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Steelers chaplain Kent Chevalier and his wife Erica have been providing spiritual support to the team and their families since 2019.”Faith. Family. Football.” It’s a known motto of the Rooney family.”There was this moment where I knew something was coming. Like, when I try to describe it, all I can say is… I just knew God was beginning to shift my focus,” said Kent Chevalier, Steelers chaplain.Kent and his wife of 25 years, Erica, are lifelong Pittsburghers.Kent describes knowing God had something in store for him but never could have guessed it would be this.”So I wasn’t fully aware of what an NFL chaplain does. Didn’t know that they really had that,” said Kent Chevalier.Kent was a pastor at Northway Christian Community in Wexford, where former Steeler Vance McDonald went to worship.The introduction was made, and next thing he knew, Kent was in a meeting with Mike Tomlin.”When Coach Tomlin said that he was looking for a local Pittsburgh couple to come alongside the team spiritually, I was like (jaw drops) I didn’t realize that that was a thing!” said Kent Chevalier.Since 2019, Kent and Erica have been spiritual leaders for the team, part of the international sports ministry “Athletes in Action.”At training camp every year, he introduces himself like this:”I’ll just say something along these lines, ‘All of these people are here for your mind and your body. I’m here for your inner game.’ And so that’s kind of how we describe it is — football is life for these guys. And what we know is that whatever’s going on on the inside is going to impact between those white lines,” said Kent Chevalier.They host Bible studies and prayer services and always make time for individual meetings.Kent works with the coaches and players, while Erica works with the wives and girlfriends. Coach Tomlin insisted on it.”He wanted that for the coaches’ wives, the players’ wives or girlfriends. Because he knows that what’s going on in the home is going to impact what’s going on on the team,” said Kent Chevalier.”These are young women on the team who have, they have careers of their own, some of them. A lot of them are young and have, you know, maybe a little baby or multiple kids at home that they’re raising as these men are doing incredible things out on the field,” said Erica Chevalier.The two are mentors as much as they are prayer leaders for these young families. The Steelers have had a chaplain for decades now, but not all NFL teams do.Very few teams have couples like Kent and Erica to take care of the whole of the player and his family.”We preach something to them that you are not what you do. So you’re not a football player. You’re not a football player, wife or girlfriend. You are who God has created you to be. That’s where you need to find your identity,” said Kent Chevalier.Every night before a game, even the away games, Kent holds a non-denominational service open to all players and staff in the team hotel.On game day, they are there walking the sidelines and praying.”I mean, this is a violent game. These guys are gladiators, so injuries come with the game. But the prayer is for each guy who’s going to be out on that field, both the Steelers and the opponent,” said Kent Chevalier.One of Kent’s favorite things to do is lead a prayer circle post-game. He calls it “deflecting the glory.””People aren’t created for that kind of worship, that kind of glory to be given to them. You think about like, you know, they’re screaming Alex Highsmith’s name, right? And he’s not created to carry that. So we intentionally create that moment where we come out of the 50 and deflect that glory back to God where it belongs,” said Kent Chevalier.Kent and Erica are there for the team in tough times, like injury, and also life’s best moments.”The weddings, the babies that have been born and the things that have been a struggle maybe in the past, but now we’re seeing like, wow, look, look what’s happening,” said Erica Chevalier.Kent and Erica say they feel this is their calling, and they’re in it for as long as it’s in God’s plan.”We’ll be in this as long as God makes it available,” said Kent Chevalier.
Steelers chaplain Kent Chevalier and his wife Erica have been providing spiritual support to the team and their families since 2019.
“Faith. Family. Football.” It’s a known motto of the Rooney family.
“There was this moment where I knew something was coming. Like, when I try to describe it, all I can say is… I just knew God was beginning to shift my focus,” said Kent Chevalier, Steelers chaplain.
Kent and his wife of 25 years, Erica, are lifelong Pittsburghers.
Kent describes knowing God had something in store for him but never could have guessed it would be this.
“So I wasn’t fully aware of what an NFL chaplain does. Didn’t know that they really had that,” said Kent Chevalier.
Kent was a pastor at Northway Christian Community in Wexford, where former Steeler Vance McDonald went to worship.
The introduction was made, and next thing he knew, Kent was in a meeting with Mike Tomlin.
“When Coach Tomlin said that he was looking for a local Pittsburgh couple to come alongside the team spiritually, I was like (jaw drops) I didn’t realize that that was a thing!” said Kent Chevalier.
Since 2019, Kent and Erica have been spiritual leaders for the team, part of the international sports ministry “Athletes in Action.”
At training camp every year, he introduces himself like this:
“I’ll just say something along these lines, ‘All of these people are here for your mind and your body. I’m here for your inner game.’ And so that’s kind of how we describe it is — football is life for these guys. And what we know is that whatever’s going on on the inside is going to impact between those white lines,” said Kent Chevalier.
They host Bible studies and prayer services and always make time for individual meetings.
Kent works with the coaches and players, while Erica works with the wives and girlfriends. Coach Tomlin insisted on it.
“He wanted that for the coaches’ wives, the players’ wives or girlfriends. Because he knows that what’s going on in the home is going to impact what’s going on on the team,” said Kent Chevalier.
“These are young women on the team who have, they have careers of their own, some of them. A lot of them are young and have, you know, maybe a little baby or multiple kids at home that they’re raising as these men are doing incredible things out on the field,” said Erica Chevalier.
The two are mentors as much as they are prayer leaders for these young families. The Steelers have had a chaplain for decades now, but not all NFL teams do.
Very few teams have couples like Kent and Erica to take care of the whole of the player and his family.
“We preach something to them that you are not what you do. So you’re not a football player. You’re not a football player, wife or girlfriend. You are who God has created you to be. That’s where you need to find your identity,” said Kent Chevalier.
Every night before a game, even the away games, Kent holds a non-denominational service open to all players and staff in the team hotel.
On game day, they are there walking the sidelines and praying.
“I mean, this is a violent game. These guys are gladiators, so injuries come with the game. But the prayer is for each guy who’s going to be out on that field, both the Steelers and the opponent,” said Kent Chevalier.
One of Kent’s favorite things to do is lead a prayer circle post-game. He calls it “deflecting the glory.”
“People aren’t created for that kind of worship, that kind of glory to be given to them. You think about like, you know, they’re screaming Alex Highsmith’s name, right? And he’s not created to carry that. So we intentionally create that moment where we come out of the 50 and deflect that glory back to God where it belongs,” said Kent Chevalier.
Kent and Erica are there for the team in tough times, like injury, and also life’s best moments.
“The weddings, the babies that have been born and the things that have been a struggle maybe in the past, but now we’re seeing like, wow, look, look what’s happening,” said Erica Chevalier.
Kent and Erica say they feel this is their calling, and they’re in it for as long as it’s in God’s plan.
“We’ll be in this as long as God makes it available,” said Kent Chevalier.
Source
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