The College Football Playoff (CFP) field is now winnowed down to four teams, but the number of athletes talking about their Christian faith continues to expand. During bowl season, numerous NCAA football players and coaches are using their platform to talk about Jesus and their relationship with him.
That continued this week with the CFP quarterfinal matchups. Through victory and defeat, outspoken Christians are deflecting the spotlight from themselves and shining it on God and his faithfulness.
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5 College Football Players Who Glorify Jesus
Before and after this week’s bowl games, several college gridiron greats shared the gospel during interviews and press conferences. Here are five that went viral:
Notre Dame Quarterback Riley Leonard
After his team defeated Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Thursday (Jan. 2), Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard began a post-game interview by thanking “my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,” adding, “without him, I wouldn’t be here.” Speaking to an ESPN reporter about adversities his team has faced, Leonard said, “When you trust in the Lord, anything can happen.”
In a recent Players Tribune article, Leonard, 22, described feeling a “weird emptiness inside” as a high school freshman, despite having athletic success. That’s when he began attending church and “diving into the Bible.”
Leonard, who transferred from Duke to Notre Dame for his senior year, wrote that faith keeps sports fame in perspective for him:
It’s tempting to put yourself above other people. It’s tempting to start to think that you’re somebody. But you’re not. One of my favorite Bible verses, Matthew 23:12. It says: “Those who exalt themselves or praise themselves will be humbled, but those who humble themselves will be praised.” I wear those words on my wrist every game.
