Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp has signed a contract extension with his current team, thanking God and his family for giving him the opportunity to play the game he loves.
Kupp, who scored two touchdowns and was named MVP in Super Bowl LVI in February, signed a three-year, $80 million contract extension with the Los Angeles Rams last week, according to ESPN. He led the NFL in three major categories last season: catches (145), receiving yards (1,947) and receiving touchdowns (16).
It’s been a stunning rise to sports fame for Kupp, who did not receive any major scholarship offers out of college and played for Eastern Washington University, where he was an All-American.
Kupp, who is Christian, referenced his faith in social media posts after he signed the extension.
“God is good. On the mountains and in the valleys, He has been with us every step of the way,” he said of his wife, Anna Marie, and their children. “While we have been afforded the privilege to play such an amazing game, it is with humility we know each moment here is intentional, albeit temporary. We pray each day to be a light in this world, filled and guided by His spirit, and to make the most of every day according to His will. For His Glory!”
— Cooper Kupp (@CooperKupp) June 9, 2022
He thanked his family “for your willingness to allow me to play the game I love to the utmost.”
“More than anyone else, you understand the sacrifices to compete at the highest level, and you choose to join me in it as well,” he said. “I am so thankful to share in that with the people I love most.”
The Rams, he said, made his “childhood vision” a reality when they drafted him in 2017.
“They showed their belief in me on draft day … and today, they showed continued faith,” he said. “… I also want to show gratitude to all of my past and present coaches and teammates. Whether we participated together in one or 1,000 drills, you left an impact and taught me a lesson.”
Kupp also was vocal about his faith during this year’s post-game press conference after the Super Bowl, saying it keeps him grounded.
“I got to a place where I was validated not from anything that happened on the field but because of my worth in God and in my Father,” he said. “And I’m just so incredibly thankful.”
Related:
Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp: ‘I Don’t Feel Deserving. God Is So Good’
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Kevin C. Cox/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.