Pray Like a Champion Today
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Description
Pray Like a Champion Today takes you inside the heart of Notre Dame football—where faith, tradition, and teamwork collide. Before every game, as the Fighting Irish take a knee shoulder to shoulder praying the Our Father, their chaplain, Fr. Nate Wills, CSC, leads them in a rallying cry: “Our Lady, Queen of Victory!” The thunderous response—“Pray for us!”—echoes through Notre Dame Stadium, setting the tone for more than just the game.
Now, Fr. Nate invites you beyond the sidelines for an exclusive look at the faith-filled moments that make Notre Dame football truly special. With vivid storytelling, full-color photos, and links to highlight videos, he shares behind-the-scenes experiences that have deepened his faith—and offers inspiration for you to grow as a Christian too.
As both a football chaplain and a professor, Fr. Nate does far more than pray before kickoff—he supports the players, coaches, and staff in their personal and spiritual journeys. Whether he’s continuing the century-old tradition of handing out holy medals, praying with injured athletes, or officiating weddings for former players, he embodies what it means to be a champion of faith.
Through these pages, you’ll:
- Join the players’ walk to the stadium, where a roaring crowd and the Notre Dame band create an electrifying atmosphere.
- Step inside practices and the training facility, where the team embraces the motto: “Choose hard” and pursues “team glory.”
- Discover how faith is embedded in every aspect of the program, from game-day rituals to personal moments of reflection.
For die-hard Irish fans and casual football followers alike, this book is more than a sports story—it’s an invitation to see how God moves in unexpected places. Whether on the field or in our personal lives, we’re all called to pray, persevere, and play like champions today.
Product Details
- Pages: 160
- Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN: 9781646804252
- Imprint: Ave Maria Press
Description
Pray Like a Champion Today takes you inside the heart of Notre Dame football—where faith, tradition, and teamwork collide. Before every game, as the Fighting Irish take a knee shoulder to shoulder praying the Our Father, their chaplain, Fr. Nate Wills, CSC, leads them in a rallying cry: “Our Lady, Queen of Victory!” The thunderous response—“Pray for us!”—echoes through Notre Dame Stadium, setting the tone for more than just the game.
Now, Fr. Nate invites you beyond the sidelines for an exclusive look at the faith-filled moments that make Notre Dame football truly special. With vivid storytelling, full-color photos, and links to highlight videos, he shares behind-the-scenes experiences that have deepened his faith—and offers inspiration for you to grow as a Christian too.
As both a football chaplain and a professor, Fr. Nate does far more than pray before kickoff—he supports the players, coaches, and staff in their personal and spiritual journeys. Whether he’s continuing the century-old tradition of handing out holy medals, praying with injured athletes, or officiating weddings for former players, he embodies what it means to be a champion of faith.
Through these pages, you’ll:
- Join the players’ walk to the stadium, where a roaring crowd and the Notre Dame band create an electrifying atmosphere.
- Step inside practices and the training facility, where the team embraces the motto: “Choose hard” and pursues “team glory.”
- Discover how faith is embedded in every aspect of the program, from game-day rituals to personal moments of reflection.
For die-hard Irish fans and casual football followers alike, this book is more than a sports story—it’s an invitation to see how God moves in unexpected places. Whether on the field or in our personal lives, we’re all called to pray, persevere, and play like champions today.
Product Details
- Pages: 160
- Trim size: 5.5 x 8.5 inches
- ISBN: 9781646804252
- Imprint: Ave Maria Press
Customer Reviews
- JBJoretta B.Verified Buyer12 hours agoRated 5 out of 5 starsInspirational
Purchased this for my husband. A must read to bolster prayer and faith
- DJDomenic J. R.Verified Buyer1 week agoRated 5 out of 5 starsExcellent title for the stories !
Amazing story teller connects every day football team experiences with the sacred .Highly recommend this book ! I expect to read it again and again as I will discover new messages each time.
