“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an impor- tant official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.'” Acts 8:26-29
In Sports Spectrum’s Fall 2014 DigiMag #3, we published a story about former Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals tight end Ben Utecht. The story was about Utecht’s passion for the physical health of the brain and the spiritual health of the mind. For Utecht’s story, we also interviewed a neuroscientist by the name of Andrew Newberg.
Newberg talked about the complexities of the brain and the research he has conducted. One of the many things he talked about was an athlete’s ability to get in “flow states.”
“The really great athletes have gotten in, what they call, ‘The Zone’ because they aren’t concen- trating anymore—it’s flowing through them,” Newberg says.
In Acts 8, we read about the many ways that the Holy Spirit guided Philip in his ministry. Acts 8:29 says, “The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it,'” which led to the conversion of the eunuch who was riding in the chariot.
May we condition our hearts and minds in such a way that we are in constant union with the Spirit within. Continual dependence and brokenness before God might allow us to enter “the zone,” as the Spirit animates us and guides us to ministry opportunities we never could have fathomed on our own.
Saints legend Drew Brees with his bust during the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Aug. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/David Dermer)
A weekend celebrating football and the greats who’ve played it was capped by the enshrinement ceremony into the Pro Football Hall of Fame for five more legends of the game on Saturday in Canton, Ohio, the birthplace of today’s NFL.
The 2026 class included wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, kicker Adam Vinatieri, linebacker Luke Kuechly and running back Roger Craig. Perhaps the headliner of the class, however, was quarterback Drew Brees.
Amid a chorus of “Who Dat” chants from the many New Orleans Saints’ faithful in attendance, Brees delivered the final speech of the celebratory afternoon. And in the middle of his gracious yet inspiring speech, Brees made time to point to Jesus, as he so often did during his incredible 20-year career.
“One of the most life-changing events occurred my junior year of high school (in Austin, Texas) after suffering a major knee injury, which put my athletic career in jeopardy. My identity was challenged,” he said. “Up until that point, sports had defined me, and I wasn’t sure who I was without it.
“Sitting in church, on my 17th birthday, Christ came into my heart and changed me forever.”
“Christ came into my heart and changed me forever.”
“I felt protected, connected and directed towards the path that God had for me,” he continued. “He would equip me for the journey, which led me to places I never could have expected.”
Brees also thanked those who mentored him toward greater spiritual maturity, and he later mentioned how much he benefited from the Bible studies he participated in with his Saints teammates.
One of the most poignant moments of Brees’ speech was when he discussed his arrival in New Orleans.
“Sometimes, it takes losing what can be replaced to truly appreciate the things that can’t,” he said, alluding the devastation New Orleans experienced after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “New Orleans, you accepted me. You embraced me. You believed in me. But more importantly, you entrusted me with the soul of the city.
“And I would’ve died to protect that calling.”
"You trusted me with the soul of the city. And I would have died to protect that calling."
Brees was drafted in the second round by the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers in 2001 after a successful four-year career at Purdue in which he won the Big Ten Conference championship and conference MVP in 2000. He initially struggled with the Chargers, however, and was benched on three separate occasions. Standing at only 6 feet tall and weighing just more than 200 pounds, many considered him too small to succeed.
His unique bond with the city of New Orleans, however, began in March 2006, when he signed with the team in free agency. The Saints were coming off of a 3-13 season in 2005, in which they relocated to San Antonio due to Katrina’s effects. Under the leadership of Brees and first-year head coach Sean Payton, New Orleans rebounded to finish 10-6 and win the NFC South. A few years later, in February 2010, Brees led the Saints to the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl victory, a 31-17 decision over the Indianapolis Colts. Brees was named Super Bowl MVP.
During his 15 seasons in New Orleans, Brees reached 12 of his 13 Pro Bowls, twice won NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2008, 2011), was named Walter Payton Man of the Year (2006), rewrote the NFL record books and endeared himself to the city for life.
Known for his leadership, preparation and pinpoint accuracy, Brees set new records for career passing yards, career passing touchdowns and total completions. He’s now second to Tom Brady in each of those categories. On March 14, 2021, exactly 15 years after signing with the Saints, Brees retired.
In 2018, as he was nearing many of those passing milestones, Brees revealed in a video with Sports Spectrum more details about becoming a follower of Christ as a high schooler so many years ago. Although he went to church growing up, he admitted that he often found church boring. That is, until his torn ACL as a junior in high school.
“What I thought was just gonna be my life — sports — I felt like was being stripped away from me,” he said in the video. “I remember sitting in church on my 17th birthday, sitting in that same pew where my brother and I used to just goof around and never pay attention. For some reason, that day it was different.
“I was locked in on the pastor as he was sitting there talking about how the Lord was looking for a few good men to carry on His Kingdom and to spread His Word and to live that life that He had planned for them. That spoke to me.
“It was at that moment that I accepted Jesus Christ into my heart and knew that there was something that was bigger planned for me than just sports.”
