At this year’s NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC) co-hosted a number of events to include NFL chaplains, coaches, and front office personnel.  On Saturday, February 21, CAC, along with the Knights of Columbus and the Indiana Special Olympics, hosted its second annual Mini-Combine for nearly two dozen Special Olympians in the region.  The event was held at the Indianapolis Colts’ training facility and included Colts Offensive Lineman Joe Reitz for former Colts Wide Receiver John Standeford. On Saturday afternoon, CAC co-hosted a Holy Mass celebrated by several of its NFL chaplains and post-Mass dinner.  For more information on the Mini-Combine for the Special Olympics athletes, click here.

Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC), as part of Super Bowl XLIX week, co-sponsored a football skills clinic and flag football game on January 27, along with the Arizona Knights of Columbus and the Arizona Special Olympics at Nozomi Park in Chandler, Ariz.  Seattle Seahawks tight end Luke Willson , NFL Hall of Fame offensive tackle Anthony Munoz, and formed Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Horn joined the young athletes for the clinic and game. The Knights of Columbus produces a short video of the event:

Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC) will be actively present at tomorrow’s National March for Life in Washington, D.C.

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Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC) recently announced that Darrell Miller, former Major League Baseball (MLB) player with the California Angels and currently director of MLB’s Urban Youth Academy, will receive the fourth annual CAC Courage Award.  The award recognizes superior Catholic evangelization in sports.

Miller, who played professionally with the Angels as a catcher and outfielder from 1984-1988, will be presented with the Courage Award at a public reception event on October 21, 2014, at “Top of the Town” in Arlington, Va.  Miller has been a supporter of CAC since its inception in 2006, serving on the organization’s Athlete Advisory Board and its speakers bureau.  Previous CAC Courage Award recipients were Rick Eckstein, Washington Nationals’ former hitting coach (2011), Kerry Fraser, former NHL referee (2012), and then-Deacon Chase Hilgenbrinck, former professional soccer player (2013).

“Darrell Miller, a convert to the Catholic faith, has been a tremendous advocate for faith in athletics, both on and off the playing field,” CAC President Raymond J. McKenna said. “Through his tireless effort in helping establish baseball’s Urban Youth Academy for inner city children and his eagerness to speak about his Catholic faith to groups large and small, Darrel is a shining example of the ‘new evangelization’ in the world of sports.”

Inspired by the extraordinary true story, WHEN THE GAME STANDS TALL brings to life the incredible winning streak of the De La Salle High School football team: 151 straight victories over 12 years. But when real-life adversity leaves the team reeling, the Spartans must decide if the sacrifice, commitment, and teamwork they have always trusted in can rebuild what is now disintegrating around them.

“I encourage everyone affiliated with Catholic Athletes for Christ to see When the Game Stands Tall. This amazing but true story transcends wins and losses to demonstrate how sports can be maximized to teach the values we as Christians share: self-sacrifice, charity, and placing team success above individual glory.”

Ray McKenna, President and Founder, Catholic Athletes for Christ