- DLDeborah L.Verified Reviewer1 week agoRated 5 out of 5 starsInspirational Read
Reading Pray Like A Champion Today is like sitting down with Fr Nate Wills as he shares engaging stories of his experiences as Chaplain of the Notre Dame football team, on and off the field. Or for those fortunate enough to know Fr Nate personally, as we do when he was Associate Pastor at our home church, reading this book is like listening to him present engaging homilies chapter by chapter.
You don’t have to be a Notre Dame football fan or Catholic to enjoy reading these vignettes through his journey of faith. As a chosen advanced reader of this book, my Purdue alumni, Baptist background did not hinder my enjoyment of the book.
It’s a book that people of any faith could enjoy.
We purchased multiple copies to share with others.
A meaningful read!
- CEChris E.Verified Reviewer2 weeks agoRated 5 out of 5 starsA wonderful book of Faith and Notre Dame Football!
"Pray Like A Champion" was a wonderful read and this week moved into my normal daily reading of my Faith (daily prayer book, bible, my own prayers, "Pray Like A Champion"). Father Nate has inspired me and helped further strengthen my Faith! In fact, I just purchased another copy to give to my dear friend who is a University of Michigan graduate and as Catholic as they come. I am convinced he will be able to set U of M aside and focus on the other Blue and Gold while learning the valuable lessons Father Nate provides in "Pray Like A Champion"!
- RVRichard V. M.Verified Reviewer3 weeks agoRated 5 out of 5 starsFootball, faith and life lessons
If you enjoy ND football and want to know what it is really like being with the players daily this is the book for you. Fr. Nate brings some important life lessons that can be utilized in life and walks you through what it would be like to be part of such an amazing program. Nice read!
- JBJeremy B.3 weeks agoRated 5 out of 5 starsEveryday Faith from the Most Famous sideline in America
Faith, football, and everyday life come together in Fr. Nate Wills’ book Pray Like a Champion Today. This book blends Fr. Nate’s unique experiences as the chaplain for the Notre Dame football team with practical spiritual reflections for anyone, whether football fan or not! Each lively chapter begins with an engaging story from Fr. Nate’s time with the team—moments of humor, challenge, or inspiration—and then he ties that moment into a reflection on faith. Each chapter ends with a “Pray Like a Champion” challenge that we can each act on in our daily lives, helping us apply the book’s lessons in a specific and actionable way! This approachable style makes Pray Like a Champion Today enjoyable for both sports fans and anyone else seeking a deeper connection with God in the midst of their daily routine.
The authenticity of Fr. Nate’s stories make them immediately relatable and compelling! He shares moments of personal doubt, excitement, confusion, and triumph in his presence with the team, but also in his encounters with friends, students, family, and others. Fr. Nate shares anecdotes of chatting with referees before games, joining top-tier players in the weight room, and recounting the nervous energy before kickoff, and in these experiences he explores how the role of a chaplain extends far beyond simply offering prayers for athletes. These moments highlight his commitment to walking with the athletes as both a spiritual guide and a companion who understands the many…
- FBFrank B. M.Verified Reviewer3 weeks agoRated 5 out of 5 starsThis book is about much more than football (though there are great football stories, too)
Fr. Nate has captured the spirit and culture of Notre Dame in this inspiring and entertaining book. He walks side by side with the players, coaches, students, and fans, celebrating victories and supporting each other through difficulties and disappointments-not just game wins and losses, but also injuries and personal challenges. St. Francis said, "Preach always, use words only if you must." There is no preaching in this book, although he weaves in some wonderful stories of saints honored with the holy medals he distributes.. Through his storytelling, Fr. Nate shows us clearly that love, trust, and faith triumph over all, and demonstrates that choosing hard and focusing on team achievement paradoxically leads to the greatest level of personal fulfillment. This book is about much more than football, although there are some great football stories. It is about life.
