With 2023 coming to a close, Sports Spectrum is highlighting our most-viewed stories of the year.
Jim Kelly is well known in the football world for quarterbacking the Buffalo Bills for 11 seasons, four of which (1990-93) ended in Super Bowl losses. He was named to the Pro Bowl five times and inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.
Yet, Kelly has also seen a share of hardships in his life. In 1997, a year after he retired from the NFL, his infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with Krabbe disease, which led to his death in 2005. And in 2013, Kelly announced he had been diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. He was subsequently in and out of hospitals for the next few years, then deemed cancer-free for three years. In March 2018, he announced the cancer had returned, but four months after surgery was declared cancer-free again.
Throughout the highs and lows, Kelly has grown more devoted to Jesus and spreading His light. This past summer, he made a bold proclamation of his faith by getting baptized.
Jim’s wife, Jill, posted a video and photos of her husband’s moment on Sept. 20. Wearing a red shirt that said, “God’s real,” Kelly was asked while in the pool if he loved Jesus. “Yes I do!” he responded emphatically.
In the caption of her post, Jill wrote, “Jim’s t-shirt says, ‘God’s Real.’ He is! I have witnessed God at work in this man’s life for over 30 years…and I can tell you that God isn’t just REAL, He is faithful, trustworthy, kind, loving, compassionate, powerful, gracious, GOOD, merciful, forgiving…and so so much MORE. He is immeasurably MORE than we can imagine! He is EVERYTHING!”
We published a story about Kelly’s baptism on Sept. 21, and it took off immediately. It ranks No. 3 among our most-viewed stories in 2023:
New Orleans Saints LB Demario Davis, Oct. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
In a sport that takes such a physical tole on a player’s body, in a league that prioritizes youth, at a position where dominance is rarely achieved past the age of 30, NFL linebacker Demario Davis stands apart. The New Orleans Saints’ star, who will turn 37 in January, is once again in the middle of one of the best seasons of his career.
He’s eighth in the NFL in total tackles with 118, and all players in front of him are in their 20s except for Washington’s Bobby Wagner (aged 35). With four games remaining in the 2025-26 season, Davis could set a new career high in tackles; his current career high is 136, set just one season ago. Davis also has two pass deflections, two forced fumbles (tied for a career high), a fumble recovery, and five tackles for loss this season.
As a team, the Saints are 3-10 and in the middle of a rebuilding year. However, New Orleans did beat the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road on Sunday, 24-20, in a game where Davis tied for the team lead with seven tackles.
Spirits remain high inside the New Orleans locker room, and it all starts with the team’s veteran leader.
“It really shows our culture. I think nobody wants to be 3-10. Nobody wants to be there. But not all 3-10s look the same,” Davis said after the game. “… You would not think you’re looking at a 3-10 defense. That’s a testament to our front, that’s a testament to our second-level guys, that’s a testament to our back-end guys, that’s a testament to our coaches, that’s a testament to the culture that is being built here, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Originally a third-round pick of the New York Jets out of Arkansas State in 2012, Davis became a solid starter in four seasons with the team. But after one year with the Cleveland Browns and another back with the Jets, he signed with the Saints in March 2018. He was 29 at the time his contract was signed, and he’s only gotten better in New Orleans.
Davis has surpassed the 100-tackle plateau in each of his eight seasons in the black and gold, earning a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019, second-team All-Pro selections in 2020-23, and Pro Bowl selections in 2022 and 2023. He’s proven extremely durable as well, very rarely missing games, and he’s become one of the most respected and inspiring leaders in the NFL. He’s been a team captain since his signing.
Davis has excelled off the field in New Orleans as well. He won the Bart Starr Award in 2021, “created to honor the NFL player who best exemplifies outstanding character and leadership in the home, on the field, and in the community,” according to the award’s website. On Tuesday, another distinction came Davis’ way, when he was named a finalist for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.
Davis has also been nominated three times while with the Saints (including this season) for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, given annually to recognize a player for his community impact and on-field performance. The winner will be announced at the NFL Honors on Feb. 5.
“Man, it’s a tremendous honor,” Davis told the media after news broke. “I think every time you get a recognition of this stature, it takes you back to your ‘why.’ And for me, my ‘why’ will always be centered around my faith. I think we’re called to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and I’m so grateful to this organization because of the platform that I have here.
“… To be able to live out your ‘why’ is so rewarding.”
