Video of the Week: Rocket Ismail discusses his conversion from Islam to Christianity (by Game Plan For Life)

By Sports Spectrum Nov 4, 2015

Former professional football player “Rocket” Ismail discusses his conversion from Islam to Christianity with Game Plan For Life. Click HERE to watch more videos and testimonies from Game Plan For Life.

SS PODCAST: Browns QB Jameis Winston on gratitude, boldness, living unashamed

By Sports Spectrum Jan 31, 2025

THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE & JASON ROMANO, FEATURING JAMEIS WINSTON

Jameis Winston is an NFL quarterback who played the 2024 season with the Cleveland Browns. He was originally selected No. 1 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and after five seasons with Tampa moved to New Orleans, where he spent the next four seasons with the Saints. In 2024, he signed a one-year deal with Cleveland.

In college, Winston was the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, and a few weeks later led his Florida State Seminoles to a BCS National Championship victory over Auburn.

Today on the podcast, Jameis Winston joins Matt and Jason to discuss his up-and-down 2024 season, being bold in his faith, and the gratitude he has for playing in the NFL.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

BLESSED ❄️ #DreamForever #DawgPound pic.twitter.com/1BNT12DL4p

— Jameis Winston (@Jaboowins) November 22, 2024

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Football

Eagles LB Oren Burks returns to Super Bowl, knows ‘God will love me’ no matter what

By Cole Claybourn Jan 30, 2025

Oren Burks waited all season for his opportunity. After an injury to Philadelphia Eagles starting middle linebacker Nakobe Dean in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs, it’s been Burks whom the Eagles have relied on to fill in for their defensive leader during their run to Super Bowl LIX.

Predominantly used on special teams this season, the veteran played the final 36 snaps of the team’s first-round playoff win over Green Bay at linebacker and has started both games since.

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Slotting into the starting lineup may be somewhat new to Burks, but starting in a Super Bowl won’t be. He actually started for the San Francisco 49ers and made five tackles in the team’s Super Bowl LVIII loss a year ago to the Kansas City Chiefs, the same team Philadelphia will face this season.

Prior to Dean’s injury, Burks forced a fumble on the opening kickoff against the Packers. Then against the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game, Burks forced another fumble, this time from Commanders running back Austin Eckeler as Washington was driving to make it a one-score game late in the third quarter. The Commanders didn’t score the rest of the game, and Philadelphia’s 55-23 win clinched its second Super Bowl berth in three years.

OREN. BURKS. WHAT A HIT 💥

📺 NFL Sunday Ticket On YouTube https://t.co/Ljx6GsJJ9v pic.twitter.com/rkpqpIzp5C

— Vanderbilt Football (@VandyFootball) January 12, 2025

BIG BANG BAUN BURKS 😤@zackbizzaun | @BangTimeBurks pic.twitter.com/MqTKfrTkE9

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 26, 2025

Burks also picked up a sack against the Commanders and finished game with nine tackles, second on the team. The Eagles will be looking for him to have a similar impact in the Super Bowl if they hope to knock off the Chiefs and avenge their loss in Super Bowl LVII.

“He’s been such a dynamic player there for us on special teams and that’s a great predictor of how you’re going to play as a linebacker with all the physical tools,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni told reporters ahead of the team’s divisional-round game. “It’s obviously a different mental game but what a great indicator of how you are as a linebacker as far as how you tackle, how you get off blocks, etc.

“Oren has been consistently ready to play and has played well and performed well every time he’s stepped onto the field. As bummed as I am that Nakobe doesn’t get to play, I’m excited for Oren and his opportunity to play.”

Prior to the playoffs, Burks had only seen the field on defense sparingly this season, mostly filling in for Dean and fellow starter Zack Baun when they needed a breather. Dean was the team’s defensive leader and the player charged with receiving the play calls from coaches and relaying them in the huddle.

In other words, these are large shoes Burks is being asked to fill. But he’s not feeling any pressure.

“I just take ownership of what I can control,” Burks told NBC Sports Philadelphia. “That’s myself. I’m going to give 100 percent effort, I’m going to be prepared and let the chips fall where they may. I’ve kind of learned to surrender the outcome and just be present in the process. That’s a big thing for me.”

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A post shared by Oren Burks (@bangtimeburks)

He credits much of his approach and demeanor to his faith in Jesus, he told Sports Spectrum a year ago prior to Super Bowl LVIII. He was seen as a spiritual leader while with the 49ers and has embraced a similar role in the Eagles locker room.

“God calls us to be leaders of men,” he told Sports Spectrum. “I’m not a huge vocal guy, but I try to lead by my actions and the way I treat people. I’ve been around it my whole life with FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes), so it comes natural.”

He grew up in church, but said his faith took a big leap when he went to Vanderbilt University to play college football.

“I had to take ownership of my faith,” he said. “It wasn’t my parents’. It wasn’t my grandparents’. I decided to truly believe for myself.”

