The NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines earned a spot in the College Football Playoff this year with their stellar play on the field, which led to an undefeated record. In a close win over Alabama, the Wolverines punched their ticket to the National Championship Game in January. Now, after the game, the Wolverines players and coaches are being hailed for their decision to kneel in prayer before the hugely important game.
Spectrum Sports took to Twitter to post a butterfly-inducing picture of the team’s players and personnel gathered on knees with arms extended toward each other as they prayed to God before the biggest game of their lives. It was clear from the onset that the Wolverines were showing gratitude to their Creator and an understanding that without Him, their season would not have been possible.
The team then went on to win a nail-biter against perennial college football powerhouse Alabama to earn a chance to win the National Championship. Linebacker Junior Colson said during his press conference after the game, “All Glory To God.” That same gratitude and humble attitude toward God was echoed throughout the team after the game.
Donovan Edwards, who played a key role for the Wolverines at the running back position, was also quoted by Breitbart as giving credit to God for his decision to attend Michigan. He said, “Before I committed to Michigan, I heard a voice say, ‘Do not worry. Everything will be alright.’ And I figured that was God talking to me.”
He continued, “It’s not difficult for me to praise God and, you know, to give Him glory because He’s always given me — He’s always been there for me, you know when everything was high, so I’d be doing a disgrace to God if I wasn’t praising Him when everything was low.”
Michigan had been through adversity earlier in the season when the NCAA launched a probe into the scouting practices that the team was deploying. Head Coach Jim Harbaugh saw those challenges as huge opportunities to build character and for the team to take massive leaps in the player’s trust in one another.
According to ESPN, Harbaugh said, “It’s almost been an unfair advantage, all the things that the team has gone through. We don’t care anymore. Don’t care what people say. Don’t care about anything that comes up. We just know we’re going to overcome it.”
Star Quarterback JJ McCarthy said, “Just think about how far we’ve come, all the hardships that we went through as a team and as a brotherhood. It’s been 26 years since Michigan won in this building, and the second most appearances out of any college in the entire country playing in this game. It’s just amazing the way it happened. We’ve got one more game left, so the job is not finished yet.”
As the National Championship Game draws nearer, all eyes will be on Michigan as they look to complete an epic season. But for Michigan, the team and its players and staff will be looking upward, thanking and praising God for all he has done to bring them this far.
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