What? Are we supposed to be happy or make a celebration there are 27 players who prefer to sacrifice going to church to play some meaningless game to eternal salvation?

Honestly, MormonTimes.com needs to start doing some professional journalism into matters that are a whole lot more important, like the impact of the church's aid to refugees and in 3rd world countries, or perhaps expand a debate in the views of the church on certain things. Perhaps take a look to a lot of othe much more worthwhile things than to announce like with pride that there are 27 people who prefer to sacrifice church, sunday school, callings, and many other things to play a sport that plays no role in Heavenly father's plan.

I am just saying.

Church does great things with the education with the perpetual education fund. Perhaps an analysis or a biography of someone's life might suit more as worthwhile news.

Just wondering: Is working on a Sunday and doing so as a participant in violent, recreational warfare in keeping with the keeping-the-Sabbath-holy commandment? It's one of just ten. My parents don't make any purchases. Some don't even watch TV. And most LDS I know refrain from working. I do. Where's the exception to this commandment? Can I get an answer please?

Go Utah! We're proud of our athletes...

so what ??

Please don't get angry about my observation but I have noticed a lot of stories like this lately in the DN. There is always "how many Mormons are on Survivor, Big Brother, American Idol or NFL Athletes". Personally I think you are really trying way too hard to prove you are "accepted". This kind of contradicts what I have always thought about the LDS people. You have a unique Faith. You formulate that Faith well with your own Scriptures. I would think that would be enough to give you a sense of pride as well as humility. Just an "outsider's" opinion.

Add Davone Bess, Miami WR, who reportedly converted while at the University of Hawaii.

I have to admit I do not know why the paper is making a big deal out of how many Mormons are in the NFL. I have to admit you have lost me.

Why? If you are a "News" paper you will list the number of Christians and Moslems and Hindus and Bhuddists... too. Because, that is the reporting of the news, that's why.

Truly is a sad day when you have to be labeled by your religion, even as you try and play a game of football :(. Does this now mean that if there be a game on Sunday, there shall be a few less players?

I have to agree with the posts that question the relevancy of this article. If the paper feels it must have a Mormon Times section, surely there is far more important "news" about the church than this. It seems that Mr. Cannon's desire to make the paper "more Mormon" has fallen on Hard Times.

What do the articles on this link try to portray LDS as part of the real, and then try to seperate themselves from being a part of the world?

I love the comment about chosing playing football or eternal salvation comment once again lost in the bubble utah mormon better than thou pride rears its ugly head. Well guess what all of your neighbors that drink diet coke you should judge them also. Good work keep your nose on your own face.

there are 34 Catholics on the Jacksonville Jaguars roster ... big deal either way ... who keeps count of such silly stats anyway

Football is a job. It is just as meaningless, useless, pathetic, rediculous, and wasteful as your job. Maybe you are jealuous because others don't also enjoy watching you work, like people enjoy watching football players work. These men have aspired to work in a career that they excell in, just as anyone generally does. Employers have a schedule that you are expected to meet, and for 4-5 months of the year, Football requires Sunday. With just .00000000001% of the population being football players, it is not a job they chose so they can miss Sacrament meeting, but a very skilled position that is unique - hence the interest in the article that 27 people are members of the church in such a limited field.
Football is a very similar schedule to my Home Teacher and High Council rep that is a city police officer, a Relief Society member at United Airlines, and several nurses and doctors in my Denver area ward. All of them prefer to be at church, but sometimes carry a prayer in their hearts and still live virtuous lives 7 days a week, not just one.

I find it interesting and I'm glad you run articles like this. I don't think it has anything to do with "acceptance" or being like everyone else as one writer has suggested. Now, don't take this wrong, but MormonTimes.com is for those inside the church, too. Of course outsiders are welcome to check it out, but this is primarily for the information of members of the church.

Sure there are more important issues than who is playing in the NFL but it's nice to get a break from all the weighty matters from time to time.

Keep up the good work!

the ego fights the id, and the ego wins. hooray for mormons. hooray for the fact that they have varied careers.

church pr at work here? because here's a pattern: first, number of mormons on reality shows. then mormons who are acclaimed authors. then a delineation of mormon olympians. now mormons in the national football league.

next? mormons who are landscape architects, aerospace engineers or dieticians?

oh well, if the masses consume. just check your super-ego at the door.

I think its great to see these young men doing something they love. You people need to lighten up. The best way to spread the gospel is to let people know about the church and this is a great way for people to find out.

hey t_h_r_o,you can wonder on this,these commandments are for us to keep we cant worry about what others should keep...because salvation is individual.and keep worrying about others and you wont make it there.so stop wondering.and thats for too you atlman.

The Deseret News, a regional paper, is reporting this as an item of interest to the major religion in the area it serves. There's no reason why they should have to report on the number of people in every religion in football.

As for Mormons working on Sunday in pro sports, they're no different than the vast majority of Mormons I see--with the huge Mormon population in Utah Valley, for instance, you'd think the place would roll up the sidewalks on Sundays, what with 2/3 of the population keeping the Sabbath day holy by not engaging in commerce...but not so. There are a lot of people who interpret that commandment loosely (not to mention ignoring it completely).

