3. Bo Nix (Denver Broncos)
After a close quarterback competition during training camp, the Denver Broncos named rookie Bo Nix as their starter. Then on Sept. 4, they named him the first rookie team captain since 1967.
All summer, Nix’s new teammates and coaches described him as “mature.” Part of that could be his age, 24. Because of pandemic-related eligibility rules, Nix started 61 college games, the most ever for an NCAA quarterback. Plus, Nix is already married.
But the maturity also might stem from being grounded in faith. “God has ordered my steps,” Nix said in 2021, while transferring from Auburn to Oregon. “And [God] has a plan for me like he does for everyone else.”
Back in high school, Nix was already talking publicly about his beliefs. On the Sports Spectrum podcast in 2018, the athlete said he wanted to help people know “it’s not weird or different to…do what’s right and be a Christ-follower.”
After being drafted No. 12 overall in April, Nix referenced Isaiah 55:9, saying he believes God’s plans are higher than our ways. He’s a “perfect example” of that, the QB added: “You can look at my story and know that [God] has an individual plan for each one of our lives. He sets it out in front of us, and all we have to do is follow.”
