Chiefs’ backup kicker Spencer Shrader cites Bible verse for staying calm during game-winning kick

Spencer Shrader played the unlikely hero for the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, crediting the power of his Christian faith for his calmness under pressure.

The Chiefs snagged Shrader off the New York Jets’ practice squad the Thursday before, after veteran kicker Harrison Butker officially landed on injured reserve. The new 25-year-old kicker had already stepped in to fill roles on the Indianapolis Colts and the Jets this season and has yet to miss a kick.

But Shrader’s most important kick would come at the end of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers as time expired. After the Panthers tied the game at 27 with two minutes left in regulation, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes scrambled for a 33-yard run to put the team in field goal range and give Shrader a chance to win the game.

“I had a ton of confidence [in Shrader]. We got him into his sweet spot, and he nailed it,” Mahomes said after the win.   

When asked what he was thinking as he approached the kick, Shrader cited the Bible. 

“You always try to stay calm, and you try to keep your emotions suppressed,” he said. “I’m thinking about my craft, and as a team, we were reflecting on Philippians 4 in our Bible study: ‘Do not be anxious about anything, but instead pray about everything.’ So, it was a combination of staying calm, continuing to pray, and just simplifying everything.” 

Following the postgame presser, Shrader shared an Instagram story featuring the same verse. 

Tavia Hunt, wife of Chiefs Owner Clark Hunt, took to Instagram to applaud Shrader for using his moment to bring glory to God.  

“So proud of this young man for calm under pressure and giving God the Glory in his presser!!” Hunt shared, along with a picture of the improbable hero at the podium. 

Unfortunately for Shrader, the next day he was listed on Monday’s injury report with a pulled hamstring, and he’s been ruled out for Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Raiders.  

Following the news, Shrader posted an Instagram story with another Bible verse: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” 

Shrader also stays busy off the field, currently running a tech company, investing in real estate, and serving as founder and president of Liberty Villages, an organization focused on “building Christian communities devoted to education, entrepreneurship, freedom and peace.” 

Shrader credits his ability to accomplish so much at a young age to his homeschool upbringing that allowed him to pursue his passions and grow through a diverse range of tailored experiences that were unattainable in a public-school setting. This experience was so crucial in Shrader’s formative years that it led to founding Liberty Villages with his sister, Amber. 

Liberty Villages subscribes to the “revolutionary idea of limited government ruled by the people allowed creativity and entrepreneurship to flourish and led to an incredibly prosperous society” and the sibling co-founders are passionate about “protecting this great blessing and providing educational environments that foster these beliefs, not just in the United States, but around the world.” 

Depending on how Shrader responds after the hamstring injury, he could suit up after Friday’s game in the two to three weeks before Butker’s return. His current status is “questionable,” according to ESPN.