Reading the respect and love he has for his family (especially his mom) and you know he is an outstanding person. I will attribute that to family values. Watch him pre-game and you will see a man who cares about even the smallest of fans. Finally watch what he does on the field and you will understand why he is a fan favorite.
You don'the have to be of the same religion to find similar values. If we all can look for the good in people we will either ignore or stop see the bad.