It’s no wonder, then, that at this week’s Jefferson Awards Foundation banquet in Washington, D.C., where the two-time Super Bowl champion was given 2018’s Outstanding Public Service in Professional Sports honor, Long emphasized the infectious nature of servitude.
“The simple part is what we feel all the time doing what we do (in service),” he said in his acceptance speech. “And that’s the most powerful drug in the world, has no side effects, and it’s all positive. And that’s love. I believe in that.”
Chairman of The Chris Long Foundation, which has funneled money to education scholarships for years, the veteran pass rusher admitted “the prerequisite for an active service or a life of pursuing service is humility.” And in doing so, he all but echoed the mission of countless Eagles teammates, who in 2017 went viral for both their on-field selflessness and off-field commitment to a love inspired by their Christian faith — a compassion that saw players pledge free food to Philadelphia, visit underprivileged kids in Haiti, support hospitalized children and uplift each other with things like in-season baptisms.
Long himself even alluded to the presence of faith within his desire to do good, closing his banquet speech with a reflection on life’s bigger questions.
“I think we fear the meaning of life and the meaning of everything we do,” he said. “Success is fleeting. The thing that makes the world go round are the acts of kindness … acts of faith.”
Many of Long’s fellow Eagles, who were like an unofficial beacon of social activism in the NFL during their Super Bowl-winning 2017 season, would probably agree. As quarterback Carson Wentz once said, the Christianity that drives him and so many of his teammates to impact communities is not about “beating people over the head with the Bible,” but rather “showing that love and that kindness and that grace” of Jesus Christ.
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.”
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.”
QB Cade Klubnik at the NFL Combine, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
The New York Jets’ quarterback room continued to take shape over the weekend with the addition of former Clemson star Cade Klubnik in the fourth round (110th overall) of the 2026 NFL Draft. He joins second-year pro Brady Cook as well as veterans Bailey Zappe and Geno Smith — both added this offseason — after New York traded Justin Fields to Kansas City in March.
The Jets moved up 18 spots to snatch Klubnik. The moment was the realization of a childhood dream for the 22-year-old, and he was itching to get started.
“I’m pumped, let’s go to work,” he said when the team called to inform him they were drafting him. “Loved y’all’s staff, loved spending time with y’all. Let’s do it.”
One coach Klubnik will soon get to know well is Frank Reich, whom the Jets hired in February as their offensive coordinator. Reich is a former quarterback, head coach and pastor.
“[The Jets] saw a competitor in me,” Klubnik later told NewYorkJets.com. “And they saw somebody who loves the game and loves winning, and is willing to do anything to go win.”
Klubnik was receiving first-round consideration before his senior season in 2025 with Clemson, with at least one mock draft projecting him to go No. 1 overall. But after a disappointing campaign in which his production dipped in many statistical categories and his team lurched to a 7-6 record, Klubnik’s draft stock tumbled. Still, he expressed gratitude to be able to continue his career in New York.
“God doesn’t promise that life is gonna be easy,” he said, “and He doesn’t promise that everything’s gonna go perfect. But He does promise that He’s gonna be with us every single step of the way, and He promises that His hand is gonna be right there with us. So when I hear those verses, it’s like that’s just confirmation of the way that we should be living.”
"…but He does promise that He's going to be with us every single step of the way." – @cadeklubnikqb
In the NFL, Klubnik will bring a winning mentality to a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2015 and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2010. He won three state championships as a Texas high schooler and two ACC championships at Clemson. He also made an appearance in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
But the feeding frenzy that is the New York sports media market will devour him if he sees playing time but doesn’t produce. Many players have succumbed to such pressure before, but Klubnik is prepared, with his feet planted on the firm foundation of Christ.
“Just being able to have the realization and the dependability that God is really always there for me is huge, because I know who Jesus says I am,” he said on the podcast. “With that, I don’t have to care as much about the opinions of other people.”
Later, Klubnik explained that while he may be known as a football player, his identity lies in something much deeper.
“The reason I’m here is just to impact people that I’m around every single day, for the gift of eternity. For the gift of Jesus coming to save us,” he said on the podcast. “That’s really why I’m here. I love football and I’m giving it everything I have every single day, but our main purpose while we’re here is to continue to share the Gospel.”
