Greg Zuerlein and the L.A. Rams may have defeated the New Orleans Saints with a 57-yard field goal in overtime to get to the Super Bowl, but he still looks to the saints for help, on and off the field.
No, Zuerlein is not calling up New Orleans QB Drew Brees for advice on where to place his plant leg or how to balance family life with the NFL’s travel schedule. It’s Saints Sebastian and Christopher — the ones in heaven — who are the ones Zuerlein calls on.
(Brees may be a saint in the eyes of some from New Orleans, but not in the eyes of the Church — yet.)
“My special patrons are St. Sebastian, St. Christopher, and my guardian angel,” Zuerlein said. “St. Sebastian is known for his patronage of athletes, so it’s easy to see why I’d ask for his help. St. Christopher is known for his patronage of travelers, so I ask for his assistance on the road. I rely on my guardian angel throughout the day, but in a special way on the field.”
Zuerlein grew up in a Catholic family from Lincoln, Nebraska, and attended Catholic schools before playing football in college. He shares part of his story — from an early love of soccer to a turning point he faced when he was injured in college to his journey to the NFL — in this interview.
We appreciated how down-to-earth Zuerlein is, and how clear-headed he is about what’s important. His Catholic faith, he said, helps him “not to take myself seriously and keep things directed toward heaven rather than earth.”
