Carson Wentz leaves Super Bowl parade and heads to DC to deliver 'remarkable' message
Super Bowl champion Carson Wentz has had a roller coaster of a year.
The second-year man out of North Dakota State was said to be a favorite to take home the NFL’s MVP award as he led the Philadelphia Eagles to a 10-2 record to start the season.
That talk ended after Wentz tore both his ACL and LCL in a Week 14 game victory over the Los Angeles Rams.
He was sidelined for the rest of the season and could only help his teammates from the sidelines as they battled on through the playoffs and won their first championship since 1960, beating Tom Brady and the favored Patriots 41-33 on Sunday.
Two days after the game, Wentz announced on social media that he had proposed to his girlfriend, Maddie Oberg, and “She said YES!”
Things got more hectic on Thursday. Just hours after Wentz was riding with his teammates in the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory parade, he was speaking at the dinner of the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
Before the Super Bowl, Wentz had received an email from North Dakota Rep. Kevin Cramer inviting him to give the address to 2,500 or so attendants at the dinner.
Wentz would replace Vice President Mike Pence as speaker since Pence would be in South Korea for the Winter Olympic Games opening ceremonies.
Cramer had the honor of introducing Wentz as the speaker, and outlined the quarterback’s reaction to his invitation.
Honored to introduce @cj_wentz as keynote speaker for the #NationalPrayerBreakfast Closing Dinner. pic.twitter.com/NsoyYrPHcy
— Sen. Kevin Cramer (@SenKevinCramer) February 9, 2018
“This is the first door God has opened for me since my injury,” Wentz told Cramer when he accepted.
As Wentz took the stage, he looked calm and collected just like you’d expect when you see him in the pocket on the field.
During the speech, Wentz spoke about the topic of servant leadership.
. @cj_wentz talks about Servant Leadership last night at the #NationalPrayerBreakfast dinner. GREAT STUFF! Are you trying to get the approval of people or God? pic.twitter.com/WMXngwYQiP
— Chris Berg (@chrisbergpov) February 9, 2018
“Servant leadership is not about power, or gain, or being in charge, or being at the top,” Wentz said. “A servant leader shares power and put the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible.”
The FedEx Air Player of the Year then asked the biblical question posted in Galatians 1:10:
“For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
Wentz’s speech wasn’t just talk.
Servant leadership is exactly what he has lived out this season through his injury.
Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Wentz stood alongside backup quarterback Nick Foles and helped him become the best he could be, encouraging Foles every step of the way.
My bro is gonna shine bright tonight! So excited to see him & this team go out and compete tonight. Been through it all this year as a team, & yet, here we are! WE ALL WE GOT. WE ALL WE NEED. God’s writing an unbelievable story and he’s getting all the glory! #AO1 #flyeaglesfly pic.twitter.com/eYu9aBwgCL
— Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz) February 4, 2018
So naturally, just like Wentz encouraged his teammates, the young quarterback was able to encourage all those in attendance of the National Prayer Breakfast dinner.
Who’s the biggest star in DC 2nite? North Dakota’s own @cj_wentz, who did us proud with an inspirational address to 2,500 believers at the National Prayer Dinner 🙏🏻. He was invited and introduced by @RepKevinCramer and couldn’t leave town without meeting #1 fan @KellyannePolls pic.twitter.com/iqxcDbCvM2
— Scott Hennen (@scotthennen) February 9, 2018
“He absolutely touched every heart in this place tonight,” Cramer told reporters, describing the speech as “remarkable.”
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