{"id":52045,"date":"2026-07-31T09:40:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T13:40:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=52045"},"modified":"2026-07-31T09:40:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T13:40:09","slug":"pat-mcafee-opens-up-about-his-faith-journey-i-love-the-thought-of-jesus-christ","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/07\/pat-mcafee-opens-up-about-his-faith-journey-i-love-the-thought-of-jesus-christ.html","title":{"rendered":"Pat McAfee Opens Up About His Faith Journey: ‘I Love the Thought of Jesus Christ’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ESPN personality and former NFL punter Pat McAfee is opening up about his spiritual journey, saying he loves “the thought of Jesus Christ” and believes he may ultimately place his faith in Him.<\/p>\n

McAfee made the candid comments<\/a> during a conversation with street evangelist Jordan Kreisle outside the ESPY Awards earlier this month. The encounter, captured for Kreisle’s “Reel Evangelism” video series, quickly turned into a heartfelt discussion about faith, purpose and God’s love.<\/p>\n

When Kreisle asked McAfee a simple question \u2014 “Did you know Jesus loves you?” \u2014 the sports commentator responded by reflecting on his religious upbringing.<\/p>\n

“My dad went to Catholic school, so obviously we grew up Christmas, Easter, in that particular order,” McAfee joked, acknowledging he was what many call a “Chreaster,” someone who only attends church on Christmas and Easter.<\/p>\n

While McAfee admitted he has not fully committed himself to the Christian faith, he said his perspective has been changing as his life has become increasingly successful.<\/p>\n

“I’ve gotten more invested in the conversation of \u2026 there has to be a reason for everything,” he said, explaining that his blessings have prompted him to think more deeply about God and life’s purpose.<\/p>\n

The former Indianapolis Colts punter even shared an idea for a future project centered on exploring faith.<\/p>\n

“I’d love to have a show talking about finding my God,” he said, suggesting he would enjoy conversations examining different religions and spiritual beliefs.<\/p>\n

Still, McAfee made it clear where his heart seems to be leaning.<\/p>\n

“I love the thought of Jesus Christ,” he said. “I love the thought of that being it, and I think, inevitably, I will land there because that’s kind of how I feel right now.”<\/p>\n

He added, “I’m in the middle of my journey right now,” agreeing with Kreisle that their unexpected meeting felt like “a divine moment.”<\/p>\n

Kreisle, who recently stepped away from 15 years of full-time pastoral ministry to focus on street evangelism, encouraged McAfee by emphasizing that Christianity is about a relationship with God rather than religious performance.<\/p>\n

“There’s a persona and perception of what church is, and people really think that’s who God is, and it’s not really true,” Kreisle said. “It’s religion versus relationship.”<\/p>\n

He went on to remind McAfee that God knows every detail of his life and loves him deeply.<\/p>\n

“He knows every hair on your head, man. He knows every tear you’ve ever cried. He knows everything you’ve ever done, and He still loves you so much He sent Christ.”<\/p>\n

McAfee responded warmly, calling the message “awesome,” before complimenting Kreisle for boldly sharing his faith.<\/p>\n

“You’re not a weirdo, man,” McAfee told him. “You’re a 40-year-old legend who’s taking the Word to the street. I appreciate you doing that.”<\/p>\n

The conversation concluded with the two men praying together, with Kreisle specifically praying over McAfee’s young daughter. Kreisle told McAfee he believed God prompted him to pray for her as a sign of His love and pursuit of the television host.<\/p>\n

“He’s trying to grab you, Pat,” Kreisle said. “He’s trying to get a hold of you… He’s saying, ‘Land on me now because I am the answer.'”<\/p>\n

McAfee once again replied, “That’s awesome.”<\/p>\n

The exchange isn’t the first indication that McAfee has been thinking seriously about faith. During an episode<\/a> of The Pat McAfee Show<\/em> last year, he surprised viewers by asking then-Cleveland Browns quarterback Jameis Winston to pray on the air.<\/p>\n

While McAfee says he is still in the middle of his spiritual journey, his openness about exploring Christianity\u2014and his admiration for Jesus\u2014has resonated with many believers who see his story as a reminder that God often meets people in unexpected places and at unexpected times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

ESPN personality and former NFL punter Pat McAfee is opening up about his spiritual journey, saying he loves “the thought of Jesus Christ” and believes he may ultimately place his faith in Him. McAfee made the candid comments during a conversation with street evangelist Jordan Kreisle outside the ESPY Awards earlier this month. The encounter,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":52049,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52045","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nPat McAfee Opens Up About His Faith Journey: 'I Love the Thought of Jesus Christ'<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Pat McAfee says he loves "the thought of Jesus Christ" and is in the middle of his faith journey after an encounter with street evangelism.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/07\/pat-mcafee-opens-up-about-his-faith-journey-i-love-the-thought-of-jesus-christ.html\" \/>\n<meta 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