“Without Jesus, I’m nothing. Without His love and His care and His guidance just going through my whole life — the ups and downs that I’ve been through — He’s the only Truth and the Way to help me through.”
Tony Dungy (left) and Cooper Kupp. (Photo courtesy of X/@TonyDungy)
The first four months of 2026 have been good to Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
In February, the 32-year-old won his second Super Bowl title when the Seahawks took down the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX. Then on Friday at Grace Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, he was presented with the 2026 Uncommon Award by legendary Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.
Dungy presents the Uncommon Award annually to someone who, according to the event website, isn’t “afraid to take the tough road, to follow a higher calling or set a higher standard.” Dungy’s passion for living an uncommon life and calling others to do the same came from his father, his collegiate coach at Minnesota, Cal Stoll, and Jesus’ words in the Bible passage Matthew 7:13-14.
We’re at our 13th annual Uncommon Award dinner and this year we are honoring Cooper Kupp. Cooper is a 2 time Super Bowl champ and an amazing man as well. He’s been a great leader for the Rams & the Seahawks and a true community servant. Cooper has shown that you can be at the top… pic.twitter.com/GqiQKXdzJV
The presentation of the Uncommon Award to Kupp was followed Saturday morning by the Arise with the Guys men’s event, which was attended by nearly 4,000 men. The event seeks to prepare men to create meaningful change and live an uncommon life. Recently-retired Minnesota Vikings fullback C.J. Ham was one of the speakers, and the event concluded with a Gospel presentation.
The morning centered on Kupp and Dungy as they participated in a Q&A, where they talked about football and their shared faith in Christ.
“I was made to play the game of football,” Kupp said on the stage. “Not to go do great football things or to win Super Bowls. I was made to play football to be on a stage to be able to point to Jesus, to be able to call people to Him, to be able to live a life that reflects Jesus in every way. I know that I would not be here without Him.”
Kupp was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams out of Eastern Washington in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft and made an immediate splash in L.A. with 869 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. He continued to develop over the next few years, culminating in a historic 2021 campaign.
That season, he earned the NFL’s receiving “triple crown” in which he led the league in receptions (145), yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). Kupp was named a Pro Bowler, a first-team All-Pro, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, and he capped the season by leading his team to a 23-20 victory in Super Bowl LVI. He was the game’s MVP.
After three more seasons with the Rams, he was released and quickly re-signed by Seattle, where he continued to be a starter. His consistency and veteran leadership proved invaluable on the team’s journey to a Super Bowl title; he caught six passes for 61 yards in the big game.
Kupp’s full Q&A was featured in this week’s “Tuesday Morning RB” on the Sports Spectrum Podcast, and when asked about his release from the Rams only to be signed by the Seahawks and win a Super Bowl, he talked about trusting God’s goodness in the uncertainty.
“God has a plan for you that isn’t always going to be in alignment with what you want for yourself,” Kupp said. “But His plan is better. I promise you, it’s better. You know, I’ve lived that out. This year was a great example.”
Later, Kupp revealed that he signs autographs with one of his favorite Bible verses, 1 Corinthians 9:25, which says, “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” After Kupp quoted it, he reflected on its significance to him.
“I’m working out at 7:00 in the morning. I’m here not because I’m getting ready for a game. I’m here because I’m representing Jesus on earth,” he said. “That is a mindset that is going to give you everything you need, all the motivation you need, to go out and be the best football player that you can possibly be. More than enough motivation.
“We should be the hardest workers in the world, because we’re working for an eternal prize.”
Kupp was asked about what the Lord taught him in the past year, from the low of being released to the high of winning a Super Bowl with his favorite childhood team.
“What God taught me is that He’s there,” Kupp said. “He’s there for us, and when you pursue Him, He’s going to answer the bell. He will answer the bell, I promise you. Do not leave. Just stay on the path that He has for you because He is there for you and He has a great plan for you.”
Whatever 2026-27 holds for Kupp, this year’s Uncommon Award winner will seek to continue to live the uncommon life God has called him to.
THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING ROBERT MATHIS
Robert Mathis spent 14 seasons with the Indianapolis Colts (2003-16) and is the franchise’s all-time leader in sacks (123). He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2021, and won Super Bowl XLI with the team in 2006-07. He retired as the NFL’s career record holder in forced fumbles (52).
Matt Forte welcomes Robert Mathis to the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about his journey of faith in Christ, the worst year of his life in 2014, the power of prayer, his favorite quarterback to sack, and the Colts’ culture.
Robert Mathis, who spent all of his 14 seasons with the @Colts and was part of the Super Bowl XLI winning squad, is now a Semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2025. #PFHOF25pic.twitter.com/CErpQyajCL
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs makes a catch during the school's Pro Day in Columbus, Ohio, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has spent the past two seasons building one of the most decorated résumés in college football. Now, he’s on the verge of hearing his name called early in the NFL Draft — potentially within the first five picks.
He was named the winner of the 2025 Jim Thorpe Award — given annually to the nation’s top defensive back — and a finalist for both the Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Awards, each honoring the nation’s best defensive player. Downs was also a two-time consensus first-team All-American and a key member of the Buckeyes’ 2024-25 national championship team and Big Ten runner-up squad in 2025-26. Furthermore, he was given the Big Ten’s Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year honor and, for the second straight season, the Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year award.
His impact extended beyond the field as well, earning the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes performance, leadership, character and community involvement, and he was nominated as Ohio State’s candidate for the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award.
“I have spent 11 years coaching in the NFL and Caleb Downs is the best football player — pro or college — that I have ever coached,” Ohio State co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Tim Walton said. “He is first-class and exceptional in all areas he touches.”
That combination of production, football IQ and consistency has made Downs one of the most highly regarded prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft. Multiple outlets project him as a top-10 pick, with ESPN and The Athletic placing him as high as No. 5 overall to the New York Giants.
“Downs would be the first safety taken in the top five since Eric Berry went to the Chiefs in 2010, and he’d be worth it,” ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. wrote.
But Downs is more than just a football player. And he’s not shy in talking about what’s most important to him.
“There’s two things that are more important than me, more important than me playing football,” Downs told “The Walk” podcast in August as to why he wears No. 2. “My faith in Jesus Christ and my family. So those two things is what I wear on my chest every game and those are the two most important things in my life.”
His faith has been central not only to his personal life, but also to his platform at Ohio State. In 2024, several football players helped lead a worship gathering on campus that featured worship music, player testimonies and baptisms. When the event returned in 2025 — drawing an estimated 2,000 attendees, nearly double the previous year — Downs was among the players who spoke to the crowd.
“No play we make on the field — no touchdown, no interception — can compare to the Kingdom of God,” Downs said.
Speaking afterward, he emphasized where he believes true credit belongs.
“God is good,” Downs told local television station ABC 6. “I mean, I can’t take credit for it. None of my teammates can take credit for it. At the end of the day, His glory is above anything that we can do, but we know Jesus is real and we know that if you believe in Him, you will be saved.”
That message has also shaped how Downs talks about faith publicly. On “The Walk” podcast, he talked about the hesitation many feel about coming to Christ.
“Some people say, ‘I’m not ready to be baptized. I’m not ready to come to Jesus,'” he said. “But the realization is that Jesus is for the people that are sick. Jesus is for the people that aren’t perfect. You’re never going to be perfect enough to come to Jesus. That’s the point.”
He continued later: “Whenever you surrender to Him, that’s when everything will be washed away and you will be made renewed in Him. The faster that you can come to Him and run to Him and totally surrender your heart and your mind to Him, that’s the better off you’re going to be.
“There’s no amount of good behavior that you can do that will allow you to feel like you’re righteous enough to come to Him, because you never will be. It’s just a realization that He is what makes you righteous. He’s what makes you perfect.”
Downs, after just three collegiate seasons, officially declared for the NFL Draft on Jan. 7 and made sure to point his gratitude to God with a post on Instagram.
“Everything I’ve been able to achieve starts with my faith,” he wrote. “I’m grateful to God for the direction, strength, and purpose He’s given me. And I will continue to glorify, honor, and praise Him throughout this journey.”
The NFL Draft goes from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
