Football

Owner Clark Hunt leads with faith in Christ as Chiefs prepare for Super Bowl LVII

By Kevin Mercer Feb 1, 2023
Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt holds the AFC championship trophy, Jan. 29, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

On Sunday in Kansas City, after the Chiefs scraped out a 23-20 victory against the Cincinnati Bengals to advance to Super Bowl LVII, elated players and coaches gathered on a confetti-littered stage for the presentation of the Lamar Hunt Trophy, awarded each year to the AFC champion.

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Chiefs owner Clark Hunt joined his team on stage to celebrate earning a trophy named after his father, best known for founding the AFL and owning the Chiefs until his death in 2006. It’s the third time in four seasons Hunt and his Chiefs have brought his father’s trophy home to Kansas City.

“Congratulations to all the players and coaches on bringing home another Lamar Hunt Trophy!” Clark Hunt said when presented with the trophy. “The Lord has blessed our family in so many ways, including with the best fan base in the National Football League, and there’s nothing better than getting to celebrate this with you guys!”

Hunt has used his platform on national television to thank God before, like when his Chiefs won the Lamar Hunt Trophy two years ago and when they captured Super Bowl LIV three years ago.

“I was just giving credit where I felt credit was due,” Hunt said on the “Faith on the Field” podcast at Super Bowl LIV. “My faith is so important to me, and I know [to] so many members of our team — whether they’re players or coaching staff.”

Hunt is not one to simply give lip service to Jesus. He became a Christian at 10 years old, and has built a culture in the Chiefs organization around his faith in Christ, saying he makes it a top priority for his staff.

“We want our employees to develop spiritually,” Hunt said in October 2019, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “In the National Football League, Christ is really glorified. My identity is my faith in Christ.”

Former Chief Stefen Wisniewski saw the effects of Hunt’s focus on faith throughout the organization; it’s one of the main reasons why he signed with the Chiefs.

“There’s definitely a lot of Christians in the organization,” Wisniewski told Sports Spectrum at Super Bowl LIV, “and when it starts at the top, that’s pretty powerful, with the owner, and he kind of sets it from there.”

Hunt, who along with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has organized pregame chapel services for fans, has been spurred on by his faith to contribute to projects that proclaim Christ in Kansas City and around the country.

“I know many of our fans were not having a chance to go to church (when Kansas City played at noon local time on Sundays) because they were focused on getting to the game early to beat the traffic and tailgate,” Hunt explained to TBN in September 2021 about the game-day chapel services. “I was like, ‘Boy, wouldn’t it be great if we could have a chapel service for them?’ … Those fans have really, really enjoyed that opportunity.”

Hunt knows that God has put him in a position to glorify God and exemplify His love in front of a massive audience as the owner of an NFL franchise, and even as he seeks to win his second Super Bowl, glorifying God is still his primary purpose.

Hunt’s Chiefs will take on the Philadelphia Eagles, champions of the NFC, in Super Bowl LVII in Glendale, Arizona. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 12.

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