Is there anything more quintessentially American than college football? From late August to mid-January the traditions of colleges and universities large and small coalesce on (usually) Saturday afternoons and evenings on gridirons throughout the land, culminating with the Championship on Jan. 20, at least this year. From the Four Horsemen a century ago, to the blue field of Boise State, people gather to cheer on the 22 young men on the field in a timeless battle.
Even in this era of NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) money that players can earn, sometimes in large sums, there is still a sense of wholesomeness in a jaded world. In a world where we expect our leaders to lie to us constantly, our corporations to take as much money as they can from us, and our government to tax us incessantly, it is almost refreshing to take a break and immerse ourselves in our favorite team. Sometimes, the young men on that team can give us examples of how we can even be our best selves.
Here I’m not talking about the sacrifice for a greater good, nor the drive to put team before self. Focusing on the on-field leaders of the Ohio State Buckeyes and Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Will Howard and Riley Leonard respectively. Both Mr. Howard and Mr. Leonard throughout the 2024 season never shied away from professing their faith in Jesus Christ, even in the most important moments of their young lives. Riley Leonard, upon scoring the first touchdown of the National Championship game last Monday evening, showed a national audience his wristband, which read “Matthew 23:12,” which is “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
Will Howard, right after leading his Ohio State Buckeyes to a victory in Atlanta and Ohio State’s 8th National Championship, said this to the nation, “God is Good,” and that he had to “give all of the thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
Even in defeat, at his post-game press conference, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard stated, “Before I answer your question, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for giving me the opportunity to play in this game,” and, “Us and Ohio State were the two teams who praised Jesus Christ the most and I think we strengthened each other in our faiths.”
From all of this, I take away a couple of things. Firstly, if these are the future leaders of our country and world, we are in for a bright future indeed. Secondly, what keeps us from proclaiming our faith more publicly?
Mr. Howard and Mr. Leonard clearly are using their fame and notoriety for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ. They risked ridicule and being put down, but they did it anyway, and have sparked conversations about it in the process. Even here in The Kewanee Voice!
If Will Howard and Riley Leonard can share their faith, why can’t you and I? I’ll start… God has been good to me, and if you open yourself to Him, He will be to you as well. Trust in Jesus!
If even something as quintessentially American as College Football can bring Jesus to the conversation, why can’t we also in our daily lives at work, the grocery store and wherever we find ourselves?
Rev. John A. Cramer
Pastor, Holy Trinity NCC Kewanee, IL
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The Kewanee Voice.
