Josh Norman (24) in October vs. Carolina. (Photo by Keith Allison/Flickr)
Like most Christians, Josh Norman says he finds daily value in both prayer and the Bible.
“I’m a believer of Christ,” the Washington Redskins cornerback said recently, according to The Undefeated’s Kelley D. Evans. “I walk in faith, and I try to do the right things and stay away from pitfalls, but we’re humans.”
Yet even with a childhood cloaked in religious influence, most of which stemmed from his father’s role as a Baptist pastor, Norman never experienced something as awe-inspiring as when he walked where Jesus walked. Twice.
The former Carolina Panthers Pro Bowler has touted his faith in God for years. But this year, starting with a trip alongside five other NFL players to Israel after Super Bowl LII, Norman immersed himself in reverence for Jesus unlike ever before. As Evans reported for The Undefeated, the veteran corner appreciated his first trip overseas so much that he went back to Israel in July by himself, touring the Dead Sea and Jerusalem’s Western Wall tunnels among other Old City locations — all to “actually walk to places where Jesus walked.”
“It takes your mind to that place where you are standing where He stood and where He walked,” Norman told Evans. “It was fascinating, mind-blowing in every part about it. It was just an eye-opening experience I will never, ever get back. It’s like that feeling of tranquility. It is just like a misty aura that’s over it.”
The seventh-year veteran felt that “God was speaking to me” to consider “the pilgrimage” to Israel. And while he’s obviously unable to replicate Israel’s surroundings during the season, where his responsibilities are to play a game and guard talents like Odell Beckham Jr., Norman told Evans that he sees a lot of parallels between his faith and football career.
“I feel with faith, you believe, you care, you achieve and we all make mistakes, like sports,” he said. “We’re here for a reason. I don’t have this ability off of a whim — it comes from something. So when you actually go out there and play, you want to give the respect due on which you came from back to Him. So we try to go out and be at our best, and we know we need help, we ask for it, He gives us the strength to go through it, through our abilities that He’s given us.”
Originally a fifth-round draft pick of the Panthers in 2012, Norman spent the first four years of his NFL career in Carolina before signing with Washington. He and the Redskins (5-2), who sit atop the NFC East halfway through the 2018 season, will return to the field on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons, his old NFC South rival.
TreVeyon Henderson in February 2026 at Super Bowl LX. (Adam Hunger/AP Content Services for NFL)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING TREVEYON HENDERSON
TreVeyon Henderson is a running back with the New England Patriots. He was a second-round draft pick in 2025 and in his rookie season helped New England to an AFC championship and a trip to Super Bowl LX. In college at Ohio State, he led the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2024.
Today on the podcast, TreVeyon joins Matt Forte to talk about his rookie season in the NFL, being bold for Jesus, proclaiming his faith at the Super Bowl, and the importance of keeping Christ at the center of his marriage.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING GEREMY DAVIS
Geremy Davis is a former NFL wide receiver who played six seasons with the New York Giants, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions from 2015 to 2020. In college, he was a standout wide receiver at UConn, where he caught a pass in every game he played for the Huskies.
Today on the podcast, Davis joins host Matt Forte for a poignant discussion on identity, football as an idol, trusting in God without fear, and Geremy’s post-playing career endeavors, including his new show, “Golf and the Gospel,” on YouTube.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING JUWAN JOHNSON
Juwan Johnson is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in 2020 out of college after spending four seasons with Penn State and a fifth at Oregon. He signed with the Saints after the 2020 NFL Draft and has become an integral part of New Orleans’ offense. In 2025, he had his best season as a pro, with a career-high 77 receptions and 889 receiving yards.
Today on the podcast, Juwan Johnson opens up about how putting Christ first transformed his identity beyond the jersey. He shares about how to lead with a servant’s heart in the spotlight, from handling the pressures of the NFL to finding a deeper purpose off the field.
Justin Simmons retires as a Denver Bronco, April 19, 2026. (Photo via X/@Broncos)
After nine NFL seasons, including two Pro Bowl selections, Justin Simmons is calling it a career. He made the announcement on Wednesday — 10 years to the day since he was selected in the third round as the No. 98 pick by the Denver Broncos.
