Welcome to Sports Spectrum’s “Weekly Slant.” Today, Brock Huard talks to former NFL tight end and 2002 Ohio State national champion Ben Hartsock about Georgia’s win over Alabama, his journey of faith, being a Romans 12 man and the life lessons that college football teaches.
The “Weekly Slant” streams every Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET during football season, and features interviews and stories at the intersection of football and faith. It can be watched on YouTube, Facebook and here at SportsSpectrum.com.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING WEBB SIMPSON
Webb Simpson is a PGA Tour pro and the 2012 U.S. Open champion. After a stellar college career at Wake Forest, Simpson turned pro in 2008 and now owns seven PGA Tour wins, while also appearing in three Ryder Cup events (2012, 2014, 2018). He is also the founder and co-host of the ”Bible Caddie Podcast” with fellow PGA Tour pro Ben Crane, where they bring the Good News of Christ to the world of golf.
Today on our podcast, Webb Simpson joins Matt Forte to talk about starting his faith-based podcast, winning the U.S. Open, how to handle success as a Christ-follower, the mental side of golf, and the state of faith in the sport.
Malik Willis warms up for the Packers before a game, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Day 1 of the NFL free-agent frenzy is in the books, and one of the more intriguing storylines is the Miami Dolphins’ signing of quarterback Malik Willis. The 26-year-old former third-round pick agreed to contract terms with the Dolphins on Monday, just hours after the team released former QB Tua Tagovailoa.
According to ESPN, Willis’ deal is worth $67.5 million over three years, with $45 million fully guaranteed.
Willis continued later, “I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity I can get. … I’m just trying to go [to Miami] and do what I can to help them do some special things. And that’s taking it one day at a time, putting the work in and seeing where the chips fall.”
Much love and respect to packer nation supporting us and me the past 2 years! It has been awesome upholding the standard for the green and gold 🧀. It has been more than a blessing and i will never forget my time here and the relationships I made! Fins Up 🐬 Matthew 6:33-34 But… pic.twitter.com/iybRtdRKCE
Willis was selected 86th overall by the Titans out of Liberty University in 2022 but struggled to adjust to the NFL, appearing in 11 games over two seasons (starting three games). He threw three interceptions with no touchdowns in 66 total attempts over that span, but did run for a score as a rookie.
Tennessee traded the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder to Green Bay just before the start of the 2024 season, and in the green and gold, Willis revived his career.
While still a backup and appearing in only 11 games over the past two seasons, Willis threw six touchdowns without an interception and completed 78.7% of his passes for 972 yards. He also rushed for three TDs on 42 attempts. In 2024, Willis started two games in place of QB1 Jordan Love and was impressive in leading the Packers to two wins. Willis relieved Love again in a game later that season and engineered a game-winning drive. Willis continued to impress in limited time last year (four games, one start), setting himself up for the big payday he just received with the Dolphins.
At the end of last season, Willis expressed gratitude to God in an Instagram post, and he again included the Bible passage Matthew 6:33-34.
It appears Willis may get another opportunity to be a full-time starter in Miami in 2026. Expectations are certainly high for him, but it’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before. He received similar praise entering his senior year at Liberty in 2021, and he sought to stay humble at that time by rooting himself in the Lord.
“I choose to always give the glory to Him,” Willis said in the Fall 2021 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine. “People say I’m humble, but I don’t really know if it’s humble. It’s just very, very obedient, knowing that it’s not me at all. … You’re using the abilities that God gives you and go out there and glorify His name and try to spread the Gospel.”
Willis has been seen praying on the field on numerous occasions, and he often wears eye black in the shape of a cross during games. Many of his posts on Instagram and X reference his faith as well.
“No matter how long we live, we will never know what God has going on for our lives, so we’ve just got to lean on Him — ask for wisdom and the strength to get through it,” Willis told Sports Spectrum. “That’s what I ask for the most: wisdom and strength to get through it.
“Wisdom to try to not fully understand because we’ll never fully understand what He has for us, but just understand what I need to be doing at the moment, what I need to be doing to prepare myself. And the strength to get through it mentally and physically.”
Trusting fully in God’s good plan for his life, Willis may make a much-anticipated return to Green Bay’s famed Lambeau Field this fall. Times and dates are not yet available for the 2026 NFL schedule, but the Dolphins are slated to play a road game against the Packers.
THIS IS SPORTS SPECTRUM’S WHAT’S UP PODCAST
WITH ANNABELLE HASSELBECK
On today’s episode of Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast, we have Oluchi Okananwa!
Oluchi shares about how she brings the Lord into her basketball career, her passions outside of sports, and insight into this year’s Maryland women’s basketball team.