Plenty of Mormons work, play, and shop on Sunday. Sometimes it's a matter of necessity--if your job requires working on Sundays, and you need the money to live, you're kind of stuck. (Not that the NFL players are hard up for cash...but still, their job requires Sunday work.) Bottom line, it's a matter of free will, and not necessarily a question of spiritual purity.

Gimme a break folks. To a lot of LDS folks, it's neat to see people of the faith who have succeeded in their careers. Maybe you can be happy for them? Or, maybe you should go down and join the Hilldale, Colorado City and YFZ Ranch clubs.

As I've said before, why do you all worry about anti-mormons when you all criticize and judge each other more than anyone else could.

The point of this article is not talk about how the Mormons have arrived by the number of players in the NFL, but is informing the targeted population (the LDS) who in their ranks plays pro football. Some bashers read too much into things.

Who Cares

I am a huge sports fan. I love following BYU Cougars in the NFL and also love seeing other LDS players do well - although I would have loved to see them in Cougar blue.

I think many Mormons readily acknowledge when one of their own do well in the world - I know I do. But I also find it a bit hypocritical if we then criticize the mainstream media for their propensitiy to describe individuals by their LDS faith - often in negative situations. As LDS, we want to shout to the world when our own excells but cringe when others highlight our religion when we are found in less than positive situations. We have to be okay with it going both ways.

I think keeping track of "how many Mormons" is ok. It is a reminder that just becuase you are Mormon it doesn't mean "you can't".

To Who Cares.... I DO

What? This is journalism? Mormon Times is a joke. Whatever happened to the Deseret News? I miss it.

Great, promoting cafeteria style Mormonism. I guess this might work if the goal is to appeal to the most people. What ever happened to being in the world, but not of the world? What happened to being proud of being a peculiar people? What happened to sacrificing for what you believe in? Some days I'm ashamed of where we as members are today.

Working on sunday.....??

How about an article about Brother Herring who gave up the NFL?

Agency, what a wonderful thing.

Seems it lets people put their views upon the shoulders of others,,,

Please tell me wise ones? Hoew many steps am I allowed on the Sabbath before I have to sit down and wait for the next day?

Football is entertainment. Those members who go on to play in the NFL are not following the commandments, assuming the commandments are for real. Sabbath observance is not possible playing a game on Sunday. Church service is seriously curtailed by doing it. The only reason it is celebrated (re: Steve Young speaking in General Priesthood meeting some years back)is that the church likes the publicity it gives them, and the money paid in tithing by the high paid professionals. It shows hypocrisy on both sides. Now that is offensive to hear, but it is the truth.

On the other hand, if the church is false, then it does not matter if you play on Sunday or Saturday and this issue is a "tempest in a teapot". I can't rectify the issue, it is either a mistake on the part of the individuals involved and a mistake in the church for making these individuals heroes or the church is false and this is the type of behavior you would expect from a false church.

The problem is that many outsiders see the Mormons as so wrapped up in being mormon, doing mormon things, and thinking their morals and ideals are what everyone should be following and are completely oblivious at times to the fact that other people DON'T, and DON'T WANT TO, people get offended or just plained annoyed.

It's almost true with every religion in the world, if everyone could just believe what they want and keep it to themselves without looking down on or criticizing those who don't and understand that everyone is different, we'd have a lot less problems.

I think it is exceptional to find mormons, or members of any church for that matter, who believe in and accept their religion whole-heartedly, but I don't need to hear about it or have it thrust on me. Not to mention being discriminated against because of not being mormon. A lot of mormons, especially older members, need to worry about what they are doing and everyone else will worry about themselves, in my opinion.

I have to agree with some of the opinions expressed here. This article(and previous articles on reality show stars etc) reflects Mormons' desperate desire to be accepted and mainstream, even if it means we compromise a belief here or there.

Great, the one Mormon on the Eagles' roster, Kevin Curtis, happens to be injured. They need him back!!!!

I lived in Palo Alto near Young. When he retired, he was asked what he would do on Sundays now that football was over. He said he was a religious person and woudl now spend all his Sunday time on church things and forgo football activities for his faith. It lasted one year. The next year he was a commentator for ESPN on Sunday.

Ok. I get it about the pride of having 27 NFL atheletes. Good for you. Now, if you are interested so much in LDS stats, how many LDS are incarcerated in the US? Hey, it is just as relevant.

As a Coloradan, I have noticed LDS Utahans take their sports way too seriously. Football is yet another juvenile game, that is way too overblown in our society. It is as if half the population never progressed past a high school mentality. So much for the meaningless popularity contests.

Mormon Times needs to think about who these articles are reaching outside of Utah as well.I'm LDS,not Utah and could care less about BYU football,NFL football,and any other football out there.I get tired of reading the articles about young football star gives up a trillion dollar NFL contract to serve a LDS mission.Ok we have some LDS NFL players.LDS people have always been in sports one way or the other.What I see is a sence of worshiping the NFL and BYU football by alot of people in the church. I have had football player turned missionary in my home before.I basically find them to be with the attitude"Hey look at me".

