49ers legend Bryant Young honors late son, points to Christ during Hall of Fame induction
ByKevin MercerAug 6, 2022Nearly 15 years after his final NFL snap, and nearly 10 years after first becoming eligible, legendary San Francisco 49ers defensive tackle Bryant Young is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame at last.
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Young took part in the celebration of the Hall of Fame Class of 2022 on Saturday in Canton, Ohio, where each member of the class gave a speech and had a bronze bust of themselves unveiled. Meanwhile, family members, dozens of former players already inducted and thousands of fans looked on with pride.
Young was presented by his daughter, Kai, and former 49ers owner “Mr. D,” Edward DeBartolo Jr. When Young took the podium, his speech brought glory to God and left many in tears.
“For me, today is about faith, football and family,” Young began.
He first thanked his wife, Kristin, whom he met as a player at Notre Dame. “We’ve been together 31 years, and what a journey. Six kids, careers, injuries, life-altering losses, Kristin — my partner in all things, co-heir in Christ — you embody much of what this jacket and this day represents.”
Young went on to thank his kids and the rest of his family, as well as his former coaches, teammates and even opponents (some of whom helped get Young into the Hall of Fame in the first place).
Then as Young was nearing the end of his speech, he told the story of his son, Colby, who passed away in 2016 from cancer at the age of 15.
“On October 11, 2016, God called Colby home,” Young said with tears in his eyes. “Colby, you live on in our hearts. We will always speak your name.”
Bryant Young's son Colby lost his battle with cancer when he was just 15 years old. Bryant keeps his son's memory alive, ever day and especially today.
What a beautiful moment. ❤️🙏@Bgr8t
📺:#PFHOF22 Enshrinement on@nflnetworkpic.twitter.com/DxkcCcmaTI
— NFL (@NFL)August 6, 2022
After his powerful story, Young received a standing ovation. He concluded by saying his football success can only be attributed to the support system which surrounded him his entire career. Mostly, however, he thanked God for His kindness and steadfast love in the good times and bad.
“I keep my gaze on Christ and pour myself into good works, including the pediatric brain tumor foundation,” Young said. “I’ve learned to trust God’s plan and timing, not mine.”
Young acknowledged that, as a member of the Class of 2022, 22 was Colby’s favorite number. He then walked off the stage to resounding applause.
Representing an iconic franchise has been an honor. Grateful! WE not I made it possible.#Faith#Accountability#Perseverancehttps://t.co/2v2eLHCbCF
— Bryant Young (@Bgr8t)August 5, 2022
On the field, Young was a menacing defensive presence from the outset. Drafted No. 7 overall out of Notre Dame in 1994, San Francisco won its fifth Super Bowl in franchise history at the end of Young’s rookie season. Young would play another 13 years — all with the 49ers — until his retirement in 2007. He amassed 12 forced fumbles and 89.5 sacks (sixth most ever among defensive tackles), reaching the Pro Bowl on four occasions.
In what might be the defining moment of his incredible career, Young suffered a gruesome right leg injury in November 1998. It left him wondering if he’d ever play football again and his doctors considering the possibility of amputation.
During the NFL Hall of Fame preseason game between the Las Vegas Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars on Thursday, Young was interviewed during the broadcast and asked about how he overcame his injury physically and mentally.
“I had to … lean on my faith a lot,”he said. “It challenged my faith. I definitely grew in those moments.”
Young says that thanks to his family and a talented medical team, he did recover, and after an offseason of rehab, he came back stronger than ever. His 1999 season was one of the best of his career as he racked up 11 sacks on the way to being named the 1999 NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
In addition to Young, the entire Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 included playersTony Boselli, Cliff Branch, LeRoy Butler, Sam Mills, Richard Seymour, coach Dick Vermeil and referee Art McNally.
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Hunter Henry enjoys career day in Patriots’ 9th straight win: ‘God has extraordinarily blessed me’
ByKevin MercerNov 24, 2025Stop us if you’ve heard this before: The New England Patriots are the best team in the AFC.
Afteran incredible run spanning 21 years in which New England made the playoffs 18 times with six Super Bowls (a stretch that included 17 consecutive seasons with 10 or more wins), the team had finished below .500 and out of the playoffs for the past three seasons. But that postseason drought will come to a screeching halt in 2025.
