Alabama offensive linemen Olaus Alinen (far left) and Kadyn Proctor (second from right) got baptized on July 16, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Twitter/@KadynProctor1)
One of the defining moments of Olaus Alinen’s and Kadyn Proctor’s lives happened before they even played a single down at the University of Alabama. The two freshman offensive linemen publicly professed their faith in Christ by getting baptized Sunday.
Alinen declared, “Today I committed my life to Jesus Christ,” and included Acts 22:16 in his tweet. The verse reads, “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.”
He also posted a photo of he and Proctor praying together in the pool where they were baptized.
Proctor is a consensus top-10 recruit and was ranked as the best offensive tackle prospect in the country by both Rivals and 247 Sports for the Class of 2023. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, he was originally committed to the University of Iowa before flipping to the Crimson Tide. He is expected to start right away at one of the two tackle positions.
Alinen is from Pori, Finland, and played at The Loomis Chaffe School in Connecticut after moving to the U.S. before his junior year of high school. ESPN, Rivals and 247 Sports all have him as a four-star recruit and the top player in Connecticut. His father, Klaus, played in NFL Europe and spent a season on the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad.
Listed in Alinen’s Instagram bio is Psalm 34:4, which reads, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.”
Alabama is coming off an 11-2 year that included a win over Kansas State in the Sugar Bowl. The Crimson Tide ended the year ranked fifth in the AP poll, and are ranked among the top five in most 2023 preseason polls. Alabama begins its season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.
Tony Dungy in September 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING TONY DUNGY
Tony Dungy is a former NFL player and coach who currently is an NFL analyst with NBC Sports. During his playing career, he was a part of the 1978 Pittsburgh Steelers Super Bowl-winning team. As a coach, he led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl championship in 2006, becoming the first Black head coach to ever win a Super Bowl.
Today on the podcast, Tony Dungy joins Matt Forte to discuss coaching in the playoffs, memories from winning a Super Bowl 19 years ago, and the importance of speaking up against religious persecution.
In Kansas City this morning and I walked to the church we attended when we lived here in 1990. I was listening to the @GFCFlorida service and the message was on “Waiting”. It was so powerful-I thought of so many blessings I’ve received in the 2nd half of my life. Pastor Daryl… pic.twitter.com/dqEqToTDXG
Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams, Jan. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
For Kyren Williams, the path to becoming a centerpiece of the Los Angeles Rams’ deep playoff run hasn’t been loud or flashy. Instead, it’s been steady and consistent — much like the running back himself.
That consistency has shown up in the numbers. After being named a starter in 2023 — a year in which he was selected to the Pro Bowl — he has rushed for more than 1,100 yards and 10 touchdowns each of the past three seasons. He finished the 2025 regular season with a career-high 1,533 yards from scrimmage, including 1,252 rushing yards that ranked sixth in the NFL.
He’s scored three total touchdowns across two playoff games, helping the Rams reach Sunday’s NFC Championship Game against the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks. A win would bring the Rams back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2021-22.
Williams finished the 2024 season with a career-high 1,299 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns, and the Rams rewarded him with a three-year contract extension. But the numbers and new contract only tell part of the story. He was voted by his teammates to be a captain this season, which was particularly meaningful to him after not being selected as one last year.
“[Being named a captain] made more of an impact on my heart than probably the contract because to me that is the direct representation of who I am as a person every single day in the eyes of my teammates,” Williams told the Rams’ team website in September.
Kyren Williams joined HOF Eric Dickerson, HOF Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson as the only Rams players with 1,000+ rush yards in 3+ consecutive seasons 🔥@RamsNFL | #RamsHousepic.twitter.com/80rvBnkYwv
Led by his faith in God, he prioritizes hard work on and off the field, which doesn’t go unnoticed by his teammates and coaches.
“I think he’s been consistent,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a team press conference in September. “I think that’s a good thing, and I think he’s earned that respect. When you’re leading — and we’ve got so many capable leaders on our team — the first thing is it resonates if it’s authentic. And then, do you model the way?
“I think seen is better than said. He’s got this authentic energy that’s always been consistent with who he is. It uplifts everybody. He’s got a mental and a physical toughness that he plays with. He epitomizes what we’re looking for in Rams.”
Williams’ new contract has also brought him a sense of peace and purpose off the field. The financial security has given him the ability to care for his family in tangible ways, such as taking care of his parents, helping his sisters with monthly bills, and setting up college savings plans for his nieces and nephews.
“I just want to be able to continue to play football at a very high clip, continue to keep showing the world who I am and what I can do, and take care of my family,” Williams said in September. “And give the most praise to the Lord that I can and follow His mission every single day.”
Dating back to his time in college at Notre Dame, being active in the community has been a priority for Williams. Now in Los Angeles, that commitment has only grown. Following the widespread wildfires in January 2025, Williams visited LAFD Air Operations to honor first responders and partnered with the Rams and Seahawks to distribute new Nike shoes to youth who lost their homes in the Eaton Fire. He also visited youth from the Palisades at their local recreation center, helping lead their first football activity since the fires.
Throughout the 2025 season, Williams has spent time each week on his off day in the community — participating in literacy sessions at schools, military recognition events, holiday distributions, STEAM education initiatives and more. When he learned Big Brothers Big Sisters needed more male mentors of color, Williams stepped in personally, becoming a “Big Brother” himself. He also returned as a host for Rams Night for Wishes to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation and participated in a youth football clinic during team OTAs in Maui.
