The Higher Power of Russell Wilson

How Russell Wilson kept the faith during the Seahawks’ darkest hours.

- Taffy Brodesser-Akner

At 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 18, after a choir of serene, smiling Christians sings a few songs about Jesus’ love for all people, a man takes the stage. He’s a dead ringer for the actor Patrick Fugit, with black plastic-framed glasses and a haircut that can best be described as Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz circa 2006. We’re at City Church, a sprawling, squat structure in downtown Seattle. Donation forms in Seahawks green rest on the seats. The man’s name is Judah Smith, and City Church is his church, and he is the personal pastor for Seattle’s quarterback, Russell Wilson.

The sermon is about to start, but first Pastor Judah, who is being broadcast on-screen from the Kirkland campus, addresses what’s on the mind of his faithful, a full half of whom are wearing Seahawks jerseys—mostly Wilson’s No. 3 but a fair number of Marshawn Lynch 24s and several 12th-man 12s. In four hours, jerseyed faithful will be cheering on their 2–3 Seahawks against the undefeated Panthers. Pastor Judah reminds us that at this time last year, five games into the season after winning Super Bowl XLVIII, the Seahawks were 3–2. “Three-and-three is a good place to start to get us there,” he says, and everyone laughs and then everyone prays.