The locker room bustled with activity as John Maurer sat talking to one of the Bears. Suddenly Bryan Cox walked in, looked at John and bellowed, "Who the [expletive deleted] is that sitting in front of my locker?"

John rose to his feet before the 250-pound linebacker and stuck out his hand: "Hi! I'm John Maurer, chaplain of the Bears." The handful of nearby players broke into laughter, while Cox, new to the team, pulled the hood of his sweatshirt over his face in mock embarrassment. "Why didn't someone tell me who this guy was?" he asked his teammates sheepishly.

John Maurer is like that. Sincere and unassuming, this staff member with Athletes in Action Pro Ministry is not impressed by a player's persona and comes across as one of the guys. Whether hanging out in the locker room, helping on the sideline or leading Bible studies, John--together with his wife, Missy--helps the Bears look to Christ for strength in coping with the challenges of life in the NFL.

"My first year I was making half a million dollars, and I went crazy," agrees Marcus, gold cross dangling on his chest and a gold ring in each ear. But life turned sour. Vondershell--then his fiancee--became pregnant, and another woman turned up claiming her son was his. Plus he wasn't playing as much as he thought a second-round draft pick should play. "I wasn't handling it very well," he says. "I actually thought about killing myself because I didn't know what to do about some of the situations I had put myself in."

Not all players get caught up in the "NFL lifestyle." In fact, most don't, according to wide receiver Michael Timpson, also a believer. But everyone wrestles with the pressures of fame and money.

"A lot of guys in professional sports never had to grow up," explains quarterback Steve Stenstrom, who became a Christian at Stanford. "That applies to me too. We're playing the game we've played since we were kids; we've never struggled financially; so we just go on being kids. That's when a lot of guys become irresponsible."

When that irresponsibility leads to problems, as it inevitably does, or when the vicissitudes of the NFL lead to injury or insufficient playing time, players begin to sense their need for God. "I'd been going to the team Bible studies," says Marcus, "but then I'd leave and do the same things I was doing. One day I just got tired of it and decided that I'd tried everything my way, now let's try it the way it's supposed to be."

"Marcus recommitted his life to Christ because of John," says Vondershell. The 305-pound tackle's behavior changed, too, although at first he didn't know how to handle the "lip service" from opposing teams. "I still give lip," he says, "but not so vulgar. It's more like, 'OK, fellow, I'm coming back.'"

As John helps players like Marcus grow in Christ, he's acting as a "spiritual coach" of sorts. "Everybody in the organization plays a role on game day," says Mike McCartney, a scout for the Bears. "There are scouts, equipment managers, trainers. John is no different."

"The best thing that John does," says Dave Wannstedt, head coach of the Bears, "is that he's there every day of the week. He's in the locker room, he's having Bible studies, he's trying to get the wives involved, he's out at practice. The players and coaches trust him and know what he stands for."

Players face a lot of pressure, Coach Wannstedt continues. "If a player had a good week and caught five passes, he's a heck of a player and must be a heck of a person. But that poor guy that missed three field goals, he's a bum, and so God can't love you and you must be a bad person. That's where John's influence through Athletes in Action is so important. A player has a bad game, he's out there in practice second-guessing himself and feeling down. Suddenly he looks at the sideline and sees John. He knows that John has told him God loves him and to persevere, and all of a sudden his whole attitude changes."

John's interest in helping players dates back to his days playing on the offensive line at the University of Dayton. As a freshman and young Christian, John heard Cincinnati Bengals' offensive lineman Anthony Munoz speak of his faith in Christ. Amazed that a man could both play aggressive football and follow Christ, John got involved with Athletes in Action, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. After graduating, John wanted to point other athletes to Christ, so he joined Campus Crusade. He spent five years at Miami University of Ohio, where he met and married Missy. Then he went to seminary.

About that time, Dave Wannstedt became head coach of the Bears. Dave had become a Christian through Athletes in Action, and he asked if the AIA pro division would send somebody to work with the Bears. The Maurers got the nod. John is not pushy about pointing people to Christ, but he does make himself available. "John is a guy you can go rap to," says Mike Faulkerson, who says he's not a Christian. "If you got a problem, he'll give you an honest answer. He's an asset."

A ministry like John's is an asset not just to the players but also to their families, for the Maurers seek to strengthen marriages. One study found that within five years of finishing their careers, 80 percent of players in the NFL either go bankrupt, have legal problems, or get divorced. "The couples Bible study gives [us] strength," says Vondershell Spears. "It shows what Christ says about how marriage should function."

Ministry to pro athletes and their spouses can be discouraging, however. "A couple of years ago we had a study with seven or eight couples," says John. "Then the next day half of them got cut. It just stinks to invest some of yourself in getting to know someone, then boom, they're gone."

The specter of getting cut or traded on a moment's notice challenges marriages in many ways. "When I first got to Chicago," says Lori Stenstrom, "I was so lonely I just sat in the hotel room and cried. I didn't know anybody." Then her husband met John in the locker room and learned about the couples Bible study. Soon Lori had a new group of friends, including Missy Maurer.

Missy tries to spend time encouraging Bear wives. In some ways she can identify with them. When John began with the Bears, he told Missy the job would include traveling with the team to away games. No way, she thought, not with her having two preschoolers and a newborn. "I had to release John to travel," says Missy now. "That was hard, but it was what God wanted us to do. Sometimes I invite wives over to watch the away games."

Missy also disciples a couple of the women. "There are so many hurting souls," says Kathy Gedney, wife of tight end Chris Gedney. "Lori Stenstrom and I have felt a need to reach out to other women associated with the Bears. This is our mission field."

Christian players who want more intense discipleship meet with John during the off-season. "These guys are the ones who are going to reach NFL players," says John. "It's like being overseas--nationals can reach their own people better. So I just train the players to help their peers."

But football players and their families are only a part of John Maurer's mission field. "We have the potential to reach the whole city for Christ," says John. Through mentoring AIA staff member Dan Rogers--who works with athletes at Northwestern University--and networking with Ace Mokry and Milton Massie of Campus Crusade's ministries to executives and the inner city, John dreams of Christian athletes uniting to point Chicago to Christ.

But first, players need to stay grounded. "Every time you turn around," says Dave Wannstedt, "a player is getting grabbed by a coach or the media, or the fans are pressuring him to win. It's good to have someone like John, who understands what the players are going through from an athletic standpoint, but whose bottom-line interest is how we're doing in our spiritual life--not our football life."

Editor's Note: Since this article was written, several Bears players, including Marcus Spears and Chris Gedney, have signed with other teams.