Photo by Sam Thiel Minnesota Vikings fullback CJ Ham (second from left) and his wife Stephanie (far left) talk with SMSU Interim Director of Athletics Bruce Saugstad (second from right) and football and track and field athlete Nathan Stearns (far right) during an event with SMSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter on Sunday in the PE Gym.

MARSHALL — Faith has been a part of CJ Ham’s life from an early age. The current fullback of the Minnesota Vikings grew up with his dad being a licensed minister and went to church three times a week, including twice on Sundays.

As Ham got older, he said his faith became more personal during his high school days in Duluth and he started to look at life from a different perspective.

“Faith is something that’s been a huge part of my life since I was a kid,” Ham said. “When I was eight years old, I was singing songs and I used to go out and do street ministry with my dad and ask a 20-something-year old about Heaven and Hell, that was the type of boldness in Christ that I had at a young age. Going into high school that started to change for me. I started to look at life more differently; faith was something that was very personal to me.”

That faith journey led Ham to Augustana University in Sioux Falls (S.D.), where he played football and competed in track and field. He met his wife Stephanie, who played soccer at Augie, before going undrafted in the 2016 NFL Draft and later signing as a free agent with the Vikings after a minicamp tryout. Now entering his seventh season with the Vikings, CJ and Stephanie visited Southwest Minnesota State University and its newly-formed Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter on Sunday to talk about their journey and how faith has played an instrumental role in their lives.

Both CJ and Stephanie said they didn’t really have Christian coaches as athletes growing up, but CJ said just the belief that his high school coaches had in him helped him think about the possibility of playing at the next level.

“I didn’t technically have Christian coaches that impacted me on my faith journey, but a lot of coaches really cared about me as a player and showed me that I could be a great player,” CJ said. “After my first game of my junior year, I took over the running back spot and I remember we were doing a goal-line drill. They put 13 people on defense, gave me the ball and told me to score and I remember him telling me after a handful of times, he said ‘You are a Division II football player.’ And that was kind of the first time that college football was a thought for me.”

Early on at Augustana, CJ said while his faith remained ingrained in him, he actively wasn’t going to church like he did growing up. Then in his second year, Jerry Olszewski became the head football coach at Augie. CJ said from the moment Olszewski stepped foot on campus, he wanted to restrengthen that relationship with Christ because of what he saw from his coach and his impact on the team.

“Coach OJ came in my second year and he let me know from the first day that he was a Christian and that he served God and God puts people in your life for a reason. When you’re going through a rough part in your life or you’re struggling, He puts the pieces and the people in your life to help you get on that short and narrow path. I think OJ plays a big part in that, just seeing how he leads young men and it made me want to be a better person and I think that was a big jump into why I finally wanted to listen to that small voice in my head telling me to get back in,” CJ said. “Once I did that my junior year, never once did it change; having things like FCA, places I could go with other athletes who are going through the same things I’m going through, the same 5 a.m. grinds of getting up in the morning and working out, the same struggles with wins and losses and all of the ups and downs. It’s great to have FCA and church and it’s a huge part into allowing me to get my faith back again and propelled me into who I am today.”

Stephanie added being on a Christian campus allowed them to have that community feel and it was important to see the impact they had on each other.

“It’s cool when you go to a Christian college, just the openness that you’ll have in the community that you’re surrounded by,” Stephanie said. “I think the certain parts that our captains had as well as other leaders, it’s fun to see those traits passed down, especially the older athletes and how you impact those below you. I think just having that community aspect is important too.”

CJ said as a Christian athlete, especially at the pro level, what he does is constantly monitored and how he interacts with teammates and handles himself can make a huge difference in somebody’s life.

“For any athlete, what you do matters. When you say yes to Jesus, from that point on there’s a target on you. Everybody’s watching you, watching how you interact with people and just by your presence, what you say to a teammate or act towards a teammate that can spark that interest in them and they say, ‘Why is that person like that’ or ‘I want to be just like that person,'” CJ said. “A handful of years ago, there was somebody that said something to me that stuck with me. They said, ‘Sometimes you may be the only Bible that somebody reads, or you may be the only Jesus that somebody sees.’ So what you do really matters. People are going to watch you and view your actions and just how you handle yourself can save somebody’s life.”

CJ continued, “It’s all about relationships and making an impact on people’s lives. Just being that person for somebody and being consistent in your approach of how you take losses, how you take wins and consistent in what you do. People gravitate towards that and just being that servant leader, being the first one to step up when no one else wants to step up, being the first one to speak out on something that’s wrong and just overall being a good leader and teammate will make people want to follow you.”

CJ said the last few years have been extremely challenging for him and his faith, from losing his mom to pancreatic cancer in May of 2020 to the ongoing issues of racial inequality. He said through all of those instances, he seeks God first and allows Him to guide him through his decisions each day.

“For me, it’s been the last handful of years. I lost my mom to pancreatic cancer about two years ago, and that was a time that I was tested. Still to this day, I’m confused about why it happened, asking God ‘I did everything you asked, I prayed, fasted, did everything I thought I needed to do to save my mom’s life.’ Through it all, God has been able to help me realize that there are some things that you just don’t understand and not meant for you to understand. Now I know my mom is in a better place, I can rest on that and I have faith in that because of who she was and the life that she lived. I’m just thankful for that and definitely these last two years, there’s that challenge of ‘Why, why, why’,” CJ said. “Everything going on in the world, all the decisiveness, all the talks of racial inequality, all the hatred, all of those burdens just weighing down on me in a way that I still don’t understand. But God, I love saying that, but God, we all have those ‘But God’ moments. But God continues to walk with me and every single day whether it’s a good day or a bad day, I start my day by seeking Him first and allowing Him to lead my steps that day. I have my doubts, I have my fears, things that steer me away but God continues to put His hand out and I continue to grab onto it because God knows and He has His hand in everything.”

When it came to advice for young believers, CJ said to not get discouraged and to trust that God is going to be there for you.

“Being a Christian, a lot of people who aren’t they may think that being a Christian means having this perfect life. But that’s not the case and Jesus says the exact opposite, that life is going to have some things come at you and challenge you and try to change you. Jesus says he will lead you and stay completely by your side,” CJ said. “To anybody who may be feeling like they’re in a rut in their life, don’t get discouraged, it’s temporary. Either God will get you out of that or He will give you the strength to walk alongside Him and help you make things easier or better. My encouragement is no matter what you’re going through, it is temporary, and God is with you and God is for you. Just stay on that path, trust the process and trust that God is going to hold your hand through it all and whenever you do fall or make a bad decision, He is there to help you.”

“I would say appreciate where you are in your walk with the Lord,” Stephanie added. “The Lord has you exactly where He wants you and just being a leader and being able to listen to His guidance and following Him is one of the best things you can do.”