Playing for No. 1: High NFL draft pick Tua Tagovailoa puts God first

Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, whom the Miami Dolphins selected with the fifth overall pick of the recent NFL draft, has chosen No. 1 for his uniform.

“For the audience of 1,” Tagovailoa wrote on his social media accounts, alongside an emoji of praying hands. He also posted a picture of himself in his new jersey, with eye black crosses emblazoned on each cheek. “Audience of One” is a popular phrase used by Christian athletes.

“The intent of the phrase is to help Christian players remember that everywhere in life – even in a stadium full of people – ‘we live and move and have our being in him,’ and it’s his pleasure we should pursue above all else,” Athletes in Action’s Ed Uszynski wrote on the ministry’s website.

Tagovailoa’s Twitter bio reads, “1 Cor. 2:9.” The verse reads in the NIV, “However, as it is written: ‘What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard and what no human mind has conceived’ — the things God has prepared for those who love him.”

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He told CBN his faith forms his identity.

“The greatest gift that God could have given us was his son,” Tagovailoa said. “It’s not just a matter of hearing what Jesus Christ is; it’s a matter of getting to know who Jesus Christ is. To really understand and really feel the identity of who you are because of things that he’s done. And I’d say you can only find your identity through him, if you know him.”

During the 2016 NFL season, several Christian players for the Philadelphia Eagles wore customized cleats with the Audience of One abbreviation “AO1” on one side of the shoe and “Romans 5:8” on the other.

Romans 5:8 reads,“But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

They also recorded a video explaining the meaning behind Audience of One.

“What does AO1 mean to us?” they asked. “It means that we are playing for an Audience of One. When the lights go on and all eyes are fixed on us, our eyes are fixed on him: Jesus, the creator of the universe. It’s not just a slogan, it’s a lifestyle. Living for him, playing for Him and giving him all the glory. Win, lose or draw — I play for an Audience of One.”