THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST
WITH JON ACKERMAN, FEATURING MALLORY PUGH
Mallory Pugh is a professional soccer player for the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League, and also a member of the United States women’s national team. She’s earned 72 appearances for the national team, scoring 23 goals and 24 assists.
In 2016, she became the youngest player in the previous 11 years to make her USWNT debut. Later that year, Pugh participated in the Rio Olympics as the youngest player on the USWNT Olympic roster and became the youngest American to ever play and score in the Olympics. She also played and scored a goal in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which the U.S. won.
Today on the podcast, Jon Ackerman talks to Mallory Pugh about her recent engagement to Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson, why 2021 was a year of growth in her relationship with Christ, what discipleship looks like for her, and her desire to continue to play soccer at the highest level.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING MOHAMED MASSAQUOI
Mohamed Massaquoi is a former NFL wide receiver who played five seasons with the Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars. He was selected in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft by Cleveland after a stellar career in college with Georgia, where he was a first-team All-SEC selection in 2008.
Today on the podcast, Matt Forte talks to Mohamed Massaquoi about his college choice of Georgia, lessons learned from playing with the Browns, his draft day experience, transitioning out of the NFL, the accident that caused him to have four fingers amputated, and how God has remained constant in his life through the highs and lows.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING ALEX CALL
Alex Call is an outfielder with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was traded to Los Angeles from the Washington Nationals on July 31, 2025, and helped lead the Dodgers to the 2025 World Series.
Call was originally selected in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox. He was traded to Cleveland in 2018 and spent the next four years in the minors before making his MLB debut in July 2022. He was selected off waivers by Washington in 2023 and played in 128 games for the Nationals that season, hitting eight home runs. In 2024, Call played in 30 games with the Nationals and hit .343 with five stolen bases in 99 at-bats.
Today on the podcast, Alex Call shares about his journey to the Dodgers, winning a World Series, lessons God taught him this year, and being content in Christ.
Stories of life transformation from the pro sports world
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Though Alex Highsmith grew up going to church, God was never real to him. In college, he tried out the party scene as a way to fit in, but ultimately found that lifestyle to be unfulfilling. Then when some friends introduced him to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he joined them. Soon thereafter at a larger conference, God opened Alex’s eyes and heart — he realized for first time that he’s a sinner in need of a Savior. With his heart thumping in his chest, Alex felt the Holy Spirit drawing him to the Lord. That night, Jesus became real.
Watch the video above to hear Alex Highsmith tell his “I Once Was” story.
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We’re all in the middle of a story, and whether we admit it or not, we want our stories to matter. It’s those stories of deep and lasting impact that come to life when a person encounters Jesus, and responds to Him by faith. “I Once Was” invites those in the pro sports world to share their own transformational stories, describing the very moment that changed their lives forever.
Arsenal's Eberechi Eze walks of the field following a win over Tottenham, Nov. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)
Eberechi Eze had an ambitious and specific prayer ahead of his first North London derby on Sunday. The Arsenal attacker asked God for a hat trick, something that hadn’t happened in a game between Arsenal and their local rivals Tottenham since 1978.
Only three players had ever accomplished the feat. But sure enough, Eze became the fourth, scoring his three goals in the span of 36 minutes and leading Arsenal to a 4-1 victory. After the game, he was quick to credit the faith that has helped sustain him throughout his career.
“It’s what I prayed for,” he told NBC Sports. “I prayed for it today, man, a hat trick. And I got it today, so I’m grateful to God. … That was the prayer today: a hat trick. And God gave it to me. That’s faith, man.”
The 27-year-old found the back of the net on both sides of halftime to extend the Premier League leaders’ advantage to 3-0. He added a third in the 76th minute to complete his hat trick and seal the win.
The game carried a special significance for Eze, who grew up an Arsenal fan and was released by the club as a youth player. He found his way to QPR and then Crystal Palace, where he established himself as one of the Premier League’s most creative players.
After scoring the goal that won Palace the FA Cup last season, Eze decided he was ready for a new challenge. He appeared destined to join Tottenham, but Arsenal came in with a late offer before the summer transfer window closed. The opportunity to return to his boyhood club, which was coming off back-to-back second-place finishes, was too good to pass up.
“I can only thank God for the opportunity to be here, to be playing and to be recognized in this type of manner,” he said in an interview with the club website once his move was official. “For me, this is what I wanted to do. [The club] is in me, it’s part of me and I just feel so blessed. That just gives me more energy to keep pushing and keep working.”
Eze has started eight of Arsenal’s 12 Premier League games this season, contributing four goals and two assists. He has also appeared in all four of the team’s Champions League games, and scored for England during the most recent international break.
Following Sunday’s historic performance, Eze took to Instagram to celebrate. His caption was just one word: Jesus.
Now playing for one of the biggest clubs in the world with aspirations of winning a Premier League title, leaning on his faith allows Eze to stay focused on his ultimate purpose.
“I’ve grown up in a Christian household, regularly going to church,” he told The Athletic in 2023. “For me, it’s hugely important, simply because of the peace of mind it gives me. It allows me to regulate myself and put things into perspective.
“Football can get super intense and you can get caught up in it all, but my faith allows me to realign my focus and know there’s something greater and that there’s a deeper purpose as to why I’m in the position I’m in.”
He says his faith in Jesus helps keep him steady amid the highs and lows of life and being a professional athlete.
“I’ve learned in myself that staying rooted in Christ throughout all the different phases is the most important thing because it allows you to see things with the right lens,” he said recently in another interview. “Things will change. Things go up, things go down, you don’t know what’s around the corner, you don’t know how things may look. The one solid rock and foundation is Christ. Having that allows me to deal with whatever circumstance I’m in.”
Arsenal are six points clear at the top of the Premier League table heading into a crucial week. They host German powerhouse Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Wednesday (3 p.m. ET) and visit Chelsea on Sunday (11:30 a.m. ET) in a meeting of the Premier League’s top two teams.
