Answer: Maybe
Disclaimer: It is not our role to determine whether or not somebody is a Christian. We just use our discernment based on the evidence we have found on the internet to come to a likely or best-guess answer. Our answers do not actually determine who is or is not a Christian and it is ultimately between the person and God. Not us.
Sean McVay who is the youngest football head Coach in recent times was born on the 24th day of January, 1986 in Dayton, Ohio. He comes from a long line of sportsmen. His father played football at Indiana University, his grandfather was the football head coach at the University of Dayton, head coach of the New York Giants, and the San Francisco 49ers general manager.
He played as a quarterback at Marist School, a private school belonging to the Catholic church in Brookhaven, Georgia. He played defensive back for the War Eagles High School and as a wide receiver at Miami University.
He currently coaches the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL. McVay started coaching the Los Angeles Rams in 2017 when he was just 30. As the youngest head coach, he has achieved many feats including; being named the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl, appearing in many Super Bowls games, and also winning the Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year Award.
McVay has not only coached the Los Angeles Rams, but he has also coached other football clubs as; Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2008), Florida Tuskers (2009), and Washington Redskins (2010-2016), and is currently at the Los Angeles Rams.
Sean McVay is a celebrity football coach but has not disclosed much about his beliefs and other personal issues. As a result, people have been confused about the religious status of the coach. This article seeks to answer the question: Is Sean McVay a Christian?
Is Sean McVay Religious?
Religion according to Wikipedia is a range of social-cultural systems, including designated behaviors and practices, morals, beliefs, or world views, texts, sanctified places, prophecies, ethics, or organizations, that generally relate humanity to supernatural, transcendental, and spiritual elements. Although there is no scholarly consensus over what precisely constitutes a religion, a religious person is someone whose behavior and practices depict the moral beliefs and ethics of a particular religious organization.
As already stated, Sean McVay is excessively private and doesn’t say much about his personal life. The head coach does not even have social media accounts where fans and the general public can get to read about him.
Sean McVay was however raised as a Roman Catholic Christian. On November 12, 2019, Carter Brooks wrote that “McVay grew up in the Roman Catholic faith, where he spent significant time working on his faith while attending confirmation classes as a youth. He claims that his on-field attitude and persona are greatly influenced by his Catholic upbringing”.
Sean McVay even attributed his success as a coach to the Catholic school he attended. When he was invited to speak as a guest in the Marist Graduating class of 2021, he said “Marist is a special place because of all the unique people, I’ve been so fortunate and blessed because there’s so many of the foundational principles that were instilled in me from the time I got here, from 7th grade to 12th grade, that have been instrumental in a lot of the things that have been good in my life.”
A blog post made in 2013 on “know-Sean-McVay-blogspot.com” says, “While attending Confirmation classes, Sean McVay provided many volunteer hours to help out the elderly at Kuakini Hospital. At Kuakini, Sean McVay would read to the elderly and take them out for a stroll to get some fresh air. Sean McVay gained a great sense of satisfaction to see the elders so happy and that he never failed to put a smile on their faces when he spent time with them”.
Not so much has been revealed about the religious life of Sean McVay. He adores his privacy and keeps issues very private as well.
Does Sean McVay Believe in God?
Sean McVay who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Rams claims that star players in the team are connected to faith. These stars are Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Greg Zuerlein. These crew members have said that the only thing that makes them successful is their strong faith and connection to Jesus Christ.
In an article written by Carter Brooks in November 2019, Brooks says, “Not only do these men exemplify Christ on the field, they openly do so off the field, both in and out of the public’s eye. From something as seemingly simple as sharing a ‘Bible verse of the day’ Tweet with fans to an interview quoting a focus passage in times of various injury recoveries, to offering up praises following a Super Bowl loss, these men of God certainly do more than just talk the talk”.
As earlier stated, Sean McVay was raised as a Catholic Christian and he mentioned that his Catholic upbringing has largely influenced his life, his attitude, and his success as a leader.
Another member of the team Todd Gurley told Sports Spectrum in a 2019 interview that “God means everything. Without Him, none of this is possible, Faith, family, football — I’m trying to keep that philosophy… He’s just done so much. He’s blessed me, that’s why I am where I am because He’s blessed me so much my whole life. What more can I ask for? He’s given me everything I wanted plus more. I’m super grateful for every opportunity I get, and it’s just a blessing to be here.”
Brandin Cooks, a member of Mcvay’s team tweeted before his super bowl 53 “Lord, I love you beyond words! I hope someone was saved tonight through all circumstances. May you shine bright through it all. For your honor, your glory, and your praise. Whatever you are up to, God, I know it’s for your glory!”
Cooper Kupp another member of the team said, in 2019 “Being able to every day find that joy in life that only comes from the Spirit, there is growth happening, …knowing where your identity is and knowing that as much as I want to be a football player and I strive to be that, I’m so much more than that. This life is temporary but there are such great things ahead. No matter what the naysayers say, no matter what anyone tells me, I know that my identity is in Christ and nothing can take me off of that.”
Greg Zuerlein in an interview with Catholic Exchange said that “Sometimes people think the high level of play can go to your head, but I think it can be a humbling situation. The phrase that keeps me from getting carried away is: I will only be tolerated as long as it takes for the team to find my replacement. This helps me not to take myself seriously and keep things directed toward Heaven rather than Earth.”
Sean McVay’s parents are also of the Catholic faith. Evansville Courier and Press recently said that “Cindy and Tim McVay were married at St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Evansville after meeting at Indiana University. Tim McVay, who played safety for Lee Corso’s IU teams in the late 1970s, is currently a TV executive in the Cox chain”.
While talking to ESPN, Sean McVay talked about his purpose and the blessings he has received in playing the role of a coach. In his words:
“The most important thing is reestablishing a purpose, being reminded of what a blessing this is to be in this role. This is a blessing to be able to do this, I love coaching. I love working with players and coaches. And I think in some instances, when you lose your way, you can lose perspective on things. And for the time that I had to reflect, I’m grateful.”
Even though reports have been that Sean McVay was raised a Christian, he has not made any comments concerning his beliefs in God or the Christian faith, apart from saying that he owes his character and persona to the training he was given at a Catholic school.
Is Sean McVay a Christian?
Apart from the information that Sean McVay was raised a Catholic and that he attended a Catholic school, there are no public records that assure us that Sean McVay is a Christian. There are no records or public information that confirm that he is a Christian nor refutes that he is not a Christian.
No one knows whether Sean McVay identifies as a Christian or not because he has not publicly expressed his religious beliefs. His private life and religion are mostly kept out of the public’s reach.
Is Sean McVay Baptized?
Sean McVay was born and raised a Catholic Christian. Although there are no public records or information about his baptism, there is a possibility that he was baptized as a child(Infant baptism) into the Catholic church.
What did Sean McVay say about Jesus?
Sean McVay has not said anything about Jesus in public space. There is no information to determine who Jesus is to him and without statements or public declarations of his belief in Jesus, one wouldn’t know what he thinks and says about Jesus.
Conclusion
Sean McVay, the Los Angeles Rams head coach has not said much about his private life or his status as a Christian and as such, we do not know if he is a Christian or not.
Think we were wrong? Write your reasoning in the comments and prove us wrong