⚜️ Demario Davis on Giving Back to the Community & His WPMOY Nomination 🙌
Demario Davis said being nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award is one of the greatest honors of his career, because of what it represents — leadership, service, and making an impact beyond… pic.twitter.com/Rv11bQ8t9O
“I became a lot more community-oriented in college when my life changed,” he said. “Once I gave my life to Christ, it became more about living for something that was greater than myself. I had always been about the glory that I could get on the field, and once my life changed, it became, ‘How can I serve?’ Or, ‘How can I use the platform to impact the locker room and how can I use the game to impact the community?'”
During his most recent appearance on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in November 2024, Davis said all of the things he does to serve others and proclaim the Gospel stems from a heart that has been transformed by the love of Christ. It’s obedience to Him that impels Davis outward.
“It really wasn’t about all that extra stuff and going out and serving Jesus well with my life,” he said. “It was about loving Jesus well with my personhood, and just sitting before Him and sitting at His feet. … ‘Whatever You do with this platform — however great You make it — I’m gonna represent You.'”
Grounded in Christ, Davis will seek to continue to provide veteran leadership while anchoring an improving Saints defense. New Orleans will have an opportunity to win back-to-back games for the first time this season when the team faces another division rival, the Carolina Panthers (7-6), on Sunday. Kickoff is set for New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Packers wide receiver Christian Watson runs for his second touchdown, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
As the new year fast approaches and the NFL regular season hits its home stretch, the league’s division races are intensifying with each passing week. One of the more fascinating races to watch is unfolding in the NFC North.
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, fierce longtime rivals, matched up on Sunday at bitter-cold Lambeau Field for the first time this year, and the division lead was on the line. Ultimately, it was the Packers who emerged victorious, 28-21, thanks in large part to the efforts of emerging star wide receiver Christian Watson.
With the temperature at game time hovering in the mid-teens, Watson got his team on the scoreboard first. On a third-and-10, the fourth-year wideout found a soft spot in Chicago’s secondary, quarterback Jordan Love lofted a pass, and Watson brought it in and stretched over the goal line for the 23-yard score. In typical Packers fashion, he celebrated with a Lambeau Leap into the crowd.
In the third quarter, after the Bears had trimmed Green Bay’s lead to 14-11, Watson found the end zone again. Known for his speed, Watson caught a short third-down pass over the middle and then won a footrace to the end zone for a 41-yard touchdown.
The Bears tied the game in the fourth quarter, but the Packers re-took the lead with 3:32 left and held on for the win. Green Bay (9-3-1) now holds a half-game lead over Chicago (9-4) in the division while remaining a half game behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks (both 10-3) for first place in the NFC.
Watson finished his big day with four receptions for a season-high 89 yards and the two touchdowns. He now has five scores in his past four contests.
“[Watson is] a dynamic player, and we got to continue to find ways to get him the ball,” Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said in his postgame press conference. “… I’m just really proud of how he is. What happened a year ago versus the Chicago Bears and how he’s responded and how he’s worked to get him into a spot now where you go out and you see what he can do. Got a lot of love and a lot of respect for Christian Watson.”
LaFleur was referring to Watson’s non-contact injury one season ago against the Bears at Lambeau. Attempting to make a cut in the final game of the regular season, Watson’s knee buckled, and he crumpled to the ground with a torn right ACL. He made his long-awaited return from the injury on Oct. 26 in a 35-25 victory in Pittsburgh, and Sunday was his first matchup against Chicago since the injury.
“It means a lot to me, for sure,” Watson told the media after the game when asked about the moment. “Honestly, I tried not to think about it that much, but as the game was kind of getting going, it was definitely creeping in my mind a little bit. I’m just so thankful and blessed to be able to do what I do, and I’m glad that today panned out how it did, for sure.”
Watson found refuge in God in the wake of his devastating injury 11 months ago. His first post on Instagram after the injury quoted the Bible verse John 16:33, which promises peace in Christ amid the storms of life.
“[Football is] a tough sport, a lot on the body,” Watson said in August in the middle of his recovery, via the team’s website, “but I’m just grateful for where I’m at regardless of the situation. Appreciative of that.
“I always kind of fall back on that, embracing God’s plan.”
With Watson now fully integrated back into Green Bay’s offensive attack, the Packers look as dangerous as ever. They have now won four consecutive games (three against division opponents) to vault back to the top tier of the NFC.
