The former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback was not only inducted into the University of Florida’s Ring of Honor, but he also made his first appearance in the Double-A Eastern League All-Star Game. The latter honor came after he defied skeptics of his journey to baseball, hitting .318 for the New York Mets’ Binghamton Rumble Ponies during the month of June.
Now, Tebow’s season is “effectively over,” Mets assistant general manager John Ricco told ESPN on Monday, the same day Adam Schefter reported the quarterback-turned-outfielder broke the hamate bone in his right hand.
But even if Tebow’s shot at a potential late-season promotion to the big leagues will have to wait, the Mets aren’t disappointed in what this means for the 30-year-old’s baseball prospects. Ricco added he views 2018 “as nothing but a positive” for Tebow since the latter has made such “great strides” in Double-A.
That attitude also jibes with that of Tebow, whose entire 2016 book “Shaken” all but preached the importance of embracing both the highs and lows of life. Tebow’s injury may be yet another reason for critics to pile on his seemingly unending quest for a big-name sports career, and yet it doesn’t figure to rattle the former Denver Broncos signal-caller’s dreams. Tebow has long pursued his athletic talents, in addition to his role as an ESPN analyst, to maintain a platform for sharing his Christian faith, helping disadvantaged children and driving charities.
And if his road to this point is any indication, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see Tebow back at it in 2019.
A first-round draft pick of the Broncos in 2010, Tebow also spent time with the New York Jets, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles before reviving his baseball career. When he turned to the diamond in 2016, it marked the first time he’d played baseball since high school.
“Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine.” — Luke 22:42
Former New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr points heavenward after a touchdown, Dec. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)
Four-time Pro-Bowl quarterback Derek Carr announced Saturday that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 professional seasons. The 34-year-old former New Orleans Saint and Oakland/Las Vegas Raider ends his career with 257 regular-season touchdown passes and 41,245 passing yards while completing 65.1% of his throws.
“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with (my wife) Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said in a statement released by the Saints. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience. It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”
In a post on his Instagram account, Carr wrote, “Through it all, I gave this game everything I had every single day. I sleep well knowing that I gave my teammates, my coaches, and my cities my all. Now, I look forward to whatever God has next and I’ll pursue it with the same fire I brought to the field.”
He also posted a video of Heather documenting her husband’s activities on the first day of his retirement.
In late March, while preparing for the 2025 season, Carr and his doctors discovered he had a labral tear and significant degenerative changes to the rotator cuff in his right (throwing) shoulder. He ultimately opted for retirement rather than undergo surgery and miss most, if not all, of the season.
Carr spent the last two years with the Saints after nine with the Raiders, the franchise that drafted him 36th overall out of Fresno State in 2014. He is the all-time leader in completions, passing yards and passing touchdowns in Raiders history.
Throughout his career, Carr has boldly proclaimed his faith in Jesus. He has a tattoo of a Chi Rho (an early Christian symbol) on his right wrist and one referencing the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11on his left.
“All the self-glory, that stuff is fleeting. I’ve already been through that,” Carr said after a 2021 win with the Raiders. “God took me to a place that all I want to do is glorify Him, and wherever He’s going, that’s where I want to go. So if it’s a win, awesome. If not, I’m still gonna glorify Him.”
In a Sports Spectrum video from 2014, Carr explained how he first became a believer. He was claiming to love God while in college at Fresno State, but his actions weren’t reflecting it. It was then that Heather (just a friend at the time) wrote him a letter to challenge him in his faith. He apologized to Heather, repented and trusted anew in Christ.
“That next week, we had a game at the University of Ole Miss. I got up in front of my whole team and I told them, ‘Guys, I’ve been calling myself a Christian, and I haven’t been living it. You guys know what I’ve been doing. I’m a Christian now, and I’ve asked God for His forgiveness. Now watch how I live my lifestyle.'”
Later, he added, “That’s how I know He’s with me — because I have a peace and a joy. I can’t describe it, but I have it and I know it’s real.”
Carr is a gifted speaker and has accepted many invitations to speak at churches throughout his time in the football spotlight. In fact, he nearly quit football years ago to become a pastor before ultimately realizing God had called him to the gridiron.
“It was in that moment where I think the Lord knew that my heart was His, and I’ve been able to minister to thousands of people,” Carr said in 2022 on “The High Note” podcast, hosted by Christian musician Tauren Wells. “I’ve been in stadiums — 15,000, 18,000 people — preaching the Gospel and watching thousands of people get saved. I’ve seen healings take place. I’ve seen people set free. I’ve seen marriages reunite. I’ve seen kids come back home. All while playing football.”
As he said during a Night of Worship event with the Saints last year, “God did something in my life. He radically transformed and changed my life and I can’t help but tell people about Jesus.”
Now, as Carr’s playing days have come to a close, he knows that God’s call on his life to proclaim the Good News of Christ never will.
