Roger Federer in 2012 (Photo Courtesy: Christian Mesiano/Flickr)
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:2-4
Roger Federer, Lebron James, Sidney Crosby, Mike Trout. They are complete athletes who lack nothing. In their sport, they can do it all. And they do it all while making it look incredibly easy. But striving to reach this elite level, and stay there, is most assuredly not as effortless as they make it look. They have pushed their body and mind to their limits to get where they are. Their steadfastness has been tested every step of the way.
As followers of Jesus, it is easy to tell ourselves we want to achieve an elite level of faith like our Bible heroes had. What would it be like to live with the spiritual strength of Elijah, who defeated 450 false prophets and called down fire from Heaven? How does one reach Elijah-like status?
James says that trials and the testing of our faith is what is required to make us perfect and complete. The same Elijah who was the key player in the Mount Carmel miracle of 1 Kings 18 was in a state of deep despair not long after and wanted his life to be taken. God’s plan for perfecting Elijah involved a very intense trial and testing of his faith.
We love the mountaintop experiences of life, and there is nothing wrong with enjoying victories that God graciously allows along our path. But may we always remember that it is in the difficult times that we are perfected in our faith, and in those times may we be able to count it all joy.
— Craig Nixon
If you would like to submit a reader devotional, please email all submissions to jason@sportsspectrum.com.
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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.”
“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” — Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
Having taught and coached for 48 years, I always maintained the same philosophy: I believed from Day 1 that it was my responsibility to provide my students and athletes (men and women) an opportunity to be the “best” they could be, given the abilities God had given them.
I also believed it was their responsibility to take advantage of their opportunities. I always encouraged them to do so, even in the times when they didn’t quite agree with me.
In 1991, my men’s team at Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) qualified for the NCAA Division I Final Four in Hawaii. We played USC in the semifinals. One of my starting players was not playing well, so I removed him from the game. He sat next to me and I reminded him his seat was at the end. Within a few seconds, he was back sitting next to me. Once again, I reminded him of his place on the bench. This took place three times, and after the third time I gave in and returned him to the lineup.
He never returned to the bench after that, and went on to become an All-American. He took advantage of his second chance.
God gives all of us opportunities to do all things through Him. We need to take advantage of them.
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.”
“Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.” — Hebrews 6:1
If you played baseball during your childhood, there’s a good chance your first introduction to the game was at very young age in tee ball. In those early days, we didn’t worry about stealing bases, perfect pitching mechanics or advanced strategy. We learned the basics of the game, because without a solid foundation, nothing else would work.
You would most likely struggle to hit a ball thrown to you if you didn’t first learn how to make contact when the ball was stationary. You needed to learn the rules of the game before you could formulate strategy or advanced skills.
Our faith works the same way. In the beginning, God often meets us where we are, teaching us the foundational truths: who He is, what Jesus has done for us, and how to trust Him. These are the spiritual “fundamentals” — prayer, Scripture, worship and simple obedience. For many of us, these basics are all we grasp when we first step up to the plate of life, just like that little league tee.
But as we grow older — on the field and in faith — we are called to progress beyond the basics. Just as coaches add new drills, teach situational plays and refine mechanics, God invites us to develop a deeper understanding and a more mature faith. Hebrews 6:1 reminds us, “Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.”
We aren’t meant to stay in tee-ball faith forever. God’s design is growth. He wants us to wrestle with hard questions, dive into Scripture, and practice the disciplines that transform not just our knowledge but our hearts. This is the spiritual equivalent of learning to hit curveballs and turn double plays.
Sometimes, we resist growth because it feels riskier. Advanced plays require more focus, more accountability and a willingness to fail. But just like a coach cheering on a young player, God is there, guiding, correcting and encouraging us. And every time we step into deeper faith, we’re not leaving the fundamentals behind, we’re building on them to make them stronger.
So whether you’re still at the beginning of your spiritual journey or you’ve been playing the game for years, remember this: The goal is to grow. It’s to seek a faith that’s mature, that can handle curveballs and trusts God even when the play isn’t obvious. The deeper you go, the more equipped you’ll be to serve, love and lead others on the field of life.
The next time you watch a young ballplayer swing at a ball on the tee, remember God is shaping your swing too. Start with the fundamentals, but don’t stop there. Step up, swing with faith and keep moving toward maturity.
