Faith on display: Trio of college football stars glorify God on national television  

A trio of college football stars stepped into the television spotlight after thrilling wins last week and praised God amid the postgame celebrations. 

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore and Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez all echoed the same message, opting not to make the moment about themselves but instead to credit the One who gave them the talent to lead their teams to victory. 

Although it’s not rare for football players to thank God after big moments, it was notable to have three high-profile athletes share a similar message on the same day in big games.  

Mendoza is the co-favorite for the Heisman Trophy – college football’s top honor – while Moore and Rodriguez are in contention for other top individual honors. All three are stars on Top 10 teams. 

“I want to give all the glory to God – without Him, we wouldn’t be here right now,” Mendoza told CBS after he helped rally his team for a come-from-behind 27-24 victory at Penn State in the final seconds to help the No. 2 Hoosiers remain unbeaten.  

“It’s just so amazing that He’s given us this opportunity, platform to do this,” Mendoza added. 

Mendoza’s seven-yard touchdown pass to teammate Omar Cooper with 36 seconds left was the game’s highlight – and potentially could be college football’s play of the season. Cooper soared above a Penn State defender to snag Mendoza’s pass, then dragged a toe just inside the end zone to complete the catch before he was pushed out of bounds. It capped a 10-play, 80-yard drive.  

“The team still had belief,” Mendoza said of the mindset when trailing. “The defense still had belief. The special teams had belief. … But it all came around at the end with the glory of God and with such amazing teammates and coaches. We were able to rally and get the win here in a hostile environment against a great team.” 

Oregon’s Moore also led a game-winning drive in a hostile environment, taking over on his own 25 with less than two minutes remaining at Iowa and engineering a 10-play drive that ended with Atticus Sappington’s 39-yard field goal with seven seconds left for an 18-16 victory. The win improved the No. 8 Ducks to 8-1 and kept them firmly in the College Football Playoff race.  

Moore credited his teammates for the victory – and then darted away from an interview with CBS so he could join Iapani Laloulu, an offensive lineman, who was kneeling at midfield. 

“He’s praying right there,” Moore told CBS, pointing to his teammate. “We’re big in the faith and big in the Christian life. So thank God for everything.” 

Texas Tech, too, notched a big victory Saturday, and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez proved pivotal in the No. 6 Red Raiders’ 29-7 win over BYU with 14 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. Rodriguez’s signature mustache even earned a moment on ESPN’s College GameDay, with host Kirk Herbstreit and others sporting faux versions in his honor. 

Asked by Fox during a post-game how he’s handling the success, Rodriguez said: “Just give glory to God.” 

“I have a bigger purpose in life, and that’s to be glorifying Him with everything I do,” he told a national audience. “I hope I can show that with how hard I play. And I hope I can pour my heart out on the field.” 

The trio’s bold stance for their faith came as a movement of God continues to spread across college campuses, with more than 40,000 students this fall packing arenas for special nights of worship as part of the UniteUS movement.  

Just this month, new Barna data revealed a surge in Scripture engagement among young adults, with 50 percent of Millennials and 49 percent of Gen Zers now reading the Bible weekly – up 16 and 19 points, respectively, in just one year.