A Quiet Confidence for Defensive Leader

Minkah Fitzpatrick is fast, physical, and flourishing, playing his game with disciplined freedom, declaring, “Jesus Christ freed this free safety!” The play on words plays on the field where the 3-time NFL All-Pro is the standard of accomplished focus and commitment as the leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense.  

Question: “What makes the Pittsburgh Steelers the best fit?”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “Pittsburgh itself is a blue collar, you know hard-working, family-oriented city. The Steelers reflect that as well in the way that we play, in the way the organization is run. That’s how I am as a man, as a player. I come from a blue-collar family, family-centered. Pittsburgh was a perfect fit. God definitely made it happen for a reason!" 

Cam Heyward, Steelers DT: “What makes Minkah unique is he can play all over the field. He is professional through and through and when he’s on your side you feel confident. His leadership is more of a walk than talk. I’m proud to call him a brother in Christ.”  

Question: “You are considered the league’s elite free safety, moving all over the field. You’re a chess piece! What are the common traits?” 

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “It’s the instincts. It’s the intuition. God has gifted me with a lot for sure in my physical ability. But He’s also entrusted me with a lot in regards to my preparation and my responsibilities. You need to prepare as if it is an honor. You prepare as if it is a great responsibility. And then your result is reflected off your walk throughout the week. And that’s kind of what I pride myself on.”  

Question: “Same qualities in your spiritual journey?”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “A hundred percent! Your walk is gonna dictate your character and your destiny and how you move through out your life. So, the faith journey is relying on God, but there’s things we gotta do as well. He places things within our reach but not in our hand for a reason that require us to get closer to Him in order to get through those things.” 

Question: “Your pre-game tradition is walking around that field. I think it’s twice. What are you hoping for, what are you asking, what are you praying?” 

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “Yeah! It’s usually a worship song. I let it play as I walk around. Most of the time I’m praying for my people, praying people on my team. And then I pray a specific prayer once I’m done. I always pray that the stadium becomes a place of worship of God and not of men.”  

Alex Highsmith, Steelers LB: “His faith, and he has a firm foundation in Christ and so, you know God has given him and blessed him with the abilities and talents he has. He truly plays for and glorifies God in all that he does. And it's so cool having a teammate like that!”

Kent Chevalier, Steelers Chaplain: “I feel like Mink is finding his spiritual voice on this team - leadership, accountability, holding guys to not just the standard of football, but also the standard of Jesus. And he’s helping guys stay in that.”

Question: “The greatest attribute a leader can leave or draw out of someone?”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “It’s leadership! I think great leaders create great leaders! My coach in high school, Coach Hansen was great at that. Coach Saban in college was great at that. Coach T is great at that. They’re winning coaches for a reason. Because they hold people to a high standard whether they like it or not. All of us become better men. And I believe the better man you are, the better player you’ll be.”    

Question: “2011 - Hurricane Irene. Watching foundations of your house taken out. What do you have to show for out of that experience?” 

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “If I didn’t go through that period of my life I wouldn’t be where I am today. There was a crack in the foundation, water got into it. So, even from the outside it looked good, the foundation was collapsed, we weren’t able to live in it. God was telling us we need to create a strong foundation for the life ahead of us, for my life ahead of me, to establish a foundation in Him, on Him.”     

Question: “You honored your siblings with the tattoos on your hand and in Hebrew?”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: "It’s my siblings you know what I’m saying, they’re going to be with me forever. I’ll always have their back through whatever. I chose Hebrew for a simple reason, I just didn’t want plain English and Hebrew Aramaic is what Jesus spoke. We got a cross with a crown of thorns and around it says, ‘take up your cross and follow me.’”  

Question: “Your dad was raised Muslim, found Christianity. You grew up in a family with both demonstrations of faith, determining how things can reconcile, with deep unconditional love instead of going dualistically to hate.”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “As Christians, our job is to learn and understand that which is different from us. We don’t always have to agree with it. One of the greatest commandments is love your neighbor as yourself for a reason. When you do that you create a peace and softness in other people’s hearts and love them, as we’d like to be loved. Break bread with them. Understand them. And then we’ll have opportunities to pour into them.”

Question: “A three-time All-Pro. But for you, what is the greatest connection, Minkah, as to who you are?”

Minkah Patrick: “Um-hm. Honestly, Son of Christ, brother in Christ, following Christ. I’ve had a lot of time to reflect on my journey, on my faith walk, and the story of Job, the guy that had everything and had everything taken away from him, but at the end of the day – he still praised! God showed him the entire universe and said, ‘who are you to question my ways?’ My identity is tied up in being a Son of God and if I lose sight of that then I’m going to struggle through this journey.”  

Question: “How has Jesus Christ freed this free safety?”

Minkah Fitzpatrick: “Man, He’s freeing me every day. Every day is a fight. Every day is a battle. I got to lean on Him. I got to trust in Him. I’m a young man, I’m still learning. Still growing. The only thing that I know for sure is Jesus is Christ, is that I’m forgiven, is that I’m loved, that I have a Savior in Him – so I get to fight with Him and in Him.”