Virtues are something that all Catholics should strive to cultivate in our lives. In this series, Patrick Macken explores how these virtues are lived out in the world of professional sports.

Humility

In a 1979 Angelus talk, St. Pope John Paul II referred to humility as the true foundation of human greatness which required profound inner strength. We need to be aware that all of our gifts and abilities are on loan. Humility is the absence of pride and arrogance — it is giving credit to God over self. 

In sports, humility manifests itself by giving credit to teammates, accepting the role you are asked to play, respecting the developmental process as well as remaining coachable and open to learning. Sadly, we see very little of this in professional sports now: the in-your-face celebrations after scoring a touchdown in football, the embarrassing bat flick after hitting a home run in baseball, or players standing over their opponent after performing a slam dunk in the NBA. Even seeing players publicly scold their coach for how they were utilized or how much they were played is unfortunate. 

Players are being told by their agents that the crowd wants to see bravado and conflict. This means more money for all. I personally believe that many fans would prefer to see more humble, selflessness, courage and respectful athletes. 

I should clarify that arrogance, which is bad, is not the same as confidence which is good. This is a belief in what God can do through us. 

Here are a few examples of humble athletic personalities from the present and past with some of their thoughts on humility.

Football 

Fernando Mendoza, Heisman trophy winner: This devout Catholic overcame long odds to lead his team to the National Championship in 2025. He is known for emphazing that his success is due to his faith, family and teammates. He sees his role as a responsibility rather than an ego-driven endeavour. In his Heisman Trophy speech, Mendoza quoted: “Toughness doesn’t need to be loud, it can be quiet and strong” (John O’Leary).

Barry Sanders, NFL Hall of Fame: Sandres was an incredible running back for the Detroit Lions. He far preferred to talk about the team and their accomplishments rather than his own. After scoring his many touchdowns, he was well known for simply giving the ball back to the referee without any celebrations.

Hockey 

Daniel and Henrik Sedin, Vancouver Canucks and NHL Hall of Fame: These two were considered great leaders, yet they always acted with class in the best interest of the team. They accepted a lower salary to allow for the team to get better and were known for deflecting attention away from themselves towards other teammates. They also deliberately announced their retirement very late in the season in order to avoid having the league or team make a fuss over them.

Other beautiful examples of humility include Jacob Slavin and Catholic Trevor Linden.

Tennis 

Casper Rudd, Grand Slam finalist: Rudd is known for his gentle, gracious demeanor towards opponents, regardless of whether he wins or loses. He prefers to not have the attention on himself. 

Other humble players include three Catholics Jannick Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz and Roger Federer. Hubert Hurcacz (who is known as the gentle giant) and Stefan Edberg have also set the humility bar high over the years.

Basketball

Bill Russell, NBA Hall of Fame: Despite having won more NBA titles than any player in history (he has 11), Russell was known for emphasizing team success over personal records. Other humble heroes include Tim Duncan and Catholic John Stockton.

Soccer 

N’Golo Kante: Kante is “universally recognized as the figurehead of humility in soccer. The French midfielder’s modesty is legendary.” He lives a very humble lifestyle and he sheds the limelight after victories. Bukayo Saka, Catholic Luka Modric and Sadio Mane round out the list.

Coaches 

John Wooden, record-setting UCLA Basketball coach: Wooden is arguably the most successful college coach ever. He was well known for emphasizing character development with his players. He once said, “Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man given. Be grateful. Conceit is self driven. Be careful.” 

John Madden, Super Bowl winning coach and television analyst: In interviews he would state, “Always have class and be humble.”