Demanding career choices and personal lives are often believed to cause friction, but many NFL players have proved differently, despite the difficult nature of the sport. A shining example has been Russell Wilson, who has been to back-to-back Super Bowls and earned endless accolades to his name. Complementarily, Wilson has maintained a long and blossoming relationship with Ciara since 2015. His fine balance has intrigued fans since the start, leading to the quarterback shedding light on his shared life with the pop singer.
To add a few details, Russell Wilson married Ciara in 2016 after a one-year relationship. He has three children with the singer and songwriter and a stepson from her previous relationship with rapper Future. Managing four kids and his married bliss with the demanding NFL career is not an easy task, but Wilson has depended on one mantra for it: “Always put God at the center of it all.”
As Wilson became the ‘Sexiest Man of the Moment’ by ESSENCE, he took the liberty to talk about various facets of his life, including his relationship with his wife and kids. He first reminisced about the time he got down on one knee and asked Ciara to marry him. Since then, the lovely couple has lived as one, but Wilson acknowledges that their love isn’t perfect, yet, by putting God first, they have flourished.
“When I asked her to marry me, once she said yes, I said, ‘Before we go do this, can we pray? I want to make sure we always put God at the center of it all,’” Wilson told Essence. “And so I think the thing that hopefully exudes from our love is that, listen, love is never perfect. But we continue to try to put God first and pray over each other. We have these four beautiful children that we get to raise every day and it’s the greatest gift in the world.”
Russell and Ciara Wilson have set forward a precedent for those who celebrate black love and have children to cherish. While Wilson quotes his faith as the basis of his personal stability, he has kept it at the forefront of his professional life as well. A prime example of his unmatched belief in god found light as he took to social media with his religious takes during his chaotic ending with the Broncos.
Russell Wilson has had a history-rich 13-year-long history in the league, including the Super Bowl victory with the Seahawks in 2014. Over the decade, he has amassed a net worth of $165 million, an achievement in its own right. However, the ups and downs of his life have kept him grounded and allowed him to vocally support others. As established, Wilson’s faith has allowed him to be connected to his roots while targeting growth and improvement.
“I think it [belief system] keeps you grounded,” added Wilson in his interview with the ESSENCE. He also added, “It keeps you connected to who God is, and what He’s already done, and what He’s about to do for you.”
It’s truer than it seems, at least for Russell Wilson, who kept his faith alive even as he faced setbacks in the league. He navigated the difficulties with his ‘God’s got me’ message in December 2023, as the Broncos sidelined him for Stidham.
And what ‘God was about to do’ for Russell Wilson was to provide him with a new opportunity at Pittsburgh in 2024 to move on and prove his mettle once again.