I can remember watching my children, their friends, and many of the children from our small community play little league football,socccer,baseball, etc. Even now, some twenty years later, I am interested in their names, and what they are doing with their lives. They are part of my historical family reference. The Church is also my family; and when a family "member" succeeds in life, I'm interested. There is nothing wrong with enjoying that success.

Are you guys telling me that if you had the change to play pro football you'd just give it all up and say "oh I'm sorry, I don't work on Sundays." These comments are absolutely ridiculous. I seem to remember something about not judging lest ye be judged...I guess you guys ignored that one.

Is Weddle LDS? The article says so, but I did not realize that.

Some of the comments question the faithfulness of these athletes for playing a sport on Sunday. But these men are not just playing a sport, they are also doing their jobs, which require them to work on Sunday.

I thought this was interesting article about Mormons (it is MormonTimes.com)- thanks for doing it.

I knew a man who chose not to enter the draft, giving up millions of dollars rather than play on the Sabbath Day. I am convert who LOVED THE NFL, but it stands for "Not For Long" when you join the church and follow Christ 110%. Then again it is a choice, break the sabbath for a few years then keep it, or pull a Steve Young and continue to work on Sunday as a commentator, either way, WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE THEM? Those who basically judge these players are going to be judged much more harsher than those who play on the sabbath. Just keep the commandments, do what you are supposed to do, and be an example to others, and don't worry about the example these players may or may not be setting for their fellow team mates. Good article

I am far less interested in 27 Mormons at Various Levels Of Activity In the NFL. Then I am of Utah’s Para Olympic Athletes going to Beijing for the Games. I would much rather see a few features on them and their side stories. These people are brave and fight daily for everything they get. Their Minds are Normal or Better they are just trapped in their bodies. They get up, do it any way, and get it done. So many of us so called able bodied people cannot get up from the TV and take a Walk beyond the Fridge and back to the Couch. The Sin of Gluttony abounds.

Maybe that is why these people are ignored, or if stumbled upon in the Channel Surf, quickly changed. Do we not want to see them in tip top shape, and then look at ourselves. Or does their success just somehow not count as much.

The Special O's sometimes get us on the Sympathy Vote. However trust me they need little of that. Both groups very much have it together. What they need is the Wheaties Box and Corn Flakes Box Cover also. Both the Women and the Men.

I thought we were Latter-day-saints, not Mormons?

Good Grief Kenny. Lighten up, big time. I am also LDS and not from Utah. Actually I am from Canada and I DO enjoy football and other sports, especially college sports because they offer thousands of kids an opportunity for an education. They are also entertaining. I am proud of a kid who chooses a mission over their sport and if you think they choose the mission as an ego thing you are very wrong. Any one with the look at me attitiude will not give up their trillion dollars to be of service to anyone else except themselves, especially not for a mission (possibly in some obscure foreign country) where nobody knows you and everything you do is for the Savior. (Methinks you may be a little jealous.)

Some people like to know these kind of things. I know the Williams sisters tennis players are Jehovah Witnesses, good. I read 5 comments and each were negative. The section is titled, "Mormon Times" and that's what it's about. If you're not interested in the subject, then don't read it. If someone is worshipping football more than our Lord Jesus, then they have a priority mixup in my opinion.

I didn't see Elder Pac Man Jones' name mentioned.

If you don't like the article, don't read it! I for one love football and love to see where some of my Mormon Brothers have ended up! Anything wrong with me cheering for them as well as some of my other favorite non-Mormon athletes??? We (LDS church members)can sometimes be tight knit group that some could consider family. Anything wrong with getting the scoop on them?? It has nothing to do with acceptance or egos or anything. Give me a break! Again if the information does not interest you or for that matter, if it riles you, skip it!! And those of us that it does interest can still enjoy it!! Should I be denied reading something that interests me because some of you take offense at an article that maybe you ought not be reading?? Go find what you like reading and quit complaining about what I like to read. This world is so full of information. Go find what floats your boat, and quit trying to sink mine. Just like everyone, I am partial to my family, my alma mater, my church and my country. That's why I cheered for Americans at the Olympics. Anything wrong with that??

Was Eric Weddle a mormon when he played at Utah? I did not know he was a mormon.

What a lot of LDS people fall to under stand is that the Church stance on working is that if your job requires you to work on Sunday then you do so. I learned ths over 40 years ago when I enlisted in the US Army and my Bishop in formed me of this when I enquired to the fact that there were Sundays in whitch I had to work. So if your job says you will work on Sunday then do so or find anather line of work if this brothers you. Just remember that our Lord is a very understanding Lord and knows that there are jobs that will require you to work on Sundays and we must work in order to provide for our selfs and our familys.

To many people fall to rember the love and compassion of our Lord and Savor.

Sorry for my miss spelled words.