He said he lives by Romans 10:9, which reads, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

“It’s just a great foundational piece,” Burks said. “No matter my pitfalls or anything that happens on or off the field, I know that God will love me.”

Kickoff for Super Bowl LIX from New Orleans is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 9.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

Football

Chiefs backup Carson Wentz knows ‘God’s been good,’ prepares to face old team in Super Bowl

By Kevin Mercer Jan 29, 2025

Yes, the Kansas City Chiefs are seeking to become the first team to ever win three consecutive Super Bowls, and yes, the Chiefs will face off against the Philadelphia Eagles in a rematch of an epic Super Bowl LVII two seasons ago. It’s true that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes will try to secure an incredible fourth Super Bowl victory before he turns 30, while Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, at the age of 26, is looking for his first.

But amid all of that, one of the more intriguing storylines emerging in the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX is about Mahomes’ backup, Carson Wentz.

>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<

Wentz is in his first year with the Chiefs after signing with the franchise in April. The 32-year-old is on his fourth team in four years, mostly serving as a backup. However, what Wentz is best known for is his time with Philadelphia, the team he starred on from the start of his career in 2016 until 2020.

TRENDING: #Chiefs quarterback Carson Wentz celebrating on the field with his family heading back to the Super Bowl.

Wentz will face his former team the #Eagles.

👀 pic.twitter.com/WwhlA0zmN7

— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) January 28, 2025

As the second overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of North Dakota State, Wentz took the league by storm. He set an NFL record for the most completions as a rookie (379, since broken), and the following year, he was selected to the Pro Bowl and in contention for league MVP until a torn left ACL in Week 14 ended his season. He was forced to watch from the sidelines as his backup, Nick Foles, led Philly through the playoffs and to a memorable 41-33 Super Bowl LII victory against the New England Patriots.

Now Wentz is back in the Super Bowl, and it’s his former team standing in the way of him earning a second championship ring.

After watching from the sidelines as Mahomes orchestrated yet another AFC Championship Game win on Sunday, 32-29 against the Buffalo Bills, Wentz was asked by The Philadelphia Inquirer for his thoughts about reaching another Super Bowl, where he’ll face his former team.

“It’s been a journey,” he said. “Every day, or every year, has been something different so far, but I’m just along for the ride, and God’s been good, just continuing to open doors. [I’m] still playing the game I love, and it might look different, but [I’m] still having fun.”

Although Wentz’s time in the NFL hasn’t panned out as he’d hoped, or many expected, he’s remained steadfast in his commitment to the Lord throughout. In August 2023, he joined “The Pure Athlete Podcast” and had a message for listeners facing setbacks.

“Just keep going,” he said while wearing an Audience of One T-shirt. “Have your goals and keep plugging along, and don’t let anybody try and derail you — stop you — from them. I would strongly encourage everybody to find their real purpose with their Creator, with Jesus, because that can kind of make all the difference when you’re going through all of the crap that life can throw at you.”

Wentz describes himself as a “Follower of Christ” on social media, and he’s regularly spoken openly about his faith.

Wentz also started his Audience of One Foundation in the summer of 2017, which is dedicated to “uplifting individuals and communities around the world by demonstrating God’s love for His people.”

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A post shared by Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz11)

Wentz and his wife, Maddie, were guests on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in February 2020, where they talked about marriage, life in the NFL, expecting their first child, and God’s faithfulness to them in all of it.

“We joke about it, but when I met her, it was literally like God said, ‘Wife!’ It was just, like, right over her. It was the most audible I’d ever heard the Lord’s voice in my life to this day,” Carson said as he reflected on his time getting to know Maddie on a mission trip. “… We were just both striving to serve the Lord, and that’s just how we met. So from the start, I just knew her heart was in the right place, my heart was in the right place, and finding someone to do this life alongside with me and really be my better half.”

Later, both Carson and Maddie shared their favorite Bible verses. Carson’s was Proverbs 3:5-6 (which he has tattooed on the inside of his right bicep) and Maddie’s was Psalm 139:7-8.

Carson was also a part of Sports Spectrum’s “Football Sunday” film in 2021, in which he shared about how hard it was for him to be sidelined with an injury while his Eagles teammates went on to win the Super Bowl.

“To walk through that, obviously it was tough at the time, and I still look back and think it was a tough time, but I know God was moving in my life,” he said. “And He wanted me to know that He loves me so much that my relationship with Him is far more important than winning a Super Bowl, than being on that stage in my uniform, than playing in that game. But ultimately [I should be] playing for His glory and saying, ‘God, Your will be done.'”

He added later, “I’ve always been a guy that wants to have control. My selfishness and my desire for control has to decrease every moment and it has to allow God to increase in my life. [I have] to try my best to be Spirit-led and not Carson-led.”

"God, You gave Your son to die for me."