Later in the video he spoke about his 2006 free agency: “My wife and I were taking a visit to New Orleans, who was six months post-Katrina. We’re just looking at the sheer devastation and just saying, ‘I’m not gonna trust what I see with my eyes, because my eyes are telling me not to come here.’ And yet, my heart, my soul, the Lord is telling me that this is our calling. It’s not about just coming to play football and be a part of the resurgence of a football team or an organization; it’s about the resurrection and rebirth of a city, and we can be a part of that.
“… Second Corinthians 5:7 will tell you we’re led by faith and not by sight. So much of life is that. It’s faith in God, knowing that He’s got a plan. At times you don’t understand it, and you’re not gonna see it, and yet you just have to trust Him. You have to have faith.”
Including Brees and his four other Class of 2026 enshrinees, there are now just 387 bronze busts on display in Canton, out of the more than 26,000 players who have ever played in the NFL.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba in January 2026. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST HOSTED BY ANNABELLE HASSELBECK, FEATURING JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2024 and 2025, and last year led the NFL in receiving yards and was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He had 10 receptions, 153 receiving yards and a touchdown in the NFC Championship Game victory over the Los Angeles Rams and ultimately led the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX title.
Today on the podcast, JSN joins Annabelle Hasselbeck to talk about his incredible 2025 season, signing a new four-year extension in March to make him the highest-paid NFL receiver in history, trusting in God’s plan, growing in his faith in Jesus, and believing the best is still yet to come.
BREAKING: Seahawks, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba agree to terms on 4-year, $168.6M extension with $120M guaranteed, making him the highest paid WR in the NFL. (via @RapSheet) pic.twitter.com/krdA4gMRVe
Tyler Toney of Dude Perfect (left) sings with Christian musician Brandon Lake at the end of one of their tour shows. (Photo via Facebook/@DudePerfect)
Dude Perfect has gained a massive online following for their viral trick-shot videos that started in 2009 when they were college students at Texas A&M. Nearly 20 years later, the group of friends is packing stadiums for live shows and has millions of fans across various social media platforms, namely YouTube.
And now more than every, they’re adamant that their mission goes much further than just entertaining people.
They just wrapped up their Squad Games Tour, which featured immersive arena-floor battle zones, trick-shot challenges, and special guest competitors. They performed for more than 180,000 fans in 22 cities.
They also closed out their shows this summer with songs of praise and worship. Some of the biggest names in Christian music — such as Brandon Lake, Kari Jobe, Cody Carnes, Jeremy Camp, Cory Asbury and Chris Brown from Elevation Worship — joined the guys on stage. Dude Perfect’s Tyler Toney even joined in on guitar and vocals, and at least one night led worship by himself.
This new worship element further emphasizes DP’s mission to use the platform they’ve been given — 62.5 million subscribers on YouTube, 19.1 million on TikTok, and 13.1 million on Instagram, for example — to glorify God. “There’s more to Dude Perfect than just having fun,” their website reads. “We’re about giving back, spreading joy, and glorifying Jesus Christ.”
The worship set was in addition to the presentation of the Gospel message at the end of their shows, which they began trying in 2021.
“While all those things (fame and accomplishments) are great and good things can come with them,” Toney told the crowd this summer in Cincinnati, “none of those things in any amount compare to the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.”
It was in 2020 that Toney felt God calling him and the guys — Garrett Hilbert, Cody Jones and twins Cory and Coby Cotton along with Toney — to be more intentional about sharing their faith.
“We’ve always tried to bring faith into it,” Hilbert told Sports Spectrum in 2023. “We’ve never really known how, because at the end of the day, it is polarizing and we’ve always tried to figure out a way to say it in the best way to put Christ first. And then Tyler was like, ‘Man, I really feel like Christ has been putting on my heart … to share the Gospel with the [audiences on tour].’ We were like, ‘Man, it sounds awesome.’ I think we were all just nervous, like how it was going to go.”
After their first live tour in 2019 was a hit, they had to cancel the 2020 tour due to the COVID pandemic. Their Fall 2021 tour was the first time a mini-sermon was part of the show. The biggest question was where in the show to do it.
“I didn’t want people to feel like they were tricked into coming to something and then we were going to smack them on the head with the Bible and be like, ‘I got you,'” Toney told Sports Spectrum.
They decided that they would do the show as everyone expected, and then at the end extend an open invitation for people to stick around to hear them share about “what’s most important in our lives and why we feel like we’ve got this platform in the first place.”
The first night, they left the stage to grab a drink of water and reset. They were stunned to see how many people had stuck around.
“I went out there and just blacked out,” Toney said. “I couldn’t even tell you what I said, but obviously the Holy Spirit intervened.”
Toney remembers walking off the stage after sharing the Gospel for the first time. He broke down crying because he was overcome with emotion.
“It was the first time when I felt like God was like, ‘This is what I want you to do with this platform,'” he said. “‘This is why I have given the five of you guys this platform. This is why so many kids look up to you, is to be able to share this with them.'”
Years later, that message is still being shared, now with a worship experience as well.
All five of the members were raised in Christian homes. Toney and Hilbert went to high school together in Prosper, Texas, before heading to Texas A&M. It was there that they met Jones and the Cottons. Their first video was a grainy compilation of the guys making various trick shots into a portable basketball goal.
