Baller 21

Top 25 Most Influential Christian Sports Figures // Sports Spectrum

by Chris Harvey on 02/12/10

Sports Spectrum, a Christian sports magazine, is creating a Silver Anniversary book of the TOP 25 MOST INFLUENTIAL CHRISTIAN SPORTS FIGURES who have appeared in Sports Spectrum over the last 25 years.

You can VOTE NOW through Feb 28 for who appears in the book.  There are 101 nominees to pick from.

As I took the survey, there were a few that stood out immediately and a few new introductions to sports figures that are Christians.

However, the question I want to raise is this: How do we define what makes a Christian Sports Figure influential?

Is it about success? Popularity? What about the evidence of real character on and off the playing field? Or impacting lives and communities?

I picked the nominees listed that had some combination of all of the characteristics listed above.  The sports figures that have real character, to the best of my knowledge, that have made a difference in the lives of others, and those that are well known.  How can you pick a top 25 most influential if they are not known?

Any survey like this will have factors that could have an affect on the outcome of the results.  Factors like the era a sports figure played, popularity of a sport, media exposure, and the consistency of an event, like in regards to the Olympics.

Nonetheless, the following are the nominees that I selected (in no particular order, and hopefully I remembered them all because I couldn’t see my results again after I submitted the survey).  I must note that being a basketball fan and exposed to a few of the nominees more over the others has influenced my choices. The description of the sports figures given is from the Sports Spectrum survey.

• A.C. Green, Basketball.  3x NBA champion who holds the record for most consecutive games played at 1,192. Currently, he runs youth camps through his A.C. Green Youth Foundation that promotes abstinence until marriage.

• David Robinson, Basketball. 2x NBA Champion, NBA MVP, 10x All-Star, 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, and NBA Hall-of-Famer. The NBA has renamed its annual award for character and community work as the David Robinson Plaque.

• Derek Fisher, Basketball. 4x NBA Champion and Christian author.

• Dikembe Mutombo, Basketball.  8x NBA All-Star and 4x NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Has done extensive amounts of humanitarian work in Africa and has built the first full-service, up-to-date hospital in the Congo and works with the Children’s Medical Missions of Africa.

• Drew Brees, Football. 3x Pro Bowler, 2006 Walter Camp Award Winner, and the holder of several NFL, Saints, and Chargers passing records. He founded the Brees Dream Foundation with his wife and works extensively in the community of New Orleans. (Add Super Bowl Champion and MVP 2010).

• Joe Gibbs, Football. 3x Super Bowl Champion, 3x NASCAR Cup Champion (Owner), and NFL Hall of Famer. Well respected author and very outspoken about his faith.

• John Wooden, Basketball. National Basketball Hall of Fame as a player and coach; College Basketball Hall of Fame, 3x All-American as a player and 1932 National Champion at Purdue as well as National Player of the Year. As a coach, 10x National Champion and 6x Coach of the Year. Respected Christian author, lives by the Seven Creeds given to him as a child and focused on biblical principals.

• Kurt Warner, Football. 2x NFL MVP, Super Bowl Champion, 4x Pro Bowler, and 2008 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Winner. Very outspoken about his faith, made it “First Things First” after the 1999 Super Bowl victory and thanked Jesus. That slogan eventually became the name of his foundation.

• Mike Singletary, Football. NFL Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, 10x Pro Bowler and Super Bowl Champion. Current head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Very outspoken about his faith and his simple biblical values.

• Payne Stewart, Golf.  2x U.S. Open champion, PGA Championship winner, and World Golf Hall of Famer. Member of 5 Ryder Cup Teams, outspoken believer and man of great faith.

• Reggie White, Football. 13x Pro Bowler, Super Bowl Champion, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, NFL Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and 2nd on the NFL’s all-time sacks list. He was nicknamed “The Minister of Defense” and was well known for his outspokeness and willingness to share with teammates and uphold biblical beliefs. He was also an ordained minister.

• Tim Tebow, Football. Heisman Trophy winner and 2x NCAA National Champion. Outspoken about his faith and has always served on the mission field with his parents, who are missionaries.

• Tom Landry, Football.  Pro Football Hall of Fame, Pro Bowl selection as a player, 2x Super Bowl Champion as Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and friend of the Reverend Billy Graham, speaking at many of his crusades, and a member of the same church for 43 years. He is often credited for leading several of his players to Jesus.

• Tom Lehman, Golf.  US Open Champion and 5x PGA event winner.

• Tony Dungy, Football. Super Bowl Champion as a player and assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as a head coach with the Indianapolis Colts. Runs a successful prison ministry, is a regular speaker for FCA and works extensively with various outreach organizations.

Select your nominees in the survey here.

Which sports figures top your list?
Any surprises on the list of Christian sport figures?