The other devout Christian on the field

A friend sent me
an e-mail before yesterday's Steelers-Broncos playoff game. He titled it, "The
Steelers vs. God. Want to have brunch?"

The Broncos'
quarterback, Tim Tebow, has gotten endless press about his ritualistic
references in interviews to his "Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," but overlooked
is the fact that the Steelers also have a devout Christian in their ranks.

Of course, he is
a Christian of a different, less vocal kind: safety Troy Polamalu is a convert
to Orthodox Christianity. In a Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette profile last year, Polamalu discussed his
religious faith, the history of Christianity and the significance in his life
of practices such as fasting, chanting and prayer.

The media seems
obsessed with the ins and outs of God's favor and Tebow's popularity. Sometimes
I wish it could capture Polamalu's very different kind of spirituality amid the
football season's endless hype. Other times I remind myself that a rich and complex
life of faith is hard to sum up and advertise.