Isaiah Austin joins us on UNPACKIN’ it to talk about his journey and new book. Austin, former Baylor University standout, candidly shares his inspiring faith journey upon being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome and no longer being able to play basketball. Click HERE to listen to the entire interview.
BRYCE JOHNSON: Before we talk about who you are today, talk about what life was like growing up, and how important basketball was when you were young. ISAIAH AUSTIN: I was just a young kid with a dream. I grew up in a privileged household. My mom and my dad professed to keep a strong faith in my life and that’s what I grew up knowing. I grew up going to church, studying my Bible, and learning to trust God’s plan for my life. As I was growing up, my parents surrounded me with basketball and let me have the privilege of being able to play, and I started getting good. I wanted my dream to become an NBA player to come true, so I worked day in and day out for it.
BRYCE JOHNSON: So you always worked very hard. Even before being diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome, you played basketball, despite being blind in your right eye from an injury you sustained in middle school. How did dealing with the blindness in your right eye affect your faith? ISAIAH AUSTIN: It affected my faith a lot. I really questioned God at times and I didn’t understand what His plan for me was exactly. The whole time I thought He wanted me to be this huge basketball star, and to not go through any problems, and basically have an easy walk in the NBA…be rich and famous. But it really wasn’t what His plan for me. It’s one thing to have faith in God, but it’s another thing to really sit back and trust His plan for your life.
BRYCE JOHNSON: When you received the devastating news that you had Marfan Syndrome, right when you were expected to be a first-round draft pick, what did that do to your faith? ISAIAH AUSTIN: It definitely made me stronger in my faith because I know that God wants me to share His Word with everybody in the world. He wants me to share my testimony and to be able to bring people closer to Him. Going through all of this made me realize all of the lives I can touch. I can’t tell you how many people have sent me emails or tweeted at me or commented on my Instagram pictures telling me that they’ve prayed for me and telling me how much I’ve inspired them to change their lives in a positive direction. So God has really blessed me with that ability to be able to connect with people around the world…I feel like I’m doing the work that He wants me to do.
BRYCE JOHNSON: You talk about growing and understanding God’s picture in this whole situation, and your willingness to inspire other people. What are some additional messages that you are trying to encourage others with? ISAIAH AUSTIN: I know that a lot of sports people are going to look up to me because I played basketball, and because I had a tough story, but I’ve been through the days like everybody who wakes up thinking they just want to give up and don’t want to get out of bed. They just want to quit, and it feels like the weight of the world is beating down their shoulders and people are all in their ears telling them this and telling them that. I’ve been through all of that, so I feel like I have that connection with each and every person on this earth, and can tell them that there is a way out and there is always a light at the end of the tunnel…no matter how dark it seems. It’s just a matter of whether you’re going to keep walking forward and trusting in God’s plan…that He’s going to clear the pathway for you. That’s really what it all boils down to.
BRYCE JOHNSON: Being diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome before the draft ultimately saved your life. Talk to me about that. ISAIAH AUSTIN: It definitely did save my life. I will have to have open heart surgery in a couple of years because my heart is enlarged. I’m glad I was diagnosed. If I had to go back and change anything about it, I definitely would not.
This column was published in Sports Spectrum’s Summer 2015 DigiMag. Log in HERE to view the issue. Subscribe HERE to receive eight issues a year. Click HERE to learn about what Sports Spectrum is doing around the world.
Arizona forward Tobe Awaka, March 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)
Every morning before sunrise, Tobe Awaka’s day began long before most high school students were awake. Growing up in Hyde Park, New York, Awaka chose a high school nearly two-and-a-half hours away by train — Cardinal Hayes in the Bronx — because he knew it would best prepare him for his future plans.
That meant waking up at 3:30 or 4 a.m. to catch the train, go to class, attend basketball practice, then make the long trip home — only to do it all again the next day.
“It was tough. It definitely had its ups and downs, but it helped mold [me] into the person and player I am today,” he said recently on Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up?” podcast.
That early discipline, both in academics and athletics, set the tone for his future basketball journey. He didn’t start playing “high-level” basketball until ninth grade, and even then, his approach looked different from many future stars. Instead of structured drills in a gym, he was in his driveway, pretending an invisible defender was in front of him.
“I’d just do a bunch of different combo moves… kind of imagine myself going past them,” he said on the podcast. “I think that kind of helped build my creativity and my love for the game.”
