Athletes growing bolder, proclaiming faith, former NFL player says
After a long career in professional football, Benjamin Watson is now a successful broadcaster and pro-life advocate, who spoke at the Vitae Foundation dinner in Kansas City several years ago.
Not long ago, he and Tim Tebow were among a handful of professional athletes who were outspoken about their faith. Now, players such as C.J. Stroud (Houston), TreVeyon Henderson (New England), and Brock Purdy (San Francisco) openly talk about their faith after games.
“Social media is a huge part of it,” Watson told “Crosswalk Headlines.” “There’s more acceptance now. It’s also a reminder that when one person or two people or three people step out and say certain things, it gives other people confidence to say it as well, and it breaks down the fear factor, so to speak, of speaking about something that’s not the norm to hear in a postgame interview.”
Watson said he remembers reading his Fellowship of Christian Athletes Bible while in college and drawing inspiration from the testimonies of players such as Reggie White and Kurt Warner. “We just didn’t have all the avenues to share that we have now,” he said.
Today, athletes like C.J. Stroud are quick to point to their faith as the foundation for everything they do. “My faith in Jesus has meant everything to me. It’s really my foundation, it’s my rock that keeps me steady,” Stroud told Sports Spectrum. In another interview with ESPN, the Texans quarterback described how he’s “trying to keep my faith and my relationship with God at the forefront of my life. And I can’t be ashamed of that.”
New England running back TreVeyon Henderson has echoed similar sentiments. “It’s the biggest thing in my life. My faith in Jesus and believing that there’s something bigger in this world is what matters,” Henderson recently shared on social media. He’s also described himself as “living proof of what the mercy of God can do,” saying, “for all the things I’ve done and the choices made that I regret I would still be lost.”
San Francisco’s Brock Purdy has been equally vocal, telling reporters, “For me, I believe in the Lord. I trust in Him.” Purdy has been known to pray before and after games, saying, “God, if you want me to do great with [football], great. If not, all right, let’s go do something else, wherever you need me.”
The constant pressure of sports often pushes athletes to search beyond themselves for strength and purpose.
“I think people are looking for something outside themselves in pressure situations,” Watson said. “When we are in situations that are beyond ourselves and beyond our personal capabilities, it is where God specifically has us to hear from him the most. We’re living in an age where we can exchange so much information. We can make Christ’s name known in so many different ways. It’s an encouragement to anybody who’s a believer.”
He urges Christians to encourage athletes as they share their faith and to pray for them as they navigate fame, fortune and a media-intense environment.
“For believers, as you watch these games and as you hear athletes proclaim Christ, pray for them,” he said. “Pray specifically that God would protect them physically and mature them spiritually, that the seed that they’re excited about doesn’t get snatched away but that it grows deep roots and bears fruit.”
–Alan Goforth
