'God Is so Good': Meet the 'Backup' QB Who Led the Vikings to a Stunning Win and Still Puts Jesus First

Benjamin Gill
01-21-2018

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The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings are facing off in the NFL playoffs tonight.

A few months ago, Case Keenum was just a backup quarterback. But one week ago he just led the Vikings to an NFL playoff victory after an incredible play that's being called one of the greatest of all time.

Keenum connected to wide receiver Stefon Diggs with an amazing throw for a last-second 61-yard touchdown that gave the Vikings the win, sending them to the NFC Championship Game.

Some are even calling it the "Minneapolis Miracle."

The Vikings were down 24-23, losing by one point to the New Orleans Saints. There were just 10 seconds left on the clock and the Vikings had zero timeouts. But somehow they pulled it off with a stunning touchdown.

"I give everything to God," Stefon Diggs told Fox Sports. He thanked his coaches and teammates for giving him the opportunity, then pointed to God. "God did the rest, He put me here. And I'm just thankful."

Another Vikings wide receiver, Adam Thielen, described the final play this way: "That was God. That play right there was God."  

"God is so good," Keenum said after the game.

"It's probably gonna go down as the third best moment of my life; behind giving my life to Jesus Christ, marrying my wife, and this one's right there close," Keenum continued.

A few days before the game, teammate Thielen told BleacherReport that Case is the real deal when it comes to his Christian faith.

"A lot of people can talk about their faith. When you live it every day and act on the word of God, it's pretty cool to see. He doesn't just talk; he acts upon it and leads by example. It helps me become a better person of faith," he said.

Keenum's Twitter bio simply says, " "

Here's the full verse: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

The Vikings' webpage says Keenum and his wife Kimberly were "Brought Together by Faith."

They met at a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) event in high school, and their families also attended the same church.

Keenum once told Pioneer Press, "You just realize that football is fickle; it's not going to be there all the time. Just getting my priorities straight and knowing the true reason I play the game, and that's to give glory to God. That's something I take pride in. It's why I do what I do."

"That's why I became a Christian — being around Christian athletes through FCA," he continued. "I'm not playing for the name on the back of my jersey, I'm playing to glorify God. He's given me talents, and I'm trying to maximize those talents however I can."

Keenum's faith is well-known, and his father Steve credits God for bringing Case to this point in his football career.

"He just wanted a chance," Steve Keenum said. "He's got to have the knack. It's just a God-given, innate thing that he's maximized by working hard."

Steve is now an area director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an organization that Case has long been active in as well.

"He's come to the realization like a lot of people in big situations that there are things that are really too big to do by yourself, and in order to stay grounded you've got to find somebody or something that you believe strongly in," Steve said. "I think his faith has been that for him."

The Vikings and Keenum are now just one win away from reaching the Super Bowl.

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About The Author

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Benjamin
Gill

Benjamin Gill is a writer and editor who manages CBNNews.com and the CBN News app while also curating social media material. He has been on staff with CBN News as an internet and broadcast producer since 2000, with stints producing for CBN Newswatch and The 700 Club. He is a graduate of Queens College in New York City, where he also interned as a reporter at Newsday and worked as an editor in the publishing industry. Benjamin has served as a worship leader and elder at his local church and has a passion for reporting the evidence of God in our world while pointing people to Jesus Christ. Here
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