Washington Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs says that when he paces the sidelines, he feels God walking alongside, making him a better coach.

His faith is hardly unique in the National Football League, where careers, marriages, friendships and self-identity can be shattered by one wrong twist of a knee or one bad season.

The newly rich, self-confident and celebrated NFL players seen by fans are far more insecure and vulnerable behind closed locker-room doors, and many are turning to religion for balance in their lives, team chaplains and athletes say. Coaches endorse the idea, saying it can be a crucial element in building a winning program.

"I don't pick starters based on their religious beliefs and I don't tell my team we'll pray our way through adversity," says Gibbs, 65. "But I do think faith in God contributes to the development of a person's character, which is important in building a team."

Players say confidence — and arrogance — are often a facade to hide the insecurity that comes with salaries that aren't guaranteed, fear of injury and constant competition for their jobs.

"One of the most insecure places I know of is the NFL locker room," says Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover, a born-again Christian.

"All this is coming down on you, and you are still a kid and you are thinking, 'Help, somebody.' So the ministry tries to create an environment where the player can gain a sense of purpose outside himself."

UNPAID ADVISERS

Most of the 32 NFL teams have an informal relationship with a religiously oriented adviser, often unpaid, whom players and coaches refer to as a chaplain. Few are ordained. Seventeen are affiliated with Athletes in Action, an organization founded in 1966 and based in Xenia, Ohio, to use sports as a platform for spreading the word of Jesus Christ.

They minister to a young, wealthy and sometimes troubled flock. The average NFL player is 25, has a career lasting 3.2 seasons and makes $1.63 million annually, according to the National Football League Players Association.

This year, more than 30 NFL players, including eight on the Cincinnati Bengals, have faced charges ranging from driving under the influence to felony burglary. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell visited the Bengals in September and lectured players about their behavior.

"We've been involved behind the scenes," says Bengals chaplain Ken Moyer. "We're there for them. We want to help, but you can't force yourself on people."

In summoning God, players can adopt a misguided or simplistic view of religion's role in the game. That won't help, chaplains say.

"I've tried to correct some guys because to me it brings personal faith down to a good-luck-charm level," says George McGovern, the New York Giants' chaplain. "It's like: 'God is my genie. If I rub the bottle and say the right prayer. ... ' It's a cosmic Santa Claus idea."

God doesn't care who wins, McGovern says. Playing up to one's potential is what counts.

"People take it to a level where they worship these guys, and the stadium becomes the temple and the players become the gods in a three-hour worship service. To me, that is not the purpose of the event."

To make athletes more dependable on the field and more stable off it requires a belief in something bigger than a player's own celebrity, coaches say. They also say team ministries can draw players together.

"The fellowship can offer comfort, counseling and guidance," Ravens head coach Brian Billick says. "It can help be a part of team building."

Oakland Raiders chaplain Adam Ybarra, 42, says then-coach Jon Gruden took him on eight years ago with these instructions: "Just help me build winners. Do whatever you do, but that's the philosophy."

NFL chaplains say an increasing number of players are participating in team Bible studies, pregame chapel services and family counseling sessions.

Moyer says he discusses marital issues with Bengals players and their wives during weekly Bible sessions.

Shawn Mitchell, an ordained minister in Oceanside, Calif., and the San Diego Chargers' chaplain, presided at the wedding of Pro Bowl running back LaDainian Tomlinson. Mitchell says he then counseled the couple after a miscarriage last year.

FAITH AND CONFIDENCE

Harry Swayne, who played on five NFL teams and is now the Chicago Bears' chaplain, says having faith in God helps many players cope with the pressure to perform.

"Talent isn't enough," says Swayne, 41, who went to four Super Bowls. "Football requires us to be committed from a place deep inside ourselves, during a period of unbelievable emotional and physical duress.

"There is a tie-in between being a student of the word of God — having that faith and belief — and having the self-control and confidence each time you step on the field."

Faith among athletes isn't confined to football. Most Major League Baseball teams open their ballparks for chaplain-led Sunday services, National Basketball Association teams hold prayer services before tip-offs, and National Hockey League teams make rooms available for prayer, according to league spokesmen.

NFL chaplains say they consider themselves part minister, psychologist, family counselor and father figure. They address such issues as drug and alcohol abuse, infidelity, domestic violence, parenting and job stress.