Dre Brown running down on a kickoff coverage at Iowa on Saturday October 7, 2017. (Photo Courtesy: University of Illinois Athletics)
After 2 torn ACL injuries, 2 sprained MCL injuries, a stress fracture and 4 knee surgeries, Dre Brown, wearing number 27, was able to make his debut in a game for Illinois.
“It was amazing,” Brown told Sports Spectrum. “Just being on that stage alone, especially with all that I’ve been through with the injuries. Just an amazing opportunity.”
Coming out of high school, Brown was ranked as a three-star recruit and the No. 37 running back in the nation in 2014. He committed to Illinois in March of 2014 and was expected to be a big part of the rebuilding with the Illini.
But then, the injuries happened.
A torn ACL in the spring of 2015 and another one in the spring of 2016, forced Brown to do some soul searching and really think long and hard about where his identity was found.
In 2017, many thought they would never see Brown on the field as a member of the Illini, but with faith in God, and a lot of hard work, Dre Brown made his debut this past Saturday against Iowa.
After 2 torn ACLs, 2 sprained MCLs, Stress fracture and 4 knee surgeries. I got to play in my first collegiate game as an Illini! #NeverQuitpic.twitter.com/xecw77NPSX
In an exclusive interview with Sports Spectrum, Dre shared how he put his faith and trust in God and started walking with the Lord during that rough stretch of injures in 2015.
“I started going to church and people inviting me to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and I started getting plugged in there. People were bold enough to invite me. It came down to January (2016), where I could make a decision to go back to my old life, just wandering around with no purpose, or I could take this pursuit with Christ and I just kind of jumped in. I ended up being baptized in April of 2016.”
Dre’s also celebrating another accomplishment —- engagement. On July 24, he proposed to his girlfriend Lindsay and the two are now set to marry in 2018.
“I found an amazing girl at this Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp,” Brown told Sports Spectrum. “We just hit it off. I know I can pursue Christ better with her than by myself. We got the wedding next May and I’m excited to do life with her and glad that God picked her out for me, she’s a good one.”
Click below to listen to the entire interview with Dre Brown and Sports Spectrum’s Jason Romano.
Panthers teammates Jonathon Brooks (left) and Princely Umanmielen (right) get baptized, April 26, 2026. (Photos via X/@GriffinZett)
Jonathon Brooks is still working his way back from a second ACL tear, while Princely Umanmielen is coming off his rookie season.
But this week, the two young Carolina Panthers teammates took a step that had little to do with football. They both made public declarations of faith in Christ by getting baptized on Sunday at Vizion Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teammate Chuba Hubbard in attendance.
The team that prays together, stays together. #Panthers teammates Jonathon Brooks and Princely Umanmielen were baptized today; Chuba Hubbard was also in attendance to support. 📸 @GriffinZettpic.twitter.com/rbdmm9rAVE
For Brooks, the moment comes amid what’s been a long and arduous journey with injuries. After suffering an ACL tear and having surgery while in college at Texas, the running back suffered a second ACL injury just over a year later during his rookie season.
“Dear God … I trust in your plan,” he wrote on Instagram after the second injury.
The Panthers selected him with the No. 46 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft knowing he might not be ready right away after his first surgery in November 2023. He missed the first nine games of his rookie season before making his debut on Nov. 24, 2024.
But his return was brief. He appeared in three games, totaling nine carries for 22 yards and three receptions for 23 yards, before re-injuring the same knee against the Philadelphia Eagles. The setback cost him the rest of the 2024 season and all of the 2025 season, which ended with the Panthers losing to the Los Angeles Rams in the wild-card round.
“It’s like an emotional roller coaster,” Brooks told Panthers.com after the 2025-26 season ended. “But you know, truthfully, I know that God has a plan for me and I know that He makes no mistakes and He’s using my story to show the world the amazing things He can do, and so I’m set on that.”
Thus, his focus has been on rehab and his faith.
“When you’re a believer, it’s not just God’s part. It’s not just God’s side of things; you have to go out, and you have to do,” he told Panthers.com. “You can’t just sit back and expect God to do it for you. You have to kind of meet Him in the middle, trust that He has a plan, but you also have to put in the work.”
Brooks’ faith is not new. He leaned on God heavily in the aftermath of his father, James “Skip” Brooks, dying at 49 on March 28, 2022, due to complications from a blood clot that impacted his heart. Jonathon was a freshman at Texas at the time.
“I’ve been through a lot in my life,” Brooks told the AP this week. “I lost my father. I’ve torn my ACL twice. Every single time I reverted back to my faith and for me, my baptism was a recommitment of my faith — to not only change myself, but from that day forward to stop making excuses for my surroundings.”