With a come-from-behind 26-20 win at Cincinnati on Sunday, this year’s Patriots have won nine straight games and seized sole possession of first place in the AFC with a 10-2 record.
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“Winning in this league is special,”New England tight end Hunter Henry said in his postgame press conference. “This team is very special too. We really have a close-knit group, and it’s a lot of fun coming into work with these guys.”
The Patriots fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter on Sunday, but responded with a 28-yard touchdown to Henry on the next drive. New England grabbed the lead with a touchdown less than two minutes later and never relinquished it on the way to a hard-fought road win. For the day, Henry snagged seven receptions for a career-high 115 receiving yards andhis crucial second-quarter touchdown.
That's a 28 yard TD pass from@DrakeMaye2 to@Hunter_Henry84!
📺 CBSpic.twitter.com/LfwW4c1g2q
— New England Patriots (@Patriots)November 23, 2025
“I put a lot of work in,” Henry said in the press conference. “I’ve been incredibly blessed in this profession to be where I am. God has extraordinarily blessed me — I couldn’t do it without Him. To be here, with this team, I take a lot of pride in it. It’s been a fun ride, and I’m excited for the journey ahead.”
Henry’s previous career high in single-game receiving yards was 109, which came in Week 2 a year ago. Including Sunday’s performance,only three times in his 10-year career has the vet eclipsed the 100-yard receiving plateau. The 2025 campaign as a whole is shaping up to be the soon-to-be-31-year-old’s best to date; he’s on pace to set a new single-season career high in receiving yards (currently 674, also set last season). The Arkansas native and former Razorback already has 537 receiving yards with five games remaining.
It appears Henry’s fifth season in a Patriots uniform will also end in the playoffs, a place he’s only been twice before. In 2018 with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team that drafted him 35th overall in 2016, Henry lost (to the Patriots) and he did not record a catch. In 2021 with New England, his team lost to the Buffalo Bills and he caught only one pass for 30 yards.
Despitedealing with a rash of injuries and a string of losing seasons throughout his time in the NFL, Henry has been public about his steadfast faith in Christ. As the son of a pastor, Henry grew up in the church and became a believer when he was 9 or 10. His faith deepened in college, and now as an NFL star he seeks to share the Good News of the Gospel with millions of adoring fans.
He writes inhis Instagram bio that he’s a “Jesus Follower” and references the Bible verseJoshua 1:9 as well asthe Audience of One (AO1) slogan. In his posts, he frequentlycites Bible verses.
In September 2022, Henry joined the Sports Spectrum Podcast to talk about his NFL career, his faith in Christ, and being a father (he has two children withanother on the way).
“I’m out there to glorify God,”Henry said on the podcast about being in the NFL. “He gave me these abilities, and this is a way for me to go out there and worship Him. I always say I apply it to everything, but really on the football field, I’m out there playing for one reason, and that’s the Creator that gave me these abilities.”
Henry — who wasbaptized in the Jordan River in 2020 along with his wife, Parker — has also been involved in the work ofInternational Justice Mission for much of his professional career, including showcasing the organization during the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” initiative. IJM works to protect people in poverty from violence and human trafficking.
This past September, the Henrys hosted Rally for Rescue, an event that featured fast-paced ping-pong matches and a silent auction, all to support IJM’s mission.
“We are excited to bring people together for a cause that matters deeply to us,”Henry said ahead of Rally for Rescue. “After traveling to the IJM Kenya office this spring, Parker and I knew we wanted to continue doing what we could to support IJM. Through Rally for Rescue, we hope to inspire action, raise critical funds, and amplify the fight for justice around the globe.”
Henry spoke with Sports Spectrum in 2020 about how his faith in Jesus led him to get involved with IJM.
“[IJM’s] values behind when they’re able to save these people, and what’s behind them going to do all this, is Christ,” he said. “And just sharing that, sharing the Gospel with people at the same time, but also using [the Gospel] for all their work and that’s what’s behind everything … that’s what drew me to them more than any other organization.”
