On Sunday, Feb. 11, the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers on football’s biggest stage. Super Bowl LVIII, played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, will be a rematch from four years ago, when the Chiefs beat the 49ers 31-20.
Both teams feature high-profile players who are outspoken about their Christian faith. For the Chiefs, ChurchLeaders has profiled quarterback and two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and pro-life kicker Harrison Butker. For the 49ers, ChurchLeaders has covered quarterback Brock Purdy and star running back Christian McCaffrey.
Veteran safety Tashaun Gipson, 33, played a key role in getting to his first Super Bowl. During the NFC Championship Game on Jan. 28, Gipson forced a second-half fumble that his teammate (and fellow Christian) Arik Armstead recovered. The 49ers went on to defeat the Detroit Lions 34-31.
Gipson, who went undrafted and is now with his fifth NFL team, publicly gave thanks to God after the 49ers punched their ticket to Super Bowl LVIII. “This is just God,” he told a reporter. “Without him, this wouldn’t be possible.”
Before the 49ers signed Gipson last August, the athlete thought his pro career might be over. But signing with San Francisco “has been the most fun I’ve had in the league,” he said. “I’m blessed.” Gipson has the word “blessed” tattooed across his chest.
Gipson, a father of three, proclaims on his Instagram bio, “I give GOD the glory always.” In a 2023 interview, he said of his football journey, “It’s just glory to God because I came into the right situation at the right time. And everything just worked out in God’s plan.”
ChurchLeaders.com