He spent his first eight seasons in Denver before playing the 2024 season with the Atlanta Falcons; he didn’t play in 2025. He retires with 32 career interceptions, which ranks second in the NFL since 2016 behind Kevin Byard, and his 30 picks in a Broncos uniform rank sixth in franchise history.
“Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story,” Simmons wrote in an Instagram post.
He was full of gratitude during his formal press conference on Wednesday as well.
“This is more than I deserve,” Simmons said. “This is truly one-of-one. I can’t put into words how thankful I am for the generosity and the hospitality that you’ve shown my family and I. Like I said, this is beyond my wildest dreams. Ten years ago to the day, walking into the building, eyes [wide] like this, not knowing whose hands I’m shaking, but just wanting to make a difference on the field.”
After a standout career at Boston College, Simmons made his mark on the NFL through appearing in 134 games (118 for Denver), including 124 starts. He was a second-team All-Pro four times, a two-time Pro Bowler, the NFL co-leader in interceptions in 2022, and Denver’s Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year nominee three different times.
The Broncos created a video montage with Simmons recapping his career, including some of the highlights, such as being named All-Pro and earning his first NFL sack — when he took down New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady as a rookie.
“Being a Denver Bronco was more than just a team. It was my heart, my home and my story.”
His tenure in Denver came to an end after the 2023 season when the Broncos opted to release him in order to save money in cap space. Even then, he responded with gratitude toward the organization that gave him a chance in the NFL.
After the transaction became official, he showed up at the team’s headquarters to say “thank you” and “good bye” to team employees.
“There is so much that goes into playing well on Sunday. Even outside of practice. The nutritionist, the athletic trainer, those in the training room, the people upstairs in the front office who help with logistics, and so many others,” Simmons told the Denver Post in June 2024. “I might not have said ‘thank you’ every day I walked in, but I wanted to make sure that my last time roaming those halls as a player I said ‘thank you’ and took time to let them all know that their work and words behind closed doors meant so much to me and played a big part in my success.”
Denver Post columnist Troy Renck wrote, “Employees who have been with the Broncos for the past two decades could not recall a player more gracious in his departure, more intentional in his purpose.”
Those thank-yous continued to come in bulk Wednesday during his retirement press conference. Simmons thanked everyone from the top of the organization and down, including former coaches, players and other staff members.
He also explained what led to his decision to retire. When the Broncos released him, he still wanted to play football and be somewhere that provided a chance to play in the playoffs, as the Broncos never made the postseason during his time with the team. He felt the Falcons gave him that, though it proved tough to be in a new city while his wife, Taryn, and three kids continued to live in Denver and commute to games on the weekends.
“Literally a week-and-a-half into it, it was the most miserable part of being in Atlanta. It was hard,” he said in the press conference. “I felt like I was parenting on FaceTime. It was hard being away from the kids. It was hard seeing Taryn struggle with them out here — not on her own but without dad it’s hard. I missed my wife. I missed my kids. I missed what was so familiar for eight years. It’s things that I took for granted and you don’t know until it’s gone.”
When the 2025 season came around and he was a free agent, he still wanted to play but felt like he needed to be very specific about where that would be. Nothing panned out with the few teams he was interested in.
“But while I was sitting on the couch cheering for the Broncos and watching some of my guys play around the league, there was a sense of peace that I hadn’t really felt before,” he said in his press conference. “Honestly every day that when by, I was still training, still hoping to play, but every day that went by I felt like my relationship with my family was growing. For eight years, I didn’t have that.
“… It came to the surface, like, it’s just time. Praying about it. We wanted to be very diligent and taking our time, but it was just time. I’ve always been so thankful for the crew that I’ve had around my life, the village of people that it takes because they helped me make that decision.”
Those who know Simmons are not surprised by any of this. His character on and off the field is fueled by his faith in Jesus. He describes himself on X as “an imperfect and unworthy follower of Jesus, saved by grace.” On Instagram, he calls himself a “child of the King.” He has long been outspoken about his faith and detailed his journey of coming to salvation in Jesus in an “I Once Was” video with Sports Spectrum.
In a devotional Simmons wrote for the Summer 2024 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine, he said, “When you’re in tune with the Lord, His signs are glaring. Then it’s ultimately up to you to allow the Spirit to work within you to make you start walking in the direction of that sign. God knows what you’re going through. God knows what you’re praying for. Dive into what He’s trying to tell you. Don’t run away from it.”
