Download Quotable Quotes for an Athlete

Christian Athlete Quotes and Scriptures
I believe that we are in great need of Christian role models in the realm of athletics. Our athletes
also need to become motivated for all of the right reasons. This is why I have started putting
together a list of quotes from Christian athletes accompanied with appropriate scripture references.
I hope that you will find these to be inspiring.
1) “God will not ask me how many Pro Bowls I was in, He will ask me if I knew Jesus.”
- Reggie White
Philippians 3:8 “More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing
value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord,…”
Reggie White was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1998, and he won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay
Packers. He was also an ordained Minister.
2) “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work as hard”
– Tim Tebow
Proverbs 22:29 “Do you see a man skilled in his work? He will stand before kings;
He will not stand before obscure men”
Tim Tebow is a devout Christian, a winner of the Heisman Trophy and is currently an NFL Quarterback
for the New York Jets.
3) "One man practicing sportsmanship is far better than fifty preaching it."
- Knute Rockne
2 Timothy 2:5 “Also if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless
he competes according to the rules”
Knute Rockne was a Christian man who grew up attending the Lutheran church and later became
a Catholic. He was a football player and later a Coach at the University of Notre Dame, and he
is regarded as one of the greatest college football Coaches in history.
4) “Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.”
- Mike Singletary
1 Corinthians 15:10 “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward
me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them,
yet not I, but the grace of God with me”
Mike Singletary is a devout Christian. He was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1985 and in 1988.
He was a winner in Superbowl XX with his team the Chicago Bears. He was an NFL Linebacker. He is in
the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1998), and he was the Head Football Coach of the San Francisco 49ers.
5) "Don't measure yourself by what you have accomplished, but by what you should
have accomplished with your ability."
- John Wooden
Bonus
“Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible”
- John Wooden
Philippians 3:12 “Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect,
but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid
hold of by Christ Jesus”
John Wooden was a devout Christian in the Disciples of Christ denomination, and he was so passionate
about his faith that many referred to him as “Reverend” He often said that his wisdom came primarily
from two sources – his earthly father, Joshua Wooden, and his heavenly father. John Wooden was a Head
Basketball Coach at UCLA, and he is considered by some to have been the greatest Coach who has ever
lived. During his tenure, UCLA won ten NCAA Championships.
6) “I hit hard for the glory of God”
- Reggie White
1 Corinthians 10:31 “…whatever you do, do (it) all to the glory of God” (Emphasis Added)
Reggie White was the Defensive Player of the Year in 1998, and he won a Super Bowl with the Green Bay
Packers. He was also an ordained Minister.
7) “Get
the ball rolling, don’t just sit back and wait for the flood gates to open, that’s
what unsuccessful people do. Make a step forward in the direction of your dream,
map it out, write the steps down and start today. Remember procrastination kills
dreams”
- Kurt Warner
Proverbs 14:23 “In all labor there is profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty”
Kurt Warner is a devout Christian. He was an NFL Quarterback most notably for the St Louis Rams.
He was the MVP of Superbowl XXXIV and is now a Sports Announcer.
8) “I believe God made me for a purpose (to be a Missionary in China), but he also
made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure”
- Eric Liddell
1 Samuel 2:30 “Therefore the Lord God of Israel declares, '… for those who honor
Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed”
Eric Liddell won a Gold Medal in the 400 meters race at the Olympics in Paris in 1924. His time of 47.6
seconds stood as a world record for 12 years. A few moments before that race, a friend passed him a note
with 1 Samuel 2:30 inscribed on it. Ultimately, Eric Liddell died in a Prisoner of War Camp in Germany
in 1945. A film entitled “Chariots of Fire” was released in 1981 that described Eric Liddell’s life
and friendship with Harold Abrahams an English Jew who also won a gold medal in Olympics in Paris
in 1924. A fact that many people do not know is that Eric Liddell was eventually instrumental in leading
his Jewish friend to faith in Jesus Christ.
9) “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving
it and staying with that plan.”
- Tom Landry
1 Corinthians 9:26-27 “26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box
in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my
body and make it my slave,…”
Tom Landry was a devout Christian. He played as a cornerback in the AAFC and later the NFL. He is best
known as a Coach for the Dallas Cowboys. His teams won two Superbowls (VI and XII), 5 NFC Titles
and 13 Divisional Titles.
10) “Our young people look up to us. Let us not let them down. Our young people
need us. Saving them will make heroes of us all”
- Gale Sayers
1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ”
Gale Sayers is a Christian. He describes his philosophy of life as: “God first, friends second and me third.”
