What was supposed to be a celebration of the start of a new season for the John T. Morgan Academy football team (Selma, Alabama) Friday night turned into a tragic situation when quarterback Caden Tellier suffered a traumatic brain injury and ultimately passed away. He was just 16 years old.
His mother, Arsella, announced his passing Saturday in a Facebook post.
“Our boy, Caden Tellier has met Jesus face to face,” she wrote. “We appreciate all of your prayers and we covet them for the hard days ahead. Everyone who knows Caden has known kindness, generosity and love.”
Tellier’s fatal injury occurred on a routine play in the third quarter of Morgan Academy’s game against Southern Academy, as he was tackled and made contact with the ground. Alabama Independent School Association Executive Director Michael McLendon told CNN it could be “quite some time” before medical experts are able to determine exactly what happened. Initial reports are that he likely ruptured a blood vessel.
Tellier was the second high school football player in Alabama to die in less than two weeks. Semaj Watkins, 14, died Aug. 13 after collapsing during a New Brockton High School practice.
Morgan Academy released a statement from its headmaster, Dr. Bryan Oliver, confirming Tellier’s death Saturday night. In the statement, Oliver described Tellier’s strong faith in God as one of his defining characteristics.
“Caden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy,” Oliver said. “He was a student, a friend, an athlete and most important a Christ follower. There are no words to describe how we feel as a school community and family.”
In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Tellier’s mother thanked the doctors who provided care for him, said that his “final wish” was to be an organ donor, and expressed a desire for God to be glorified through their family’s tragic loss.
“Caden is still fighting hard in his earthly body as he prepares for this final act of generosity to bring new life to others,” she wrote in the post. “We continue to pray for those whose lives will be forever changed by his gifts. Our hope is that God will be glorified through our story, His love will be evident, and that Caden’s impact will touch the lives of many.”
The school hosted a family prayer time honoring Tellier’s life on Monday. Multiple people spoke at the event, including his father, Jamie, and youth pastor. Tellier’s love for the Lord was evident throughout.
“My son was an exceptional athlete, and my son loved playing football, and he loved playing baseball, and he loved trying to lead people in whatever sport he was doing,” his father said. “But my son’s favorite thing in the world to do was to talk about Jesus.”
A GoFundMe has been set up to raise money for Tellier’s family. More than 1,100 donations totaling more than $109,000 had been made as of Wednesday morning.
Please join Sports Spectrum in praying for the Tellier family and their community.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING GEREMY DAVIS
Geremy Davis is a former NFL wide receiver who played six seasons with the New York Giants, San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers and Detroit Lions from 2015 to 2020. In college, he was a standout wide receiver at UConn, where he caught a pass in every game he played for the Huskies.
Today on the podcast, Davis joins host Matt Forte for a poignant discussion on identity, football as an idol, trusting in God without fear, and Geremy’s post-playing career endeavors, including his new show, “Golf and the Gospel,” on YouTube.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING JUWAN JOHNSON
Juwan Johnson is a tight end for the New Orleans Saints. He went undrafted in 2020 out of college after spending four seasons with Penn State and a fifth at Oregon. He signed with the Saints after the 2020 NFL Draft and has become an integral part of New Orleans’ offense. In 2025, he had his best season as a pro, with a career-high 77 receptions and 889 receiving yards.
Today on the podcast, Juwan Johnson opens up about how putting Christ first transformed his identity beyond the jersey. He shares about how to lead with a servant’s heart in the spotlight, from handling the pressures of the NFL to finding a deeper purpose off the field.
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.”
