle is broken relationships with others, with themselves and with God.”
Read more about the Send Relief Center’s work here.
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