Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former football and baseball star Deion Sanders says he was a big party boy before he became a Christian. "The Bible describes it in the first chapter of Ecclesiastes as chasing after the wind, and that's exactly what it was like," he said. Hide Caption 1 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning says he doesn't bring his faith on the football field, but that doesn't make him "any less a Christian" than more demonstrative players. In his autobiography, Manning says he committed his life to Jesus when he was 13 after a preacher asked, "If you died today, are 100% sure you'd go to heaven?" Hide Caption 2 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Russell Wilson, quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, says that he was a "bad kid" but became a committed Christian after Jesus appeared to him in a dream when he was 14. Hide Caption 3 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio is a cradle Catholic who is active in the church's charity programs. His wife, Linda, presented Pope Francis with a Broncos football in October. Hide Caption 4 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Tennis star Serena Williams doesn't talk much about her faith, but her family are Jehovah's Witnesses. "I grew up a Witness, and it's what I know, and we teach things that come from the Bible," Williams told the magazine Sister 2 Sister. Hide Caption 5 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Basketball star Shaquille O'Neal greeted fellow Muslims with kisses during the Western Conference Finals in 2002. "It's not a French thing," O'Neal told the Los Angeles Times. "It's a Muslim thing." Hide Caption 6 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Mariano Rivera, who retired in 2013 after 19 seasons as a pitcher for the New York Yankees, plans to start a church in his native Panama. "Everything I have and everything I became is because of the strength of the Lord, and through him I have accomplished everything," Rivera told New York magazine. Hide Caption 7 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Philip Rivers, quarterback for the San Diego Chargers, was raised a Catholic and still practices the faith. "The biggest thing that stuck in my head from my mom was, never miss Mass," Rivers has said. Hide Caption 8 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former boxer Mike Tyson told Fox News in December that he's "very grateful to be a Muslim." "Allah doesn't need me; I need Allah," said the onetime heavyweight champion. Hide Caption 9 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Tony Dungy, former coach of the of the Indianapolis Colts, gathers his team in prayer in the locker room after winning Super Bowl XLI against the Chicago Bears in 2007. "We all want to be good citizens and do the right thing. But without faith at the core -- faith and understanding that you are put on this Earth by God for a reason -- it can be pretty hollow," Dungy told Christianity Today in 2009. Hide Caption 10 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former NFL running back Ricky Williams was raised a Southern Baptist, and his father is a pastor. He still considers himself a Christian, according to ESPN, but his house is adorned with symbols of many faiths, including Hinduism and Buddhism. "The religions are many, but God is one. I believe based on what I've studied, all religions say the same thing but in different ways," Williams told ESPN. Hide Caption 11 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall is a deeply devout evangelical Christian, even basing his training routine on the Bible. "I believe that the Bible is the best sports psychology book out there and that Jesus would have been an amazing athlete," he told Running Times in 2010. Hide Caption 12 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Mike Piazza, a former catcher for the New York Mets, is a devoted Catholic. "I truly believe my whole professional career has been a blessing from God," he told Beliefnet. Hide Caption 13 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former NBA basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known as Lew Alcindor before he converted to Islam when he was 24. "I don't think I would have been able to be as successful as I was as an athlete if it were not for Islam. It gave me a moral anchor; it enabled me to not be materialistic; it enabled me to see more what was important in the world," he has said. Hide Caption 14 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Los Angeles Angels left fielder Josh Hamilton says his evangelical faith has helped him recover from substance abuse problems. "It's amazing, the last few years, what God's done in my life and how quickly he's done it," Hamilton has said. Hide Caption 15 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – There are more religious reminders than basketball trophies in Jabari Parker's family home in Chicago. The Duke University basketball star is a devout Mormon. "Basketball is what I do," he told Sports Illustrated. "It's not who I am." Hide Caption 16 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Ian Kinsler of the Texas Rangers is part of a long line of Jewish baseball stars. "If you have any kind of Jewish ancestry attached to your name, people are going to notice it," Kinsler has told ESPN. "Whenever we're in New York, Boston or Chicago, I always get some kind of question about it." Hide Caption 17 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former National Football League quarterback Steve Young is a Mormon who spoke at an "affirmation conference" for gays and lesbians last year. His goal, Young told the Salt Lake Tribune, "is to build bridges with my gay brothers and sisters. We need to see each other as Jesus sees us." Hide Caption 18 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – Former World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali participates in a religious ceremony for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Royal Palace in Rabat, Morocco, in 1998. Ali first converted to the Nation of Islam but has since become a Sufi Muslim, according to his daughter. Hide Caption 19 of 21

Photos: Sports stars you didn't know were religious Sports stars you didn't know were religious – American track star Allyson Felix thanked God after winning gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. "My faith inspires me so much. It is the very reason that I run. I feel that my running is completely a gift from God and it is my responsibility to use it to glorify him," Felix said. Hide Caption 20 of 21