Denver Broncos coach champions power of the

The coach of the Denver Broncos is championing the power of the rosary. (Photo by Anuja Mary Tilj on Unsplash)

The new coach of the Denver Broncos is championing the power of the Rosary. Former NFL player and Denver native Ben Steele makes Rosary beads and gives them to his fellow coaches.

Coming Full Circle

In a report with The Denver Catholic, the coach compared his life to a set of Rosary beads "coming full circle." He had a storied career playing for the NFL from 2001 to 2007.

Steele was also the coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons, and the Minnesota Vikings.

According to NBC, he also played for the Green Bay Packers in 2005.

The father of four is now returning to Denver as the assistant offensive line coach of the Denver Broncos. He told the news outlet that he was excited to bring the team back to the Super Bowl.

He remembered playing for the Super Bowl almost 20 years ago. At that time, he played for the Raiders. Steele recalled the big singers and actors putting on a show before the game.

Attending Same Parish with Rich Gannon

Steele also talked about the quarterback and fellow Raiders teammate Rich Gannon. He said they both lived close to each other and attended the same Mass in the same parish.

The coach attested to Gannon's skills and talent as a quarterback. He found it rewarding to see what a great man Gannon was outside of football.

Not Fan of Virtual Masses

Steel told the news outlet that when one was in a church environment, it put football and everything else in perspective. He admitted that he was not a fan of virtual Masses.

The Broncos coach explained that it was not the same being there in person. He pointed out that the most obvious thing lacking in the virtual Mass was the Communion.

Steele also said that there was a loss of camaraderie in a virtual Mass. He was glad that in-person Masses are now the norm in the country.

Faith-filled Influence

He told the news outlet that his Catholic upbringing helped him during his career playing for the NFL. Steele recalled going to his grandmother's house many times after playing a game.

According to the football coach, his grandmother was a devout Catholic and prayed the Rosary often. He also said that it was her faith-filled influence that helped him.

There was a time when he fell out of the NFL nest. His grandmother was there to help him.

Steele remembered his grandmother telling him that there would be an open window when one door closed. At that time, he had his doubts but decided to take her words to heart.

Pray the Rosary Everyday

His grandmother told him to pray the Rosary every day. He soon incorporated it into his daily habits, saying that it summed up Christianity.

Steele said that he had prayed the Rosary in his office many times, especially during those difficult moments. He claimed to pray the Rosary helped him put things into perspective.

Crafting Rosaries

He adopted the habit of making his Rosary beads from his high-school athletic director, Jim Selke. Steele pointed out that many generic and feminine-looking ones were out in the market.

Steele decided to make his own: ones with darker colored beads made out of steel and larger crucifixes. He also made them with stronger cords because the Rosary is said to be a chain connecting Heaven and earth.

He explained why he gave the beads to fellow players and coaches because it felt great to give away something he made.

For him, it was like passing along a piece of himself. He also said it was great to see the players praying before the game.