Nate Burleson Has Nothing But Praise for Super Bowl Gospel Celebration

*As the Super Bowl approaches, an active day awaits Nate Burleson, who will catch the eyes of sports fans young and old in front of the camera in the days leading to the Big Game as well as the day of the game itself.

The former NFL stand-out will not only cover the popular event with his The NFL Today cohorts but also put viewers in game mode, co-hosting “CBS Mornings”, and Nickelodeon’s “Slimetime” show, Add in the upcoming Super Bowl Soulful Celebration and Burleson will be all over the TV landscape for the most watched event of the year.

With the Soulful Celebration, it was an easy decision for the pro football fixture to attach himself to the event, considering he is a fan.

“They reached out to me and without hesitation, I said ‘yes.’ I didn’t even go over the details, like when, what where why and where. I just said that I would absolutely get involved,” said Burleson, who cited deeper reasons for signing on as host of “The Best of the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration” a televised tribute that will precede the Soulful Celebration, which was formerly known as the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.

“This something that kind of dates goes back decades for me. I remember when I was young in high school, one of the churches, Mt Calvary in Seattle, Washington had a Super Bowl watch party. And part of this watch party was a little bit of praise, a little bit of football, a little bit of prayer. And of course, the Word. So, you know, this was a seed that was planted years ago.

“But then I ended up being drafted. And then I saw what the NFL was doing, actually sanctioning this type of celebration, this type of event, year after year,” he continued. “And all of these moments have collided and what they are celebrating this year, which is the 25th anniversary of the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.

A Childhood Love of Gospel

Hosted by Burleson, the 2024 Super Bowl Soulful Celebration will take place on Feb. 7, 2024, and air live from the Peral Concert Theater at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. Next year will mark the 25th year the event has been in existence as “the only Gospel concert sanctioned by the NFL.”

Before the 2024 event, fans can catch highlights of past Celebrations in a syndicated special titled “The Best of Super Bowl Gospel Celebration.” The special, which premiered in November, will air through Jan. 28, 2024. Performers include Kirk Franklin, Gladys Knight, Fantasia, Snoop Dogg, Rance Allen & The Clark Sisters, Lecrae & Koryn Hawthorn, Doug E. Fresh, Donnie McClurkin & Kierra Sheard Kelly, The Players Choir with Jekalyn Carr & Ben Tankard and Yolanda Adams & Le’Andria Johnson. In addition to the all-star roster, the Gospel Celebration will feature a special reunion of the legendary gospel group Commissioned.

For Burleson, the Celebration brings together his three loves (music, faith and football) in a meaningful way that hearkens back to his childhood.

“For me, those things are inextricably intertwined because as an athlete, I’ve always rooted myself in my faith. I know that I am blessed and highly favored,” the CBS Mornings fixture told EURweb’s Lee Bailey. “I was raised in the Baptist church. So, my mother and father would make sure we had the Word of God with us. And we tried to travel around with the armor so we could be prepared for what life was going to bring us.

Crediting his parents, Burleson remembers waking up to gospel music put on by his mother as a way of telling him and his brothers it was time to clean up. The wake-up tunes contributed to a longstanding love of gospel and the artists that most struck a nerve with him.

“I’m an 80’s baby. So, I date it back to the cassette tapes and then it evolved into CDs and then, you know, now we’re doing everything digital through our apps, Burleson shared. “But I remember Mississippi Mass Choir and hearing those powerful voices and that almost becoming a soundtrack of what would soon be the rest of my life.”

The Purest Year
With a stellar career post-football, Burleson is living his best life. A life centered around religion and its personal and professional connection to the path he walks, from the church to the football field to the broadcast booth.

“I was raised in the church, Bible study. And then when I got to college, I worked in the church. I led a youth bible study. I tell this to people, especially young people who are trying to figure out who they are, as they attach themselves to their dreams, my most productive year as a football player was my last year in college,” Burleson said while sharing what anchored his productivity.

“The reason I bring this up is because that was the purest year of my life. I think that was when I was the most anchored in the Word. I was seeking out God’s word and trying to apply it to my life, along with making certain sacrifices.

“I kept saying, ‘pure, pure, pure’ because I wanted to see how much purity I could put in my life. And allow God to use me,” he added, regarding efforts to align with his spirit. “I’m not really a smoker, but I didn’t smoke. I stopped doing college parties and drinking. Even my girlfriend, my wife now, but girlfriend at the time, we decided to abstain from having sex. And we made sure right around 10 pm, 11 pm when college kids start feeling a little frisky, we would go to our separate places.”

Armed with his faith, Burleson’s final year playing college football was a time when he truly embraced God’s hold on his life. His spirit was aligned with his physical being, resulting in his elevation to the NFL and another level of success.

“…that year, the Lord worked in my life in ways that are really divine. I mean it was the best year statically and at my college, it was moments in the games, where I would start the game and finish the game and it would seem like a blur and I would end up breaking record after record after record, Burleson shared.

“So, I always tell young people, that if you want to give everything to the craft that you that are chasing and you want God to work through you, try to be as pure as possible. I was once told there’s two types of, you know, animals that live inside. The one that is led by the flesh and the one that is led by the spirit. The one that you feed the most is the one that’s going to win. So, I was feeding the spirit and the spirit led me to a beautiful, closing-out year of my career. It really was the foundation of why I was drafted, and I was able to leave school so early and go to the NFL. So, yeah, for so many reasons I am anchored in my faith because I wouldn’t be here without these blessings that have been bestowed upon me.

‘I’m Just a Vessel’
In Burleson’s eyes, the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration is a true highlight.

“I think that’s where the intersection really takes place. I am a man of faith, but I also feel like music can be the soundtrack to people’s lives. It can get you through the best of times and, as we know, especially when it comes to good gospel music, it can get you through the worst of times.”

A longtime fan of the Super Bowl Soulful Celebration, Burleson has seen his favorite artists reach a higher level in reaching fans via a holy platform. Franklin, in particular, has been a force for Burleson, with his music supplying needed inspiration to overcome and remain faithful.

“He was one of those artists, Kirk Franklin and the Family, they stayed in the rotation,” Burleson told EURweb. “When I was getting ready before a game, of course, I Love hip hop. I kind of grew up in that era. But I had to hear [Kirk Franklin and the Family’s classic hit] ‘Melodies From Heaven’ before I stepped out on the field because I just felt like whatever I was bringing to the field, it was going to rain down from above. That would be a blessing,

“As an athlete, oftentimes, we can get full of ourselves. You know, you see the praise and people tell you how great you are, but you have to have those moments in the mirror where you realize, ‘it’s bigger than me. I am simply just a vessel. Albeit an athletic one, but I’m just a vessel

As for the upcoming Celebration, Burleson alluded to it being “a walk down memory lane,” as “an actual Super Bowl event for people that are in Vegas enjoying the Super Bowl festivities which is quite fitting because you need a little gospel and a little prayer when you’re in sin city

The 2024 Super Bowl Soulful Celebration will take place on Feb. 7, 2024, and air live from the Peral Concert Theater at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas. The event, formerly known as the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration, will be available on all streaming platforms, including Hulu, www.superbowlgospel.com and www.superbowlsoulful.com. Tickets for the Soulful Celebration are on sale now.

To see a list of stations, air dates, and times for “The Best of the Super Bowl Gospel Celebration,” click here.

RELATED NEWS ON EURWEB: Gladys Knight, Snoop Dogg, Fantasia, and Host Nate Burleson Take the Stage at ‘Best of Super Bowl Gospel Celebration’ | VIDEO

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