Dads at the center

Last week the world watched a grown man cry. Not just any grown man, but a big tough offensive lineman Jason Kelce. The 13-year NFL veteran, six-time All Pro, and Super Bowl champion announced his retirement from the Philadelphia Eagles. The bearded brother of the more well-known Travis Kelce, Jason struggled through a tear-filled but heart-felt statement.

Drafted in the 6th round of the 2011 NFL draft, Kelce became the anchor of a great offensive line and arguably one of the best centers in NFL history. His work ethic and gregarious personality won over the hearts of Philadelphia, a tough city that demands a lot from their athletes.

The press conference was about more than football, a game of passion and grit that has dominated Kelce’s entire life. It was a window into the joyful goods that animate a man’s life. This big man, who made millions of dollars pushing other big men around, broke down in tears describing the rich male friendships he developed as a teammate. He couldn’t contain himself when speaking about his brother, Travis. Both brothers are unafraid to show their affection for each other in public. Travis was present in Philadelphia, shown wiping his own tears away.

But perhaps the most touching moments were when the All Pro center spoke of the time he met his wife and how his marriage to her forever changed his life, reshaped his focus, and set him on the path to fatherhood. “She has also given me three beautiful girls and a life that increasingly brings me more fulfillment off the field than it does on.”

His role model? His own dad, whom Kelce lauded:

I have a ... good one. My father believed in me more than anyone. He believed in my brother and whenever my own insecurities would arise or self doubt would come in, he would stifle them with the warm embrace of belief, unwavering love, and belief. … He was the man and continues to be the man and father I strive to be.

Shannon Carpenter writes on the quiet strength of Kelce’s dad for CNN:

The story of Jason’s father’s influence is a quiet one. It doesn’t contain the drama of an absent dad who leaves for a gallon of milk. The story lacks the moral outrage of a father who refuses to pay child support. There is no buffoon who can’t seem to complete the simplest of tasks.

Jason’s story is about a normal father who loves his children. He went about his job in the steel mill while encouraging his sons to do their best. And when their best fell short, his dad was there with a hug.

From his dad, Kelce says learned how to be a father himself: “One of the best things a person can be in this world is a father. A father who is present, loving, devoted, just might be the greatest gift a child could ask for in our society.”

We live in a world where fathers are increasingly devalued, where too many young men grow up in a home where there is only the faint shadow of the man who brought them into the world.

Brad Wilcox, author of Get Married, applauded Kelce, “Today, our culture tells us two lies. The first lie is that the path to happiness runs away from family, rather than towards it. The second lie is that father-present homes are of no great importance to our kids. Jason Kelce readily dispatched both lies in his retirement speech yesterday.”

Social science data bear this out. The single greatest factor in determining whether a child goes to prison or to college is the presence of a father in the home. And data don’t just show that fatherhood matters, but, as Jason Kelce tearfully admitted, it brings much joy. Married dads are the happiest cohort of men in America.

Kelce’s commitment to fatherhood is a wonderful outlier in a culture that has seen a steady erosion in family formation. The sexual revolution and abortion on demand have offered men the myth of consequence free sex. Masculinity is often derided as toxic at worst and unnecessary at best. And yet, here in Jason Kelce is a big, tough man admitting that his greatest joys are in being a husband and a father.

Christians often feel like they are swimming against the current when it comes to God’s plan for human flourishing. Even among conservatives, family values are often out of vogue. Yet we should not be embarrassed to both declare and embody what God has given us, since creation, for our own good and His glory. In a world of confusion, marriage and family can be a signpost of the Kingdom of God, an invitation to look for satisfaction in a relationship with our Heavenly Father through His son, Jesus.

And we should advocate for policies that help keep families stable and secure. For as goes the family, so goes the nation. And perhaps it takes a big, burly football player to remind us.