Young, Successful NFL Quarterbacks Using Football to Spread Christ’s Gospel
Houston Texans rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud and Vikings quarterback Josh Dobbs are making NFL history this football season. And while the whirlwind of success has put them in the spotlight, the pair often deflect the recognition and say the “glory belongs to God.”
Dobbs, 28, was recently traded to the Vikings from the Arizona Cardinals after the team lost Kirk Cousins to a torn Achilles tendon in October. Dobbs was then thrust into the starting lineup after Cousins’ replacement quarterback Jaren Hall suffered a concussion.
In last Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, Dobbs orchestrated a 27-19 home victory.
Dobbs completed 23 of his 34 passes for 268 yards while also adding 44 yards on the ground. He became the first player in NFL history to amass 400 passing yards, 100 rushing yards, and no interceptions in his first two games with a team, according to ESPN.
Dobbs, who lists the Bible verse Joshua 1:9 in his X bio, spoke at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis on Feb. 1, 2020, and shared his story of football and faith, Sports Spectrum reported.
“I truly learned what it meant to be a Christian—what it meant to have my faith as a priority—when I got to college,” he said. “… If church is going to be a priority, if faith is a priority, I have to make it a priority. I have to go get involved in a church. I have to go be present, be willing, be involved.”
Dobbs shared in a 2018 interview with the Jackson Sun that his focus, no matter his success, will remain on God.
“The day will come that I won’t be a part of any football team,” he said. “But the decision I made during my sophomore year in high school—to be a part of Team Jesus—I’ll be a part of that team for the rest of my life, and for all eternity.”
Stroud Stuns in Rookie Season
Meanwhile, Houston Texans rookie C.J. Stroud is also exceeding expectations on the field after completing 30 of his 42 passes for an NFL-rookie-record 470 yards and five touchdowns, with no interceptions in a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Nov. 5.
Stroud led his team to victory and during a post-game interview was not shy about pointing out that God made a way for the team when they were down and almost out.
“First and foremost,” Stroud began, “I gotta give all glory and praise to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. … When you give your life to the Lord, He gives you opportunities and it’s what you do with it.”
“It’s a blessing,” he responded when asked about his rookie-record 470 yards passing. “… I do it for the glory of God.”
Stroud says he has held on to God and prayer in hard times.
In 2015, his father, a former pastor, was arrested when Stroud was just 13 years old. His dad is now serving a 38-year prison sentence on charges of carjacking, kidnapping, robbery, and misdemeanor sexual battery stemming from a drug-related incident, Sports Illustrated reported.
“He laid His life on the Cross for us. I really believe that. This is bigger than just ball, and if I have to use football for my purpose—to spread the gospel and the life of Jesus Christ—then I’ll do that. And I think that’s what God wants.”
Jalen Hurts is another NFL quarterback that is like-minded with Stroud and Dobbs. He led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl last year and his team came up just short of a championship.
Then there is Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa, who has been an outspoken Christian since his says as a high school football player. {eoa}
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