Grounded in Faith: Annette Means Shares Life Behind the Scenes of the NFL

September 1, 2025

Grounded in Faith: Annette Means Shares Life Behind the Scenes of the NFL

I am so excited to share this conversation with my sweet friend, Annette. We first met in 2024 through a mutual friend’s Zoom bible study. When Annette mentioned she lived in Florida—a place I had just moved to myself—a quick text turned into breakfast, and that breakfast turned into a beautiful friendship. Over the past year, I’ve been so thankful for the bond we’ve built.

Annette is married to Steven Means, who played in the NFL for 10 years, and together they are raising two amazing boys: Trey (5) and True (3). She’s also a loyal coffee lover, sticking with her go-to order for more than five years: two shots of espresso over ice, topped with vanilla sweet cream cold foam.

Play-by-play in the transcript below, or click here to catch the recorded livestream.

How Did You and Steven Meet?

Annette: This is CRAZY. We’re both from Buffalo, NY and lived only one block away from each other—we even went to rival high schools—but we never met. In 2013, I moved to Tampa for a job in sales and marketing. That same year, Steven was playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He reached out the old-fashioned way—on Facebook!

Imagine realizing how many times we must have crossed paths before.

I had left Buffalo because I felt like I had lost myself. After a series of bad relationships, I told my mom, “I’m never going to meet my husband here.” And then I met Steven—also from Buffalo, from my neighborhood. Only God could have written that story. We’ve now been together nearly 13 years and married for 7.

What Was Your First Impression of Life in the Sports World?

Annette: Honestly, that’s why we dated so long before marriage. You always hear things about athletes—that they’ll cheat or that the lifestyle is too much—and I was scared. I also knew there would be long distance. But Steven made me feel so safe. Our faith anchored us and made the relationship feel steady.

What’s Something Fans Don’t See About Life Behind the Scenes?

Annette: The sacrifice—for both players and their families. There’s so much isolation at times. Steven was one of those guys “on the bubble,” fighting for his job every single year. He got drafted to the Buccaneers in 2013, but was released by the end of that same year. We were constantly moving, constantly adjusting.

We are real people with real lives. We’re so grateful for the opportunities, but it was still very hard.

How Did You Keep Your Marriage Grounded Under That Pressure?

Annette: Our faith. We had to completely surrender everything. I’ve struggled with anxiety for a long time, and the only way to dispel fear was to remember there’s purpose in everything.

Wherever we were, we sought out community—whether through the team bible study or elsewhere. That helped us stay rooted.

What Did You Learn About Yourself Through This Journey?

Annette: That my identity is in Christ. For a long time, I let my identity get wrapped up in Steven’s career and in football. When he retired, I grieved football more than I expected. It had become everything we knew.

But I had to remember—I’m a child of God, and my worth isn’t in football. Matthew 6:34 is my favorite verse:

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I repeated that to myself daily as a reminder that God had a plan and had us covered.

What Was Your Favorite Team and City?

Annette: Philadelphia and the Eagles. That’s an easy one.

What’s Something Surprising About Steven Off the Field?

Annette: That he’s a huge teddy bear. He loves kids, he loves people. He may look intimidating, but he’s truly the sweetest person.

What’s Your Go-To Date Night?

Annette: We’re simple—dinner and a movie, or grabbing ice cream with the kids when we can. Steven’s favorite date is riding scooters together. We love doing that, just riding around, talking, and chilling.

What Dreams Are You Carrying Into This nNext Season?

Annette: Finding my purpose. I’ve been more intentional about sharing the gospel and showing God’s love. I want people to see His light through me.

This conversation was such a blessing. Annette’s honesty, faith, and heart for her family are a reminder that behind every game, every jersey, and every highlight reel are real people with real stories.