Kendrick Bourne in 2024. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING KENDRICK BOURNE
Kendrick Bourne is a wide receiver with the New England Patriots. He went undrafted in 2017 despite having a stellar college career at Eastern Washington, but eventually signed with the San Francisco 49ers, making the final roster as a rookie. He spent four seasons in San Francisco (2017-20) before signing with New England in 2021. He’s scored 11 touchdowns in his four seasons with the Patriots.
Today on the podcast, Kendrick Bourne shares his powerful story of surrendering to Jesus in Miami, God’s grace in his life, teaching his kids about Christ, and living out his faith in the NFL.
New York Yankees star Aaron Judge, April 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)
Aaron Judge is doing Aaron Judge things — again.
As the calendar turns to May, the New York Yankees captain is off to strong campaign to win another American League Most Valuable Player award. Judge currently leads all of Major League Baseball in an eye-popping list of offensive categories: batting average (.427), on-base percentage (.521), slugging percentage (.761), OPS (1.282), hits (50), total bases (89), and WAR (2.7). He’s also tied for the MLB lead in home runs (10) and RBIs (32) after hitting a home run and driving in three runs on Wednesday against the Baltimore Orioles.
This is the version of Judge that took home the AL MVP award in 2022, when he broke the American League home run record with 62. He claimed MVP honors again last season, when he clubbed a league-leading 58 home runs and 144 RBIs (also a career high).
But even amid another potentially historic run, Judge remains grounded in his faith in God as he hopes to lead the Yankees to a second straight AL championship. New York (18-13) is off to another strong start, sitting atop the AL East by 1.5 games.
“That’s where it starts for me — the foundation, where I get a lot of my strength, and being able to do what I do on a daily basis, it all comes from that,” Judge told CBN Sports during the 2024 All-Star Game, his sixth overall and fourth consecutive appearance at the mid-summer classic. “I never would’ve imagined I’d be in this position — getting drafted, working my way up to the major leagues, then getting the chance to be in an All-Star Game is surreal. It all starts with faith.”
Judge’s talent and larger-than-life presence on the field at 6-foot-7 has made him a unique figure in professional sports: an elite athlete who leads with both excellence and faith. And as he leads baseball in virtually every offensive category, his witness is as loud as his bat.
He often cites 2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV) — “For we walk by faith, not by sight” — as his one of his favorite Bible verses, and he has it displayed at the top of his X page as his banner photo. He also proudly proclaims himself as a Christian in both his X and Instagram bios.
In a 2019 visit to Fresno, California, where he attended Fresno State University and near where he grew up in Linden, Judge dropped by the announcer’s booth during a Fresno State football game to discuss his career and his formative years. He also discussed his work with the All Rise Foundation, a nonprofit he launched with a goal to inspire youth to become responsible citizens in their communities. Earlier that week at an event in Fresno, he unveiled a personal painting he created, showing key moments from his life and baseball journey. The artwork featured logos from the Yankees, Fresno State Bulldogs, and his high school team, the Linden Lions.
The piece also mentioned 2 Corinthians 5:7.
“I try to live my life by it, and always trust the Man Above and what He’s got in store for us,” Judge said on the radio broadcast. “We never know what’s around the corner, but if we have faith in Him, He will lead us in the right direction.”
His formative years were also largely shaped by the nurturing of his adoptive parents, Patty and Wayne Judge, who adopted him on the second day of his life, along with his older brother, John. During a 2024 World Series media session, CBN Sports asked him about his adoption and how adoption imagery in the Bible has helped him better understand God’s love.
Scripture speaks often of God adopting His people as His own children — choosing and loving them and giving them a new identity through Christ (Ephesians 1:5, Romans 8:15).
“His love is incredible. It has no ends,” he told CBN Sports. “The position I was in, being adopted by my parents, for them to pick me, choose me, put me in their lives, it’s incredible. If you would’ve told me back then when I was 5 years old that I’d be in the World Series with the Yankees, that I’d be the captain of the Yankees, I probably never would’ve believed you. But just having His blessings, keeping the faith through good times and bad times knowing He’s always with me, that’s definitely helped me get to this position.”
After dropping two of three games in Baltimore this week, the Yankees return home for a three-game series with Tampa Bay starting Friday.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING ADAM BURT
Adam Burt is the team chaplain for the New York Jets and lead pastor of Every Nation Church in New Jersey. Prior to his work in ministry, Burt was an NHL player for 13 seasons (1988-2001) with the Hartford Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers and Atlanta Thrashers.
Today on the podcast, Adam Burt shares his journey from being an NHL player to becoming an NFL chaplain, emphasizing the importance of living authentically as a Christian in a competitive environment. The conversation touches on the challenges athletes face, the significance of mentorship, and the impact of faith in their lives.
Adam Burt has taken the unique path from NHL defenseman to pastor, and now author. He's taking stories from his playing career, including playing in the longest game in NHL history, and using them as examples in his new role. https://t.co/FBXO7SuYvj