He made the list of the 100 best NFL players as a running back (22 nd on the List). He is in the Pro Football
Hall of Fame. His friendship with another football player named “Brian Piccolo” is legendary, and it was
depicted in a famous film entitled “Brian’s Song” in 1971.
11) “I’m seven feet tall, I didn’t have anything to do with that, and I have this athletic
ability, and this body, and I feel like, you know, God gave me this for a reason
and I can’t waste it. I just can’t. I don’t have that luxury”
- David Robinson
Psalms 139:14 “I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made”
David Robinson is a retired NBA Basketball player. He played for the San Antonio Spurs. He is in the
NBA Hall of Fame and is considered to be one of the 50 greatest NBA players in history. He is also
a devout Christian and a Minister.
12) “You should never be defined by what you do or by the things you have; you’ve got
to define yourself by who you are and how you impact people”
- Tony Dungy
1 Corinthians 9:22-23 “22…I have become all things to all men, so that I may by all means save some.
23 I do all things for the sake of the gospel,…”
Tony Dungy’s Christian faith is no secret. He is well-known for being the Head Coach of the Indianapolis
Colts from 2002 – 2008. Tony became the first African-American Coach to win the Superbowl when
the Colts beat the Chicago Bears in Superbowl XLI.
13) “There are no traffic jams along the extra mile.”
- Roger Staubach
Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather
than for men”
Roger Staubach is a devout Roman Catholic Christian. His athletic achievements include:
a Heisman Trophy in 1963, a Superbowl Champion in Superbowl VI and XII while playing
Quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys, Superbowl MVP of Superbowl VI, Six time
Pro Bowl Selection and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
14) “The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one
who dropped it”
- Lou Holtz
Proverbs 18:9 “He also who is slack in his work is brother to him who destroys”
Lou Holtz is a devout Roman Catholic Christian. Lou Holtz is known for leading six different football
teams to College bowl games, and he did this within the first two years that he coached there. He also led
the Fighting Irish to the Fiesta Bowl in 1988 where they won the Consensus National Championship, He
has one of the best winning records for NCAA Division One Coaches, and he was inducted into the College
Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
15) “It doesn’t really matter what I gain or lose on this earth because nothing
compares to this promise He has given me. I am experiencing the sheer
pleasure of once being lost and now being found.”
– John Smoltz
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have
kept the faith; 8 in the future there is laid up for me the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award
to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have
loved His appearing”
John Smoltz is a born again Christian. He is a Presbyterian, and he has served as a Chairman of the Board
at the King’s Ridge Christian School in Alpharetta, Georgia. He is best known in sports as a Pitcher
for the Atlanta Braves and as a winner of the Cy Young award in 1996.
16)
“Where should our profession be? I think it should be third in our life. First
should be God and my relationship with Him. Second should be my family
and the influence I’m having on others. And that puts our profession where?
Third.”
- Joe Gibbs
Matthew 6:33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these
things will be added to you”
Joe Gibbs is a devout Christian who has often pointed to his strong Christian faith as one of the
primary guiding forces in his life. He is also the author of a two volume Bible study for men
entitled “Game Plan for Life.” He is best known in sports as a Coach for the Washington
Redskins with which he won four NFC Championship titles and three Superbowls. He also
owns a NASCAR team.
17) “Its really important to me to go to church, which is sometimes tough when I get
back from road trips late on Saturday night, but I try to make it a priority to go
every week”
- Jeremy Lin
Hebrews 10:24-25 “24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good
deeds, 25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit
of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see
the day drawing near”
Jeremy Lin is a Basketball player for the Houston Rockets. In February 2012, he unexpectedly led a
winning streak by New York Knicks while being promoted to the starting lineup, which generated a global
following known as Linsanity. In the summer of 2012, Lin signed a contract with the Houston Rockets.
Lin is one of the few Asian Americans in NBA history, and he is also known for the public expression
of his Christian faith.
18) “If you train hard, you’ll not only be hard, you’ll be hard to beat”
- Herschel Walker
1 Corinthians 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only
one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win”
Herschel Walker is a born again Christian. He frequently describes how his faith has been an
encouragement to him, and he even named his son “Christian.” He also won the Heisman Trophy
in 1982. He played professional football in both USFL and the NFL. He has a fifth degree black
belt in Tae Kwon Do, and he participates in mixed martial arts. He also participated in the 1992
Olympics in the two man bobsled competition.