Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zach Taylor recently shared that his faith and family are at the top of his list of priorities as his team heads to Super Bowl LVI this Sunday.
Taylor, who was hired by the Bengals in 2019, answered media questions on Monday as part of Super Bowl Opening Night.
“Our guys are excited for the opportunity to prove ourselves once again that we belong here and we can win this game,” Taylor told reporters.
The Bengals defeated Kansas City Chiefs in a 34-31 overtime win on Jan. 30, as they advanced to their first Super Bowl since the 1988 season. According to Sports Spectrum, Taylor was asked on Monday concerning how faith, family, and football plays a role for him in preparing for Sunday’s big game.
“In that order, as you mentioned,” he explained. “That’s how I was raised and certainly I’m a believer, and believe that my faith has put us in a position to do some really special things.”
Taylor also spoke on the significance of his family, especially his wife, Sarah.
“My family is very important. I think all of our coaches’ and players’ families are a big part of this, the support systems that we have at home,” he shared. “I’ve got the best wife going around and she’s been so supportive. It’s difficult for them too, and they get to enjoy these moments just as much as we do.”
The couple, who have been married since 2008, first met when Sarah was studying at the University of Nebraska, where Taylor was a quarterback. They have four children together.
In an interview with LivingProSports.com, Sarah, who is the daughter of former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman, shared how her mother taught her how to handle being a coach’s wife.
“I always think of how she remained calm in tough times, no matter my dad’s role,” Sarah explained. “Whether it was a position coach or head coach, she was the same. She always made sure to have a life and friends outside of football and always took us to church. I have so much respect for her and how she lived her life in such a stressful environment, and I ask her questions constantly.”
She also shared how prioritizing God and family has kept them grounded in the midst of hard times, especially in football.
“I always try to remember that when I get bitter or we are facing a heavy loss season, I think that there are a lot of young guys who would kill to have had the jobs my husband has had and he works really hard to get where he is,” she said. “The highs are high and the lows are low, but if you remain strong in your faith and keep God and family No. 1 in your life, it is incredible how this profession can bless you.”
Taylor concurred with his wife’s sentiment.
“We’re here with the team, it’s special, I love enjoying it with them,” he told the media on Monday. “But I also love going home and seeing the excitement on my family’s faces when we’ve done all these great things that we’ve done recently.”
At 38 years old, Taylor is the second youngest head coach in NFL history. The youngest is, ironically, Taylor’s most recent boss and Rams coach, 36-year-old Sean McVay, thus making Sunday’s game the youngest head coach matchup in Superbowl history.
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Marcus Millo
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributing writer for CrosswalkHeadlines and the host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast devoted to sound doctrine and biblical truth. He holds a Masters of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary.
