When Trey Burton signed with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles as a rookie free agent in 2014, he could see divine fingerprints all over the deal.

At the time, Burton, an undrafted multipurpose offensive player, was looking for both an NFL team and a spiritual home. He and his two younger brothers had grown up in a single-parent family after his father had left when he was two weeks old. Burton attended a Christian academy in grade school and professed faith in kindergarten, but as he got older, worldly temptations kept getting the best of him. He lacked spiritual fruit.

During his junior year at the University of Florida, his girlfriend, Yesenia, handed him a positive pregnancy test. Shortly after they got married in December 2012, she gave birth to their first child. “We were embarrassed,” Burton says. “We were trying to do the right thing. But we made a mistake.”

Coming to Philadelphia was a game-changer for Burton. He quickly found a unique Christian fellowship of mature believers who were hungry for God’s word.

Backup quarterback Nick Foles, now in his sixth NFL season, and eighth-year special teams standout Chris Maragos were the veterans of the small yet dynamic cohort. Wide receiver Jordan Matthews (who was traded to the Buffalo Bills in August) came in as a 2014 rookie like Burton. Linebacker Jordan Hicks followed in 2015, and quarterback Carson Wentz, the second overall draft pick in 2016, joined the team last year. Tight end Zach Ertz, a second-round draft pick in 2013, fully committed to the group last season, too.

“Now I’m in Philly with a bunch of unbelievably strong men,” says Burton, who has settled into a tight end role in Philadelphia. “I’m surrounded by a ton of good people, and I can be who God created me to be.”

"Rather, train yourself for Godliness." (1 Timothy 4:7)

Bible studies are common throughout the National Football League. What distinguishes the Eagles’ group is the players’ uncompromising pursuit of biblical truth, deep theology, genuine accountability, and gospel-fueled charity. They’re not interested in status-quo spirituality.

Plenty of NFL players attend weekly chapel services, ink their bodies with Bible verses, and point heavenward after scoring. But rarely do their voices flicker with excitement when they discuss God’s word, like the players in the Eagles’ group. They go beyond surface-level Bible study and immerse themselves in the intricacies and contextual nuances of Scripture. Relying on Logos Bible Software, they peruse biblical commentaries and examine keywords in Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek. They also explore the ancient world of the Bible visually, using interactive features and other media in Logos.

The Eagles have had a Bible study since at least the early 1990s, when most of the current members were in diapers or not even born. Things really took off once Foles arrived as a rookie in 2012 and worked with teammates to get more player buy-in.

“This group is, without a doubt, extremely unique,” Maragos says. “This is my third team in eight years, and the reason why it’s super-unique is because we have so many solid leaders and guys who are well-versed in the word. These guys are willing to get out in the community and share the gospel, serve each other around the [team] facility, and be invested in each other’s lives on a daily basis.”

“Devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (1 Timothy 4:13)

A professional football player’s life is highly regimented. So it comes naturally to the Christians on the Eagles to schedule Bible study and fellowship as part of their weekly routines.

During offseason training activities this past May and June, the group would arrive at the Eagles’ complex in south Philadelphia at 8 a.m. and spend 45 minutes studying the book of Acts. Tuesdays featured a short sermon from the team chaplain. On Wednesdays, they studied a few more chapters in Acts. On Thursdays, they discussed the book Jesus is Greater Than Religion, by author and blogger Jefferson Bethke.

Once training camp began in July, their time for studying together became more limited. They gathered for post-practice prayer as much as possible and aimed to meet otherwise at least once a week. On a good week, they’d hold a Bible study for couples at someone’s house on Monday nights and another study just for players on Thursday nights. Then on Saturday nights, the group would meet in someone’s hotel room to discuss their personal Bible studies.

“We love the word,” Burton says. “We could talk about it all day long.”