Fast forward to the 2025-26 college basketball season, and that inner creativity and work ethic has helped Awaka become one of the most impactful pieces on the No. 1-ranked and 14-0 Arizona Wildcats. The senior forward is posting a double-double season, averaging 10.1 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and shooting 59.8% from the floor — numbers that place him among the team’s and Big 12’s most consistent performers this year. And it’s all coming from a reserve role; despite starting 36 of 37 games last season, Awaka has come off the bench for every game this season.
His 18 points against Utah on Jan. 3 matched a career high, and he chipped in 12 rebounds to go with it. But his growth hasn’t only come through box scores.
After transferring from Tennessee following the 2023-24 season — a choice he described as one of the toughest decisions of his life — Awaka leaned deeply on his faith to find clarity. What began as prayer and thoughtful reflection turned into a sense of spiritual peace that guided his decision.
“Honestly, once I got the green light spiritually from God that I was making the right choice and moving in the right direction, it was tough going through on that but I think ultimately it’s been to my benefit and for my good,” he said on the podcast. “Sometimes, as a believer, the unknown can be a little scary. The whole fact of having faith becomes real and true and something you have to put into practice, and that was definitely a moment where I had to.”
Now at Arizona, faith has become something Awaka lives out in community. What started as a personal pursuit of spiritual growth has grown into a space for teammates — and others across campus — to do the same. In one of his early days in Tucson, he visited a local barbershop for a haircut. He noticed his barber had a sermon from pastor Philip Anthony Mitchell playing on a nearby TV, which sparked an organic conversation about faith.
Their friendship grew from there, and the two decided to meet regularly for a Bible study. Other players soon caught wind of what they were doing and asked if they could join. The group quickly grew to six members and has continued expanding as others from across campus have been invited. Some meetings now include 15 to 20 people, Awaka said.
“It’s been really cool just to see how God has moved,” he said on the podcast. “Honestly, it just kind of started with two guys trying to dive deeper into their faith and learn more about it. It’s kind of grown into something cool and special. We’re still trying to grow it, still trying to get more guys on the team interested and bring them along, but it’s been a great experience.”
That boldness in faith wasn’t always instinctive for Awaka. It came through searching, wrestling and earnest exploration of truth. Around his freshman year of college, he found himself digging into every major religion — Christianity, Buddhism, Confucianism, Hinduism and more — before landing where he felt alive with conviction.
“I went pretty deep and I landed on Christianity,” he said on the podcast. “I kind of read the Bible like a mad man. I read it front to back, then read through the New Testament again. I felt it deep in my soul that that was the truth and that’s where God wanted me to move. Even before that, it was just a lot of research, a lot of looking things up.”
Away from the court and classroom, Awaka is a big reader, using books to quiet his mind amidst the chaos of basketball and business school coursework. One book that left an impression was “Inner Excellence” by Jim Murphy, which he said reshaped his mental approach as an athlete. Ecclesiastes is also one of his favorite books in the Bible.
His faith went from something he followed because his parents did it to something he now claims as his. So when the decision to transfer schools came, he said it felt like “peace amongst chaos” when he got that “green light” from the Lord.
“There’s a lot of things swirling, a lot of people in your ear, but internally you have this gravity telling you that it’s going to be OK,” he said. He heard the Lord telling him to follow in His steps and He would lead him in the right direction.
“Adversity is inevitable. We see that all throughout the Scriptures,” he said on the podcast. “But at the same time, Christ isn’t going to take that away, necessarily, but He’s going to help us walk through that. I definitely believe and feel that’s what He was doing with me through that time.”
Awaka and Arizona next face Big 12-foe Kansas State at 9 p.m. ET Wednesday.
From left: Christian Pulisic, VJ Edgecombe, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Hannah Hidalgo, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. (AP Photos)
Welcome to 2026!
As the calendar turns over, an exciting year awaits for fans and athletes alike. Records will fall, champions will be crowned, and the desire to win will push athletes to their absolute limits. Many of those athletes will also seek to glorify Jesus through their words and actions over the next 365 days, and Sports Spectrum will continue to cover all that God is doing in the world of sports.
To get the year started, we’ve compiled a list of 13 such Christ-following athletes (in no particular order) set to make headlines in the sports world this year.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, NFL
As this third-year pro has played a crucial role in helping the Seattle Seahawks become one of the best teams in the NFL this season, he’s become one of the league’s best wide receivers. A Pro Bowler in 2024, Smith-Njigba leads the NFL in receiving yards, helping the Seahawks become the league’s No. 2 scoring offense. At only 23, many bright days appear to be ahead for JSN. But catching touchdowns is not his deepest purpose. “I just want to have my hand in this community and build it and share my testimony and my faith in God,” Smith-Njigba said earlier this season. “Just be on the highest stage and praise His name, because that’s what I feel I’m ultimately here to do.”
