On Philadelphia Eagles’ wings: meet quarterback Carson Wentz, an outspoken Christian

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Carson Wentz is in love. He wants to tell the world. But sometimes he can’t.

 If his significant other were named Sue or Jane, no one would mind. But Wentz is in love with Jesus, and while many share his devotion, he understands that just as many may not.

As a Christian, Wentz believes that he has an obligation to use his platform as an NFL quarterback to be a disciple and spread God’s word. But some Eagles fans — and even some of his teammates — might not want to hear it from their quarterback.

 “You’re always walking that fine line, without a doubt,” Wentz said recently. “I always tell people, for example, ‘If you love your job, you love your wife, you love what you do, you’re going to talk about it. Well, I love Jesus.’ That’s what I love, so I’m going to talk about it. But I’m not going to force it down your throat either.”

Wentz, who begins his second season on Sunday when the Eagles open the season at the Redskins, doesn’t come off as preachy. He said he doesn’t want to beat “people over the head with the Bible.” But he is outspoken about his belief.

In June, Wentz delivered a 30-minute sermon at the First Assembly Church of Fargo, N.D. He often wears shirts and hats with religious messages to his news conferences. His pet motto is “AO1” or “Audience of One.” The acronym, which is tattooed on his wrist and is the name of his newly formed foundation, is typically emblazoned on the clothing.

During his Fargo sermon, Wentz said he prayed almost daily before the draft last year that he would land with a team where he could “grow closer to God.” He worried about entering a locker room with a variety of players from different backgrounds and with a different set of beliefs, and that he wouldn’t find a community of like-minded teammates.

…“For him, that’s one of toughest things, just the fact that he’s from North Dakota and he hasn’t — I’m not saying he doesn’t have people skills – had a ton of interactions with a ton of people being from up there,” Eagles tight end Trey Burton said. “He wasn’t as outgoing when he first got here because he didn’t know who he could trust, and who he could say stuff around, and them not tell the world.

“But he’s definitely found his guys, his guys that he can trust and talk to.”

Read it all. And check out the video above to see some of Wentz’s preaching.