Super Bowl champion Stefen Wisniewski retires from NFL to become pastor
Offensive lineman and two-time Super Bowl champion Stefen Wisniewski announced that he's retiring from the NFL to become a pastor.
Wisniewski made the announcement on Thursday on his Twitter page.
"After 10 seasons in the NFL, I’m retiring," the 32-year-old said in a video post. "I absolutely loved playing the game of football, but after 10 years, my body, my mind and my heart are telling me it’s time to move on."
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"What am I going to do next? I’m going to be a pastor. The absolute best part of my life is my relationship with Jesus Christ and I can’t imagine a better full-time job than teaching people the Bible and sharing the love of Christ with others,” he continued.
I have an announcement to make : pic.twitter.com/0ZHD3Kvp9b
— Stefen Wisniewski (@stefenwiz61) August 26, 2021
The athlete played 11 seasons in the NFL and won Super Bowls with the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. Throughout his career, which spans from 2011 to 2020, Wisniewski also played for the Oakland Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers.
In a statement, the Pennsylvania native explained what he will miss most about playing the sport.
"As we learned while playing in empty stadiums last year, playing football is zero fun without you all. The adrenaline rush from hearing 60,000 plus fans screaming at the tops of their lungs for me and my team is one of the things I will miss mostly about playing. Seeing the intense joy on the faces of millions of fans during the Philly and Kansas City Super Bowl parades truly made those two of the best days of my life," he wrote on Twitter.
Wisniewski, who describes himself as a "Disciple of Jesus Christ" on his Twitter bio, often highlighted his faith during his athletic career.
Though he grew up going to Church, Wisniewski said Christianity was mostly a cultural experience for him until a car accident in high school compelled him to focus his attention on God.
In an op-ed for Sports Spectrum following The Chiefs 2020 Super Bowl win, the athlete opened up about his strong commitment to Christ.
“After seven mostly successful years playing in the NFL, which included 90-plus starts and a Super Bowl ring with the Philadelphia Eagles, my career took a sharp turn downhill,” he wrote. “In 2018, I was benched during the season, fired at the end of the year, re-hired, then fired at the end of training camp this year.”
“I spent the first five weeks of the 2019 season unemployed, on my couch watching NFL games. It was a frustrating time. But I believe God allowed all this to happen to me to test me, to bring Him glory, and to teach me how to better follow Him,” he said.