New Colts QB Carson Wentz shares where he finds true peace. pic.twitter.com/06vQxjEBOB

— Sports Spectrum (@Sports_Spectrum) February 18, 2021

This year, Wentz has provided a steady veteran presence in relief of Mahomes, appearing in three games including a start in the regular-season finale against Denver. He completed 10 of 17 passes for 98 yards in the game, as the Chiefs lost 38-0 while resting many of the team’s key players.

To no one’s surprise, Wentz joined the postgame prayer huddle at midfield, giving honor and praise to God despite the loss.

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A post shared by Carson Wentz (@cj_wentz11)

Always enduring in faith and deriving his true strength from Christ, Wentz is now helping the Chiefs prepare for Philadelphia and the bright lights of Super Bowl LIX. Kickoff from New Orleans is set for 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 9.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<

Football

Eagles WR A.J. Brown knows it’s ‘a blessing from God’ to get back to Super Bowl

By Joshua Doering Jan 28, 2025

It’s been a strange postseason for Philadelphia Eagles wideout A.J. Brown. The team’s regular-season leader in receiving yards despite missing four games, Brown caught only three passes for 24 yards as Philadelphia beat the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams to reach the NFC Championship Game.

>> Subscribe to Sports Spectrum Magazine for more stories where sports and faith connect <<

He garnered national attention when cameras caught him reading a book — “Inner Excellence” by former professional athlete Jim Murphy — on the sidelines during the Packers game. Brown later explained to reporters that he reads the book during every game to help stay mentally locked in. Afterward, “Inner Excellence” quickly became the best-selling book on Amazon.

AJ Brown describing reading on the sideline, a book he brings to every single game… pic.twitter.com/LH2iIcW3L5

— StaceyDales (@StaceyDales) January 13, 2025

The criticism Brown received for reading on the sideline didn’t seem to bother him. In his mind, the book is simply a tool to help him perform to the best of his ability.

“As men, we’ve got to be ‘strong,’ ‘tough’ guys,” Brown said while discussing the book in an interview with ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio. “I don’t believe that. I can lift weights all day, but that doesn’t do nothing for me if my mental is not correct. … I even found peace in the midst of chaos. This game is violent. You need everything. I’m just trying to slow my brain down.”

Philadelphia acquired Brown from the Tennessee Titans prior to the 2022 season, and he has broken the 1,000-yard mark in each of his three years as an Eagle. The three-time Pro Bowler was much more involved in Sunday’s 55-23 dismantling of the Washington Commanders — which sent the Eagles to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years — catching six passes for 96 yards and scoring a touchdown right before halftime.

Touchdown A.J. Brown!

📺: #WASvsPHI on FOX
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/T4cq3AFxeZ

— NFL (@NFL) January 26, 2025

Speaking to the media after the win, Brown gave thanks to God as he’s often done throughout his six-year career.

“We’re just trying to get it done,” he said. “Two Super Bowl appearances in three years is a blessing from God. We’re grateful, and we’re just trying to finish. You know, it don’t happen [easily]. Guys don’t get to the Super Bowl, and we’re very blessed. We’re just trying to make the most of it.”

AJ Brown said the first time he worked out with Jalen Hurts and DeVonta Smith as teammates they were running hills in the rain at 5am

“Told me everything I needed to know”

AJ on being back in the Super Bowl with Jalen and DeVonta: pic.twitter.com/RbfkQYwjJy

— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) January 27, 2025

Brown and the Eagles are now preparing for a rematch with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in New Orleans. The two teams met in Super Bowl LVII just two years ago with Kansas City winning, 38-35. Coincidentally, Brown had the exact same number of targets, receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns in that game as he did Sunday.

Prior to that first Super Bowl appearance, Sports Spectrum asked Brown about his journey to one of the biggest stages in sports and the role faith plays in his life.

“I had plans and God had other plans,” he said. “I try not to lean on my own understanding. I read the Bible a lot because that’s how I fight my problems. I’m not trying to stand up here and be a perfect guy because I’m not; nobody is. But I just lean heavily on my faith and try to let Him direct my paths.”

To further express his faith, Brown wears his eye black in the shape of a cross during games, a practice that dates back to his time in Tennessee. He also wears an “I Am Second” bracelet on the field. He has never been shy about sharing the importance of the Lord in his life and includes “MAN OF GOD!” in his Instagram bio.

“I’m a Christian first, before anything,” he told the Tennessean near the end of his rookie season. “When I step out on the field, I want to say thank you for the blessing, for everything, because I don’t have to do this. I get to do this. So I always wear a cross.”

Now, only the Eagles stand between the Chiefs and a historic three-peat. After defeating Philadelphia two years ago, the Chiefs took down the San Francisco 49ers last season. A win for Philadelphia in Super Bowl LIX would be the franchise’s second title, to go with its victory in the 2017-18 season. This year’s game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Feb. 9.

>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<