Professional Football And The BibleSample

“Shaun Alexander Rests on Life Verse After Disappointing Loss”

Super Bowl XL (February 5, 2006): Pittsburgh Steelers 21, Seattle Seahawks 10

For Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, the 2005 season couldn’t have gone any better. He led the NFL in rushing yards (1,800), tied an NFL record for rushing touchdowns (27), and broke the NFL record for total touchdowns (28). Alexander also became the first running back in league history to score 15 or more touchdowns in five consecutive seasons.

As the Seahawks headed into the playoffs, Alexander added to his phenomenal year as the leading vote getter for the Pro Bowl and the first NFL MVP in Seattle franchise history. After suffering a concussion against Washington during the fourth quarter of the NFC Divisional contest, he bounced back the following week with 132 yards and two touchdowns in the NFC Championship Game against Carolina.

Then at Super Bowl XL, the dream season was expected to continue. And why not? Seattle had played more consistently en route to a 13-3 record and had veteran leaders like Alexander and quarterback Matt Hasselbeck leading the charge. On the other hand, the AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers had surprisingly become the first six-seed to advance to the title game. With second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger at the helm, no one knew what to expect.

But it was Seattle that made more mistakes and Pittsburgh that made the biggest plays. Although close early on, the Steelers ultimately pulled away to win its fifth Super Bowl title, 21-10.

“I honestly believe that we blew it,” Alexander later said. “I think that a good team can get to the Super Bowl. I think that great teams win the Super Bowl regardless of what happens around them. We didn’t make enough plays. The referees probably didn’t have their best day. The coaches probably didn’t have their best day. And we had some players that didn’t have their best day. All of those things mean you blew it and that’s what we did.”

Typically candid in his honesty, Alexander was simply calling it like he saw it. And yes, he was very disappointed in the game’s outcome. Still, he remained grounded thanks to his life verse, which served as a reminder of his true purpose in both the good times and the bad.

“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4)

“It is just a reminder to me to take joy in what God’s doing in your life,” Alexander told CBN. “Take joy in learning about Him, everyday grow because He delights in us.”