That video now has nearly 46 million views and helped launch them into online stardom. Now they film the majority of their videos out of a customized 80,000 square foot warehouse in Frisco, Texas, that’s fit with a basketball court, a 45-yard football field, a custom mini-golf course and much more.
Toney now looks back and sees how God’s hand has been over each of the guys, even before they met in college.
“It’s really cool to see this platform is given to us for more than just our own success,” Toney said in “The NEW World’s Highest Basketball Shot” video. “The amount of control that we have over things — over Dude Perfect, over the world, over our circumstances — is very little. But whatever God blesses us with, and whatever successes that we do have, we’re going to continue to point back to Him and give Him the glory for it. And that’s the way that we’re going to continue to look at it as long as Dude Perfect is a thing.”
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Liam Coen, Nov. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Despite going 13-4 and winning the AFC South a season ago under first-year head coach Liam Coen, the Jacksonville Jaguars have largely flown under the radar in offseason talks about potential Super Bowl contenders. Many experts predict the Jaguars to take a significant step back in 2026-27.
But as Coen enters his second year at the helm, with quarterback Trevor Lawrence returning, he believes his team can not only replicate last season’s success but continue to improve on it. If they do, it will mark the Jaguars’ first back-to-back postseason appearances this century.
“In everything that we do, we are training to say, ‘Anyone, any time, any way,'” Coen said as he addressed his team during the first week of training camp. “We built the standard and the foundation and the way that we want to play the game.”
At 40 years old, Coen is one of the younger head coaches in the NFL, and he’s also a member of the famed Sean McVay coaching tree; Coen learned under the Los Angeles Rams head coach as a position coach for three years (2018-20) and the offensive coordinator for another (2022). In 2024, Coen was the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and helped fuel the career renaissance of QB Baker Mayfield. In his first year in Jacksonville last season, he became the NFL’s first rookie head coach to win 13 or more games after his team won four or fewer games the prior season.
During Coen’s coaching journey, he’s established himself as an offensive mastermind and a skilled quarterback developer. He’s also made it known during his time in the spotlight that he’s a follower of Christ.
Coen was a guest on the “Built 4 More” podcast last week with pastor Joby Martin and Denny Thompson, where the coach discussed one of the most difficult experiences of his life and how Christ formed his faith through the trial.
Coen grew up as an only child in Rhode Island, where he was a football fanatic and very close with his mother, Beth. But when Liam was in high school, Beth felt something was off. After numerous appointments, the doctors concluded that she’d contracted Lyme disease. The former marathon runner now struggled to get out of bed each morning. The physical pain was excruciating, and there was little improvement. But the emotional toll grew unbearable.
Four years later, in 2006, Coen was chasing his gridiron dream in college at UMass. He returned home during a school break, and his dad was in the hospital with congestive heart failure. While Coen was at the hospital with him, his mother took her own life.
Coen needed to care for his dad in the immediate aftermath, and then he rushed to return to school and join his team. Suddenly, he was back on a college campus, going to classes and practices like nothing had changed.
“I didn’t probably deal with it right, or well, in that short term,” Coen admitted on the podcast.
But this was different than anything he’d experienced before. The pain of losing his mother in the way he did wasn’t going away.
“Come to find out, 10 years down the road, it creeps up on you when you don’t deal with it,” he said on the podcast. “You don’t process it, you don’t forgive, you don’t have grace. It started to eat at me, and I didn’t know why. I didn’t know what was really happening. I wasn’t feeling right.”
He found people to talk through his traumatic past, and amidst those sessions, Jesus became a frequent topic of conversation. Coen had attended a private Catholic high school and learned many of the rituals, but he had never truly discovered the essence of Christianity.
“I actually began to have a relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said of that time. “And oh my gosh, I started to have more grace, and I started to forgive, and I started to have a little bit more understanding of what she went through and why.”
He had been given new life in Christ.
That new life was only strengthened during his time as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Kentucky (2021, 2023) through the ministry of the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter. There, Coen was introduced to a man who handed him a small but extremely helpful packet about the Bible.
“I didn’t know what Jesus did,” Coen said on the podcast. “I didn’t know what He sacrificed. I didn’t know why He was truly put on this earth.”
Coen’s story of unthinkable pain followed by the power of healing found in Christ is a testimony of God’s goodness that he’s shared with his team and those close to him.
“Once I understood [true faith] and learned and was educated, I felt a different vibe,” he concluded. “I felt a different way of wanting to represent God — Jesus Christ, myself, my family, the way that I carry myself, the grace or honesty that you live life with.
“Perfect? Absolutely not. No question. But I know that it helped me when I actually built a relationship with a Power greater than myself in Jesus Christ.”
find someone who looks at you the way Liam Coen looks at Parker Washington
Now, in the hyper-competitive world of NFL football, with a nation’s eyes soon falling again on his sport, Coen has an opportunity to point others to Christ — the Fountain of true life — both in the 2026-27 season and beyond. Jacksonville’s first preseason game is Aug. 15 in New Orleans.
“Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.’ So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an impor- tant official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means ‘queen of the Ethiopians’). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, ‘Go to that chariot and stay near it.'” Acts 8:26-29
