On March 14, defensive lineman Michael Dogbe re-signed with the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal. A more significant event in his life occurred almost exactly a month later: He got baptized.
Dogbe posted a video on Instagram on Sunday of his baptism, which took place on Good Friday. He started the caption with Jeremiah 29:11.
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“I’m Thankful for Gods presence in my life and for all that he has blessed us with!” he wrote in part.
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His partner, Ashley, also got baptized and shared the video in a post on her Instagram account. In the caption she wrote, “Michael and I were baptized on Good Friday and it was such a special moment. Over these last few months we’ve really devoted our lives to Christ.”
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The Cardinals selected Dogbe in the seventh round of the 2019 draft after he spent five years at Temple University. He caught the attention of NFL teams with a breakout redshirt senior season that included 12.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Dogbe arrived in Arizona undeterred by the 248 players taken ahead of him and determined to prove he belonged at the highest level.
“I love the sport,” he said in June 2019. “I’m very passionate about it. I’ve been playing since the fifth grade. I take it seriously. I’ve devoted my whole life to it. It’s part of my lifestyle, being a football player. It’s kind of scary, after college, are you going to make it? Are you not? I don’t want to stop playing this game, so when I got that call … all I needed was a chance.”
The Parsippany, New Jersey, native spent time on both the practice squad and active roster during his first two seasons. He made five tackles in eight games as a rookie and appeared in three contests in year two while recording the first sack of his career.
Dogbe’s role expanded significantly in 2021. He played in 16 games, contributing 27 total tackles, a sack and a fumble recovery as a depth piece on Arizona’s defensive line.
Throughout the season, Dogbe gave thanks to God on social media:
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On the football field, Dogbe says he strives to honor God by maximizing the talent he’s been blessed with through hard work and energy.
“I don’t rely on talent at all, that’s God-given,” Dogbe said prior to the 2019 draft. “I rely on effort, playing with physicality and coaching. Those things you can work on every single day as a football player.”
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