EAST LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Kicker is one of the most unique positions in sports. Largely uninvolved for most of the game, the kicker can become the hero or the scapegoat in an instant.

It’s a position that requires you to manage pressure and keep everything in perspective.

For MSU’s Jonathan Kim, pressure and perspective go hand-in-hand. He spoke with the MSUFCU Coaches Show this week about how the pressure he feels is eased by the perspective he’s found through a faith in Jesus Christ.

“It’s my relationship with Christ that’s kind of put football in perspective of how important it is in my life,” Kim said. “Because at the end of the day God was the one who gave me football and blessed me with the abilities that I have. He can take it away from me just as quickly. So just realizing that the most important thing in my life is Christ, that just kind of — you’ll hear people say it’s faith, family, football and that’s exactly what it is for me. My faith and my family come before football. So that just helps me put football in its own category where I don’t have to be super stressed about it.”

Kim opened up about how he found his faith and how it’s been tested and strengthened through a number of trying experiences in college.

“[My faith] stemmed from some tough times my sophomore year. My dad had a tumor and I tore my hamstring,” he said. “Thinking I was going to lose my dad and praying every single day I was like, you know, ‘if you save my dad, I’ll invest my life into you.’ I kept praying that and when I tore my hamstring, I lost my sport. I was always the athlete, you know? I was no longer the athlete, I was the hurt guy. So when I was able to realize that I’m not an athlete and that I’m a follower of Christ, then everything else was – you know it set a firm foundation for me.”

Kim said his growing faith has helped him realize he is much more than just a football player, and that perspective has helped him relax when the pressure is ratcheted up on gameday.

“Once you identify yourself with your performance, you’re always going to be disappointed. So realizing that I find my identity in Christ and so He is unwavering and He loves me no matter what. Once I found that, it became a whole lot easier.”

You can watch the full story with Jonathan Kim in the video player at the top of this article.