Yet they are facing a challenging final stretch with three of their remaining four games coming on the road, including a pivotal rematch against the Bears in Chicago on Dec. 20. First, however, the Packers will travel to Denver to face the AFC-leading Broncos (11-2). Kickoff is set for Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
Stories of life transformation from the pro sports world
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Though Alex Highsmith grew up going to church, God was never real to him. In college, he tried out the party scene as a way to fit in, but ultimately found that lifestyle to be unfulfilling. Then when some friends introduced him to the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he joined them. Soon thereafter at a larger conference, God opened Alex’s eyes and heart — he realized for first time that he’s a sinner in need of a Savior. With his heart thumping in his chest, Alex felt the Holy Spirit drawing him to the Lord. That night, Jesus became real.
Watch the video above to hear Alex Highsmith tell his “I Once Was” story.
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We’re all in the middle of a story, and whether we admit it or not, we want our stories to matter. It’s those stories of deep and lasting impact that come to life when a person encounters Jesus, and responds to Him by faith. “I Once Was” invites those in the pro sports world to share their own transformational stories, describing the very moment that changed their lives forever.
Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones IV celebrates one of his 12 tackles, Nov. 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV played one of the best games of his five-year career — and one of the best individual defensive performances of the NFL season — on Sunday in his team’s 26-0 victory against the Minnesota Vikings.
The 26-year-old Jones recorded 12 combined tackles (seven solo), two passes defended, and two interceptions during the contest. He took his first interception 85 yards the other way for Seattle’s first touchdown of the game.
“That was my first ever defensive touchdown,” Jones said about his pick-six in his postgame press conference. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen the end zone, so it was great.”
Jones’ second interception of the day came in Minnesota territory and set up Seattle’s second score, a 17-yard scamper from running back Zach Charbonnet in the fourth quarter.
The dominant win marked Seattle’s first shutout since 2015, when the “Legion of Boom” roamed Seattle’s Lumen Field, and it moved the Seahawks (9-3) into a tie with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West (L.A. currently holds the tiebreaker thanks to a head-to-head win on Nov. 16). The teams will match up again in Seattle on Thursday, Dec. 18, with the division title hanging in the balance.
Jones, who was drafted by those Rams in the third round out of South Carolina in 2021, won Super Bowl LVI with Los Angeles as a rookie. He spent two more seasons with the franchise before getting traded to the Tennessee Titans just ahead of the 2024 season. Jones’ stint with the Titans lasted only six games, however, because he was sent back west to join the Seahawks that October.
“For me, being traded twice, that was a little shocker at first,” Jones said after the second trade, via HeraldNet.com. “But honestly, I’m thankful for the opportunity that God has given me. I’m getting to come to an organization that wants to win — loves to win — and has got the pieces now to win.”
His arrival helped to revamp the team’s run defense mid-season as the team finished 10-7 last year. Then in March, Seattle rewarded Jones with a lucrative three-year contract extension, and it has paid off nicely. Including Sunday’s numbers, Jones has now amassed a team-leading 83 combined tackles, along with seven passes defended and five interceptions (both career highs; his interception total ranks second in the NFL) this fall.
Yet for the Waycross, Georgia, native, he doesn’t want his life to be remembered for how much money he made or how many ballcarriers he tackled.
“Once football is over with, you know, not too many people are going to remember the football player,” Jones said in Sunday’s press conference. “I want everybody to remember the person.”
He later explained what he hopes people do remember when they think of him.
“At the end of the day when we leave this earth,” he said, “what type of person were you? Can people count on you? Can people trust you?”
For Jones, his answers to those questions ultimately stem from his relationship with Jesus. He said he was convicted this week that it was a relationship he has been neglecting.
“I told the guys that I feel like I’ve been missing something,” Jones said in his press conference. “I wear this cross around my neck, but I haven’t really been living like it. So for me, I took this time this week and just gave my life back to my Lord and [Savior], Jesus Christ. Got back on my knees, started praying. … I got that peace that I was missing, and it’s gonna help me.”
Jones occasionally posts about his faith on Instagram and X, and he wore specially designed cleats during Sunday’s game for the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative. The cleats highlighted Wings for Ewing, a nonprofit dedicated to finding a cure for Ewing Sarcoma. Jones’ father passed away in July after battling the cancer.
Jones knows that the Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessings and trials intermingle throughout a life lived for Christ. His ending, however, is secure.
“I’m a big believer in Jesus Christ,” he said in April 2024, via the Rams’ team website. “So I know at the end of the day, I’m taken care of.”
Jones and the Seahawks hope to replicate their impressive performance and keep pace in the competitive NFC West next week in Atlanta against the Falcons (4-8). Kickoff is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
