Cop a gander at Russell Wilson!

The footballer covers the ESSENCE Sexiest Man of the Moment issue.

Beyond being a trailblazer on the field, the superstar is also widely hailed for his dedication to faith and family.

In a celebration of all of his potent pillars, Wilson styles, profiles, and opens up about the various anchorings in his life.

Full story below…

On Marrying Ciara & Their Family Life:

“When I asked her to marry me, once she said yes, I said, ‘Before we go do this, can we pray? I want to make sure we always put God at the center of it all.’ And so I think the thing that hopefully exudes from our love is that, listen, love is never perfect. But we continue to try to put God first and pray over each other. We have these four beautiful children that we get to raise every day and it’s the greatest gift in the world.”

On Faith:

“I think it keeps you grounded. It keeps you connected to who God is, and what He’s already done, and what He’s about to do for you. It’s knowing there’s always a bigger purpose in life. That’s really important. It inspires me to be the best version of me, so I can inspire somebody else.”

On Philanthropy:

“My mom and my dad, I got to see them both give back in many ways. My dad was a lawyer. He helped so many people. My mom was a nurse, and she had the heart of servitude, like in John 13:14—where Jesus says, ‘If I, your Lord and teacher, wash your feet, you ought to wash others.’ And I just firmly believe that it’s God’s gift—‘To whom much is given, much is required’—for us to be able to give back and serve.”

Your thoughts?

[Photo Credit: Essence / Adrienne Raquel]