Christian Pulisic, U.S. men’s national team
For the U.S. men’s national soccer team, 2026 is a make-or-break year. The Americans are hosting the 48-team FIFA World Cup (along with Canada and Mexico), and much of the weight for the U.S.’s performance will fall on the shoulders of this 27-year-old. Considered the best player on the national team, Pulisic (who plays for Italy’s AC Milan) said he’s grown in his faith while playing in some of the biggest soccer leagues in the world. “Something that I’ve grown a lot closer with this past year is my belief in God, especially being alone over here,” Pulisic said in January 2021. “I feel like I always have Someone who’s with me. I don’t know how I would do any of this without that feeling that He’s watching over me and there’s a reason why I’m here.”
Hannah Hidalgo, women’s college basketball
Powered by this dynamic two-time first-team All-American, the Notre Dame women are on their way to a fifth consecutive 20-win season and NCAA Tournament appearance. Hidalgo’s career highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals are all in jeopardy of being broken this season, and the Fighting Irish are expected to vie for the ACC regular-season title. The junior is not yet eligible for the WNBA Draft, but she’s proven she’s one of the most explosive scorers in women’s college basketball. And she knows it’s all a gift. “Christ is my everything,” she said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2024. “He’s my Lord and Savior. He’s the reason that I fight, the reason that I do everything, the reason that I’m able to do what I do. He’s just everything in my life, and I wouldn’t be able to do anything without Him.”
Mark Scheifele, NHL
Back in 2011, this Jet was Winnipeg’s first-ever draft pick after the team relocated from Atlanta. Now 15 years later, the 32-year-old is still making plays. He recorded a career high last season with 87 points, and he’s Winnipeg’s career leader in numerous statistical categories (including games played, goals and points). Now, the big question is whether he can lead his team to its first-ever Stanley Cup. But whatever happens this year, he will praise his Father in Heaven. “Praise Him when things are good and praise Him when things are bad,” he said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2024. “I feel so lucky that I was raised in a home where faith was important, and it’s kind of like hockey. Hockey is always a game that you can always grow at. … And faith, it’s the same thing.”
Will Anderson Jr., NFL
This Houston Texans’ edge rusher is wrapping up his third season, once again proving he’s one of the best in the NFL at getting to opposing quarterbacks. The former No. 3 overall pick set new career highs in both sacks and total tackles this season, and he’s a captain for the top-ranked defense in the NFL. Anderson’s performance is likely to earn him a massive contract extension this offseason, but he’s concerned primarily about God’s acceptance of Him. “My focus is just less on what everybody has to say and more on God,” he said in July 2024. “I think my biggest thing is knowing that, like I always tell y’all, my approval comes from Him. Ultimately, everything that I achieve in this lifetime, I’m putting Him first for it, because He’s the reason why I’m here.”
Ethan Holliday, MLB prospect
The Colorado Rockies landed not only an elite baseball prospect, but a son of one of the best players in franchise history when they drafted Holliday with the fourth overall pick in July’s MLB Draft. The son of legendary Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday, Ethan is hoping to replicate his father’s baseball success. The 18-year-old is also hoping for a similarly rapid climb through the minor leagues as his older brother, Jackson. The entire Holliday family is known for declaring their faith in Christ publicly. “I knew there were going to be pressures, expectations, but being able to come and find my identity in Christ has taken so much weight off of this journey and I feel free,” Ethan told Sports Spectrum. “It’s a peace you can’t explain. … Navigating through sports and life, if I didn’t have Christ as my center, I don’t know how I could ever do it.”
Jordyn Tyson, NFL Draft prospect
This fourth-year receiver from Arizona State continued to climb NFL Draft boards after putting together another impressive season: 61 receptions, 711 yards and eight touchdowns in nine regular-season games. Many expect Tyson to be one of the top receivers selected in April’s draft, and to provide immediate versatility to an NFL offense. Whatever happens between now and April, however, his full trust is in God’s good purposes. “Regardless of what happens in my life, I’m still gonna be a follower — still gonna have that faith,” he said in October. “Yes sir, I fully trust [God’s plan.] There’s obviously some stuff that I want to happen, but it don’t work like that all the time.”