As Klubnik prepares for Jets rookie minicamp and offseason OTAs, he will seek to continue to trust in God’s perfect plan for his life, and for his NFL career.
Wide receiver Jordyn Tyson cries while standing with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being drafted by the New Orleans Saints, April 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Moments later, overcome with emotion after being selected No. 8 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Arizona State star receiver embraced commissioner Roger Goodell on stage as tears streamed down his face.
Speaking with ESPN after his selection, he said his joy comes from the Lord.
“I’m just so thankful, so blessed,” he said. “The Lord’s doing work on me and He’s not done. We’re going to keep this thing rolling. I’m going to give Him my all, and that’s all I can do.”
"So thankful. So blessed. the Lord is doing work on me, and he's not done!" – @tyson_jordyn
After starting his career at Colorado, Tyson broke out at Arizona State, where he was twice named a first-team All-Big 12 selection. His best season statistically came in 2024 when he caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed that up with 61 catches for 711 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025.
He did all of that while battling a litany of injuries that sidelined him for 15 games throughout his three years of college ball. A season-ending knee injury ended his freshman season in 2022, and then he transferred to ASU, where he continued to rehab the injury while redshirting the 2023 season.
He played 12 games for Arizona State in 2024 before suffering a broken collarbone that kept him off the field for the team’s College Football Playoff run. He entered the 2025 season still with a high draft stock, but a hamstring injury in October ended up keeping him out for three weeks and lingered for the rest of the season.
When healthy, scouts still see an incredibly high ceiling. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. rated him as the No. 7 prospect entering the draft, and despite being the second wide receiver taken — Ohio State’s Carnell Tate was drafted by the Tennessee Titans at No. 4 — ESPN analyst Louis Riddick said Tyson was the best wide receiver in the draft.
When asked about those injuries by ESPN, Tyson once again pointed to God.
“The Lord said it’s going to be hard and you have to persevere,” he said. “Life is not easy. Keep going. You’ve got it. You’re strong — I promise you, you’re so strong. Just keep going. You’ve got it.”
His injuries are part of his testimony, he shared while on “The Walk” podcast this past fall.
“I feel like God truly put all these trials and tribulations in my life to better me,” Tyson said, while wearing a “Jesus Won” t-shirt. “He talks about that all throughout the Bible of trials and maturity. You’ve got to learn from it and become better.”
For example, when he injured his collarbone, he didn’t really feel too down about it.
“That’s just because of my faith,” he said on the podcast. “I truly believe, so I think that God put that in my life just to see how much I’ve grown, to see how much I’ve learned, to see how much I’ve trusted in Him. I truly believe if I hadn’t had those injuries, I would not be in this position.”
The son of military parents, Tyson grew up in Allen, Texas, in a disciplined household. He attended church occasionally, but he never spent time reading the Bible for himself. A lot of his growth, both on and off the field, happened at Arizona State. He met some guys involved with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and his understanding of God grew deeper.
“I didn’t realize Jesus really had His hand on me my whole life,” he told “The Walk.” “I was so lost in the things of the world and just living life trying to make it through years. But Jesus really had His hand on me the whole time, and I was just so naive to it. … I didn’t give all the credit to Him at first, but now I give all the credit to Him.”
Reflecting on that time of his life, he also recently shared with CBN Sports that he saw someone on campus who was living a Christian life and decided he wanted that for his life as well.
“I wonder where his strength is coming from. I wonder what he’s got going on,” Tyson said. “They told me the Good News of Jesus and that’s when my heart was just completely changed. I got baptized and now it’s my everything. It’s what I lay my life on. It’s my foundation. I just continue to lean on Him every day knowing He has a plan, knowing He has my best interests and knowing that this world isn’t my end-all-be-all.
He posted on Instagram to celebrate getting baptized in April 2025. The caption read in part, “I serve a perfect and amazing God and I am nothing without him.” Tyson calls himself “God’s Soldier” in his Instagram bio, where he also lists the Bible verse 2 Timothy 2:3.
Now in the NFL, the competition is only going to get tougher. Injuries are sure to be part of the journey. But Tyson told “The Walk” that he has full trust in God’s plans for his life.
“I feel like regardless of what happens in my life, I’m still going to be a follower, still going to have that faith,” Tyson said. “There’s obviously some stuff that I want to happen, but it doesn’t work like that all the time.”