For his efforts, he was selected in both 2024 and 2025 as the Rams’ nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year — the league’s most prestigious honor that recognizes players for excellence and a commitment to making a positive impact on and off the field.
“I play football because that’s what the Lord has blessed me to do, and that’s what I’m going to continue to do,” he said after being told he was the team’s nominee. “But my message and my purpose is bigger than just football. It’s being able to impact and inspire and be around young kids and families. To be able to motivate and show them that it’s all possible.”
That comes with a monetary reward, and Williams donated his entire 2024 Man of the Year nomination money to the LAFD Foundation.
“Being able to make a positive impact on the youth across Los Angeles and seeing the smiles on people’s faces means everything to me,” Williams told the team website. “This award is special because my commitment to the community is never about recognition but about being the inspiration to show young people they can dream big and achieve their goals.
“The opportunities I’ve been given through being a professional football player allow me to perform on the field but have also given me the platform to pursue what I am most passionate about — giving back to the community. It’s an honor to be the Rams’ club winner for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award alongside players around the league dedicated to their communities.”
His faith foundation was laid long ago, and it was a big reason he wanted to play at Notre Dame, telling The Athletic in 2018, “I’m real close with God and I believe in God heavily.”
He also professes it publicly on social media, with his Instagram bio referencing Proverbs 3:5, saying, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.”
In 2018, his mother, Taryn Williams, spoke about the balance her son carried between hard work and trust in God’s plan.
“We’re a faith-based family and believe that God has a plan prepared for him,” she told Irish Sports Daily. “He’s just putting in the work to execute it.”
The Rams and Seahawks kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET in Seattle on Fox, with the winner clinching a spot in Super Bowl LX.
Matt Hasselbeck in Super Bowl XL in February 2006. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
THIS IS THE GET IN THE GAME PODCAST
WITH SCOTT LINEBRINK
Our guest today is Matt Hasselbeck, the former Pro Bowl quarterback who played 18 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts.
Matt joins Scott Linebrink on the podcast to talk about the current landscape of the NFL playoffs, what it means to follow Jesus and serve others, and his thoughts on the Seattle Seahawks being one game away from the Super Bowl.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, Jan. 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
Drake Maye’s 2025 season already stands as one of the best by a quarterback in New England Patriots history.
In his second year as the starter, Maye finished the regular season fourth in the NFL in passing yards (4,394), third in touchdown passes (31) and first in completion percentage (72.0%), QBR (77.1) and passer rating (113.5). He earned his second Pro Bowl selection, was named second-team All-Pro, and is one of the top contenders to be named league Most Valuable Player.
And he has the Patriots back where the franchise spent so many Januaries during the Tom Brady era — in the AFC Championship Game. New England’s 14 regular-season wins this season tied for the second-most in franchise history; every other such campaign came with Brady under center. This one belongs to Maye.
New England’s path to the Super Bowl now runs through a matchup on the road with the No. 1-seeded Denver Broncos, though it won’t feature the quarterback duel many anticipated. Broncos quarterback Bo Nix suffered a fractured ankle late in Denver’s overtime win over the Buffalo Bills, ending his season. (The Broncos will start Jarrett Stidham, who was actually a fourth-round pick by the Patriots in 2019.)
Both drafted in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye and Nix developed a friendship during their pre-draft process, training together and spending time with one another’s families. Their friendship developed over their shared faith in God.
“I got to train with Bo [during] the pre-draft and got to know him well; him and his family and his wife,” Maye said during his postgame press conference on Sunday. “First off, they’re just great people. Great Christians. I’ve really enjoyed being around Bo Nix and his family. Obviously, the news was heartbreaking for the player he is, the guy he is. I’m just praying for Bo and I know he’s going to bounce back. He’s a great player in this league. I look forward to matching up with him.”
While the matchup changed, the stage did not. Sunday will be Maye’s first AFC Championship Game, and he’ll have a chance to bring the Patriots back to where the organization and its fans were so accustomed to being in the early and mid-2000s: playing for a Super Bowl. They won six from 2001-18.
Through it all, Maye has remained consistent in pointing to the foundation that steadies him amid the accolades and expectations — his faith. He’s not as outwardly vocal about his faith as some athletes are, but he has said it’s never been something he was necessarily hesitant to share about when asked or when the time is appropriate. He mentions Jesus in his Instagram bio as well.
“I think the biggest thing is using my platform to spread the Word and spread the Good News,” he said in December while appearing on WEEI in Boston. “That’s one of the biggest things that I’ve tried to work on in my career is using my platform to inspire young kids or inspire even older people that may not be into their faith as much. Just to know that it’s out there for everybody.
“One of the biggest things in my life that I’ve learned is that there’s purpose and there’s passion. My passion is football and my purpose is [being] a believer and being strong in my faith.”
That perspective has helped Maye navigate the highs and lows of this season without losing sight of what matters most. After New England’s statement victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 21, a win that significantly helped Patriots’ chances of winning the AFC East, Maye made sure to redirect the moment.
“I’m looking forward to celebrating with these guys,” he said in his postgame press conference. “Just props to them, and I just thank the good Lord — what a position I’m in in my life. Just stay strong in my faith and good things happen.”
The Patriots and Broncos will kick off at 3 p.m. ET Sunday in Denver on CBS.