VJ Edgecombe, NBA
This rookie shooting guard is off to a hot start with the Philadelphia 76ers, sliding right into the starting lineup for a team on track to far eclipse its win total from a season ago. Philly’s first-round pick and the No. 3 overall selection out of Baylor (and the Bahamas) in the 2025 NBA Draft, Edgecombe is still just 20 years old, and NBA fans are excited for his future. For him, however, his one season with Baylor, in the program’s culture of J.O.Y., was significant in giving him an eternal perspective. “I promise you, basketball is going to stop,” he said after Baylor’s loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. “How I’m going to approach life after that? I just want to be the best man I can be. I just want to stay connected to God, and if you want to stay connected to God, come to Baylor.”
Mallory Swanson, U.S. women’s national team
This 27-year-old of the Chicago Stars will have at least one more fan cheering her on in 2026, as she and her husband, MLB shortstop Dansby Swanson, welcomed a baby girl, Josie James, in November. Mallory is known for her prolific goal-scoring abilities, and she will try to return to form rapidly in 2026 after missing all of the 2025 NWSL season due to her pregnancy. She and Dansby have sought to center their marriage and parenting on Jesus. The importance of a relationship with God was impressed upon Mallory a few years ago, when she was struggling with injuries and inconsistent play. “My faith in Him has grown immensely,” she said in 2022. “Me getting injured and me missing the Olympics, and me kind of finding myself on the field again, it really started because I found myself in Christ even more.”
Bennett Stirtz, NBA Draft prospect
In less than half a season, this Iowa Hawkeye is making quite a splash in the college basketball world. Stirtz began his college career at Northwest Missouri State in 2022 before eventually transferring to Drake in 2024 and finally Iowa in 2025, where the Hawkeyes are eyeing an NCAA Tournament appearance. Everywhere the 22-year-old has been so far, he’s impressed, and NBA scouts are taking notice. Stirtz regularly appears near the top of NBA Draft boards, and he knows that as his fame grows, so grows his ability to point others to the only One who can save. “I think God’s given me a platform, and that’s one of the reasons why — and probably the biggest reason why — I play basketball,” he told Sports Spectrum, “just having the platform and using the platform in the right way to give glory to Him.”
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., MLB
The Toronto Blue Jays and their superstar slugger experienced heartbreak in the thrilling, seven-game World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025. Now in 2026, with the return of key players like Guerrero, Toronto is again expected to be amongst the World Series favorites. In order to finish the job this year, Toronto will need its 26-year-old five-time All-Star, who still might not have reached his baseball prime. He knows the long climb back to the top of the baseball world begins with his daily routines, and the one he values above all is his time in God’s Word. “Jesus Christ is everything,” he said before the 2024 All-Star Game. “I read the Bible before every game, when I wake up. I pray and read the Bible before bed.”
Veronica Burton, WNBA
The Golden State Valkyries’ guard is a rising star in the WNBA, having been named the league’s Most Improved Player in 2025 and being an all-defensive second-team selection. In addition to her exploits for the Valkyries, the 25-year-old has also been busy building up her international basketball resume; she won gold at the FIBA 3×3 AmeriCup in November, and she participated in the women’s national team training camp in December. Burton credits it all to the work of God in her life. “The one thing that I try and thank Him for every day is just the opportunities that He’s presented for me,” she said on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2023, “because I’ve been able to experience a lot of great things, and things have worked out in my favor. And a lot of that has to do with Him and the grace that He has for me.”
Ty Simpson, NFL Draft prospect
Despite a season-opening loss to Florida State, this redshirt junior helped Alabama right the ship and make the 12-team College Football Playoff as the No. 9 seed. After passing for 3,056 yards on 256 completions with 25 touchdowns and only four interceptions during the 2025 regular season, Simpson is projected to be selected near the top of the NFL Draft. But no matter where his vast football abilities lead him, his identity will remain firmly in Christ. “Football means a lot to me, don’t get me wrong,” he said in August. “I’m going to make sure I do everything, because He’s given me this platform and He’s given me this opportunity. But no matter how many touchdowns I throw, no matter how many wins I have at the University of Alabama, I’m a Christian first.”
Isaiah Austin joins us on UNPACKIN’ it to talk about his journey and new book. Austin, former Baylor University standout, candidly shares his inspiring faith journey upon being diagnosed with Marfan syndrome and no longer being able to play basketball. Click HERE to listen to the entire interview.