Brooks said the baptism was also a celebration after being cleared to participate in the Panthers’ offseason conditioning program without limitations. And Hubbard, though he may lose some carries next season due to Brooks’ return, wanted to be there to support his friend.
“He’s been building in his faith, building in his relationship with God, which I think is amazing,” Hubbard told the AP. “And in doing that, I think it also just kind of creates a resiliency in your mind and where you’re going there.”
Umanmielen’s path has looked different, but faith has also been central.
A third-round pick in 2025, the linebacker appeared in 16 games as a rookie while continuing to grow both on and off the field. His focus on his relationship with God dates back to his time at Ole Miss.
“Just keeping my trust in Jesus Christ and God. Just actually giving myself a routine, (too),” he told TheRebelWalk.com while at Ole Miss. “On some days I might not leave the facility until — I’ll go home during the day, but then I’ll come back around 6 or 7 — 9-9:30. Just keeping the routine and keeping my trust and having a good relationship with God.”
That foundation was shaped in part by his mother, who made it a priority to pray with him before games. Now as a pro, he displayed that faith in March by handing out food in downtown Charlotte and praying for those is need.
“Throughout these four years, my mom won’t let me go into a game without calling me and praying for me,” Umanmielen told TheRebelWalk.com about his faith. “That was a big thing. I think this season I really took it upon myself to find a closer relationship with God rather than just having my mom pray for me all the time. I really took it upon myself to make changes to my life so I can have that closer relationship to God. I still call her to this day so we can pray before the game, but I just took it upon myself this season to grow a stronger relationship.”
He also leaned on that faith when he suffered a couple of minor injuries in college, including an ankle injury and a shoulder tweak.
“It was really tough on me mentally,” he told TheRebelWalk.com, “but just going back to God again and keeping my trust and faith in Him, I came back even stronger.”
QB Cade Klubnik at the NFL Combine, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The New York Jets’ quarterback room continued to take shape over the weekend with the addition of former Clemson star Cade Klubnik in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. He joins second-year pro Brady Cook as well as veterans Bailey Zappe and Geno Smith — both added this offseason — after New York traded Justin Fields to Kansas City in March.
The Jets moved up 18 spots to snatch Klubnik. The moment was the realization of a childhood dream for the 22-year-old, and he was itching to get started.
“I’m pumped, let’s go to work,” he said when the team called to inform him they were drafting him. “Loved y’all’s staff, loved spending time with y’all. Let’s do it.”
One coach Klubnik will soon get to know well is Frank Reich, whom the Jets hired in February as their offensive coordinator. Reich is a former quarterback, head coach and pastor.
“[The Jets] saw a competitor in me,” Klubnik later told NewYorkJets.com. “And they saw somebody who loves the game and loves winning, and is willing to do anything to go win.”
Klubnik was receiving first-round consideration before his senior season in 2025 with Clemson, with at least one mock draft projecting him to go No. 1 overall. But after a disappointing campaign in which his production dipped in many statistical categories and his team lurched to a 7-6 record, Klubnik’s draft stock tumbled. Still, he expressed gratitude to be able to continue his career in New York.
“God doesn’t promise that life is gonna be easy,” he said, “and He doesn’t promise that everything’s gonna go perfect. But He does promise that He’s gonna be with us every single step of the way, and He promises that His hand is gonna be right there with us. So when I hear those verses, it’s like that’s just confirmation of the way that we should be living.”
"…but He does promise that He's going to be with us every single step of the way." – @cadeklubnikqb
In the NFL, Klubnik will bring a winning mentality to a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2015 and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010. He won three state championships as a Texas high schooler and two ACC championships at Clemson. He also made an appearance in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
But the feeding frenzy that is the New York sports media market will devour him if he sees playing time but doesn’t produce. Many players have succumbed to such pressure before, but Klubnik is prepared, with his feet planted on the firm foundation of Christ.
“Just being able to have the realization and the dependability that God is really always there for me is huge, because I know who Jesus says I am,” he said on the podcast. “With that, I don’t have to care as much about the opinions of other people.”
Later, Klubnik explained that while he may be known as a football player, his identity lies in something much deeper.
“The reason I’m here is just to impact people that I’m around every single day, for the gift of eternity. For the gift of Jesus coming to save us,” he said on the podcast. “That’s really why I’m here. I love football and I’m giving it everything I have every single day, but our main purpose while we’re here is to continue to share the Gospel.”
As Klubnik prepares for Jets rookie minicamp and offseason OTAs, he will seek to continue to trust in God’s perfect plan for his life, and for his NFL career.
Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson cries while standing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being drafted by the New Orleans Saints, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Moments later, overcome with emotion after being selected No. 8 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Arizona State star receiver embraced commissioner Roger Goodell on stage as tears streamed down his face.
Speaking with ESPN after his selection, he said his joy comes from the Lord.
“I’m just so thankful, so blessed,” he said. “The Lord’s doing work on me and He’s not done. We’re going to keep this thing rolling. I’m going to give Him my all, and that’s all I can do.”
"So thankful. So blessed. the Lord is doing work on me, and he's not done!" – @tyson_jordyn
After starting his career at Colorado, Tyson broke out at Arizona State, where he was twice named a first-team All-Big 12 selection. His best season statistically came in 2024 when he caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed that up with 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025.
He did all of that while battling a litany of injuries that sidelined him for 15 games throughout his three years of college ball. A season-ending knee injury ended his freshman season in 2022, and then he transferred to ASU, where he continued to rehab the injury while redshirting the 2023 season.
He played 12 games for Arizona State in 2024 before suffering a broken collarbone that kept him off the field for the team’s College Football Playoff run. He entered the 2025 season still with a high draft stock, but a hamstring injury in October ended up keeping him out for three weeks and lingered for the rest of the season.
When healthy, scouts still see an incredibly high ceiling. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rated him as the No. 7 prospect entering the draft, and despite being the second wide receiver taken — Ohio State’s Carnell Tate was drafted by the Tennessee Titans at No. 4 — ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said Tyson was the best wide receiver in the draft.
When asked about those injuries by ESPN, Tyson once again pointed to God.
“The Lord said it’s going to be hard and you have to persevere,” he said. “Life is not easy. Keep going. You’ve got it. You’re strong — I promise you, you’re so strong. Just keep going. You’ve got it.”
His injuries are part of his testimony, he shared while on “The Walk” podcast this past fall.
“I feel like God truly put all these trials and tribulations in my life to better me,” Tyson said, while wearing a “Jesus Won” t-shirt. “He talks about that all throughout the Bible of trials and maturity. You’ve got to learn from it and become better.”
For example, when he injured his collarbone, he didn’t really feel too down about it.
“That’s just because of my faith,” he said on the podcast. “I truly believe, so I think that God put that in my life just to see how much I’ve grown, to see how much I’ve learned, to see how much I’ve trusted in Him. I truly believe if I hadn’t had those injuries, I would not be in this position.”
The son of military parents, Tyson grew up in Allen, Texas, in a disciplined household. He attended church occasionally, but he never spent time reading the Bible for himself. A lot of his growth, both on and off the field, happened at Arizona State. He met some guys involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and his understanding of God grew deeper.
“I didn’t realize Jesus really had His hand on me my whole life,” he told “The Walk.” “I was so lost in the things of the world and just living life trying to make it through years. But Jesus really had His hand on me the whole time, and I was just so naive to it. … I didn’t give all the credit to Him at first, but now I give all the credit to Him.”
Reflecting on that time of his life, he also recently shared with CBN Sports that he saw someone on campus who was living a Christian life and decided he wanted that for his life as well.
“I wonder where his strength is coming from. I wonder what he’s got going on,” Tyson said. “They told me the Good News of Jesus and that’s when my heart was just completely changed. I got baptized and now it’s my everything. It’s what I lay my life on. It’s my foundation. I just continue to lean on Him every day knowing He has a plan, knowing He has my best interests and knowing that this world isn’t my end-all-be-all.
He posted on Instagram to celebrate getting baptized in April 2025. The caption read in part, “I serve a perfect and amazing God and I am nothing without him.” Tyson calls himself “God’s Soldier” in his Instagram bio, where he also lists the Bible verse 2 Timothy 2:3.
Now in the NFL, the competition is only going to get tougher. Injuries are sure to be part of the journey. But Tyson told “The Walk” that he has full trust in God’s plans for his life.
“I feel like regardless of what happens in my life, I’m still going to be a follower, still going to have that faith,” Tyson said. “There’s obviously some stuff that I want to happen, but it doesn’t work like that all the time.”
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING ALEX HIGHSMITH
Alex Highsmith is a linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft after a stellar college career with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte 49ers.
In 2022, Highsmith led the Steelers with a career-high 14.5 sacks and tied for the NFL lead with five forced fumbles. He was rewarded in July 2023 with a four-year contract extension. He will be entering his seventh season with Pittsburgh in 2026.
Today on the podcast, we talk to Alex Highsmith about representing Christ as a football player, growing in his faith, the pressure of performing on the field, and giving back to his community.
