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This NFL Player Celebrates His 'Oneness' With Israel by Wearing the Israeli Flag on His Cleats

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Michael Pierce is 340 pounds of muscle and plays defensive tackle for the Baltimore Ravens. 

But if you look at his cleats, you won't see the usual purple and gold colors of his team. You'll see the Israeli flag. 

Pierce choose the Israel Collective, a millennial initiative of Christians United for Israel, as his cause for the NFL's "My Cause, My Cleats" campaign. 

"Having the Israel flag in front and center was paramount for me. I needed that to be right where it is," Pierce said in a video. 

"The message for me is just the oneness and the connectedness I feel with that land. Growing up reading the Bible, hearing Bible stories and learning exactly where Jesus walked was awesome," he explained. 

"To go over there and see the difference and to see just exactly how the culture is... went to Shabbat dinner. I just enjoyed their company and learned so many different customs and things that they do that I've just never been aware of," he added. 

Pierce was a part of a group of NFL players who went to the Holy Land with Israel Collective this spring. 

He hopes people will see his cleats and want to learn more about Israel. 

You can see Pierce and his cleats when the Ravens take on the Falcons in Atlanta this Sunday. 

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About The Author

Emily
Jones

Emily Jones is a multi-media journalist for CBN News in Jerusalem. Before she moved to the Middle East in 2019, she spent years regularly traveling to the region to study the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, meet with government officials, and raise awareness about Christian persecution. During her college years, Emily served as president of Regent University's Christians United for Israel chapter and spoke alongside world leaders at numerous conferences and events. She is an active member of the Philos Project, an organization that seeks to promote positive Christian engagement with the Middle