One of the fun things I love during the NFL season is getting into the back-and-forth banter on Facebook with my high school and college friends. One of my college classmates posts his weekly "Bum List," where he asks those of us whose teams lost the previous Sunday to still "rep" our squad. As a lifelong Dallas Cowboys fan, I have taken some friendly heat regarding their three-year absence from the playoffs. For this week's Bum List, my college classmate, a Steelers fan, told me he saw "potential" in Dallas' win over the Washington Commanders, while lamenting that Pittsburgh should "just toss the whole season away" after their blowout loss to the New England Patriots. With a grinning emoji, I chimed in, "Don't throw away your Terrible Towel yet."

While I look forward to Bum List teasing with friends, another watchlist I follow is Sports Spectrum's compilation of NFL players who use their platform to share their faith in Christ and serve their communities. To kick off this season, Sports Spectrum featured 10 players, including Cowboys safety Caleb Downs, Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix. Downs and Smith-Njigba, aka JSN, are former Ohio State players whose careers I have watched closely. In college, Downs, who transferred to OSU from Alabama, was known as a shrewd ballhawk who thoroughly scoured the field and "brought the wood." He's a favorite to win Defensive Rookie of the Year and should greatly improve the Cowboys' secondary. JSN's OSU career was disappointingly cut short when he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury as a junior, leaving Buckeye fans wondering what could have been in 2022 after the loss to Georgia in the Peach Bowl. I asked that question again after JSN led the NFL in receptions last season, won the AP Offensive Player of the Year award, and helped lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl championship.

Downs and JSN, along with the other NFL players on Sports Spectrum's list, constantly shout out Jesus and praise God for their accomplishments on and off the field. Some fans find this annoying, and I have read social media comments calling this jubilant witnessing "cringe." However, I think many people offended by players' eagerness to share their faith just don't understand the true joy they experience in doing everything, even football, for "the Glory of God." Before Super Bowl LX, JSN posted, "I'm here to serve the Lord," on X. After being selected as the 11th pick in the NFL Draft, Downs said in an interview that he was "just thankful for (his) savior Jesus Christ." These genuine expressions of faith could influence many young people, and researchers are studying this further. For example, a 2018 University of New Hampshire survey on high school athletes found that "sports celebrity spokespersons and or endorsers act as vicarious role models to members of Generation Z. Most respondents declared that it was important for their favorite athlete to provide a good model to follow, lead by example, and provide a positive example for others." Downs, JSN and Nix have large endorsement portfolios and thousands of followers on X and Instagram. Their fans watch what they say and do and look to them for inspiration. Downs reaches many young people through his family podcast "Downs 2 Business," and last year during a revival led by the OSU football team, he told fellow students that none of his athletic achievements could compare to the Kingdom of God. JSN always publicly acknowledges God in postgame interviews, and Nix wears a wristband during games that reads "In God, I play." With many Gen Zers looking to pro athletes for what they can emulate, Downs, JSN and Nix are stellar examples.

As I enjoy the 2026 NFL season, I will keep my eyes on all the players Sports Spectrum highlighted, as some great stories are coming. I also hope Dallas does not pop up on my college friend's Facebook Bum List too often. I'd really love to brag on the Cowboys this year.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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