With IJM, Henry is busy combating injustices in the world that grieve God’s heart. With the Patriots, Henry has helped his team accumulate the NFL’s longest current win streak. He and his teammates will have an opportunity to extend that streak to 10 next week at home against the New York Giants (2-10) on “Monday Night Football.” Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
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WHAT’S UP PODCAST: Luke Montgomery – Ohio State Offensive Lineman
BySports SpectrumNov 24, 2025THIS IS SPORTS SPECTRUM’S WHAT’S UP PODCAST
WITH ANNABELLE HASSELBECK
On today’s episode of Sports Spectrum’s “What’s Up” podcast, we have Luke Montgomery!
Luke shares about his experience playing football at Ohio State, teammates who have had an impact on him, and where his true identity is found.
“What’s Up” is part of theSports Spectrum Podcast Network.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
Offensive 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘢𝘮𝘦:@lukeMonty8 ‼️pic.twitter.com/X3Y1RQ7OWi
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB)September 28, 2025
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PLEASE CONSIDER FOLLOWING, SUBSCRIBING AND LEAVING A REVIEW
SS PODCAST: Former Pro Bowler & current Bowling Green head coach Eddie George on faith, football
BySports SpectrumNov 21, 2025THIS IS THE SPORTS SPECTRUM PODCAST WITH MATT FORTE, FEATURING EDDIE GEORGE
Eddie George played nine seasons in the NFL with the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (1996-2003) and Dallas Cowboys (2004). He was selected 14th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft by the Oilers after a stellar collegiate career at Ohio State, where he won the 1995 Heisman Trophy.
In 2011, George was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and in 2019 his number 27 was retired by the Titans.
Currently, George is in his first season as the head coach at Bowling Green State University, after spending four years as Tennessee State’s head coach (2021-24).
Today on the podcast, fellow Pro Bowl running backs Matt Forte and Eddie George discuss George’s strong faith in Jesus Christ, rededicating his life to the Lord, why ballet is something that helped him as a running back, and lessons he learned in college at Ohio State.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
"I think it's important for them to understand who I am as a man." –@EddieGeorge2727#GUTS x#AyZiggy 🟠🟤pic.twitter.com/bu7zaqZkeM
— BGSU Football (@BG_Football)July 27, 2025
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‘Redemption’ highlights Ohio State’s 2024 title run & players who ‘radically encountered the Gospel’
ByKevin MercerNov 19, 2025Multiple blowout wins, a rivalry loss, an unforgettable trek to the college football national championship, and a God who orchestrated it all for His glory. The story of the 2024 Ohio State Buckeyes is one for the ages.
Now, executive producers Marlee and Matthew Benson (alongside fellow producers Chris Ritchie and two-time national champion and 2007 Heisman Trophy-winnerTim Tebow) have set out to tell the story with the release of “Redemption,” a three-part documentary on Ohio State’s title-winning football team that magnified the name of Jesus Christ at every step.
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“Redemption” is a Kingdom Films original, in partnership with Serif Creative and Wonder Project.The series was released on Sunday and is now available to watch with a Wonder Project subscription on Prime Video.
Neither Marlee nor Matthew are filmmakers by trade, but they are followers of Christ. And living in Columbus, Ohio, in close proximity to Ohio State, they had a front-row seat to how God was moving on the Buckeye football team. In the summer of 2024, the Lord led them in a most providential way to document the team’s spiritual revival.
“My wife and I go to church here in Columbus, and[former Buckeyes tight end Gee Scott Jr.] actually ended up preaching at our church one Sunday prior to the start of the season,” Matthew Benson recently told Sports Spectrum. “And after hearing Gee preach, we came home and were like, ‘Man, this is so cool to hear what God’s doing in the locker room. This team’s supposed to be amazing this year.’
“We prayed on it and felt called to capture it.”
The Bensons knew Ohio State was among the national title contenders entering the season, but little did they know that — as they told the story of God setting the hearts of young men on fire for Him — they were also telling the story of a national championship team in the making. The original intent was to showcase God at work in the lives of big-time college athletes on one particular team; what that team accomplished just happened to be one of the greatest runs to a national championship in college football history.
“The season ebbed and flowed and ended up obviously winning the national championship,” Matthew said, “and I think just made a bigger microphone for really what the main point of the story is: the radical change that these guys have seen in their lives, and what we’ve seen in Columbus, by people getting exposed to the Gospel.”
“Redemption” is broken into three parts in chronological order, from the start of fall practice and Ohio State’s first game to the team’stitle-winning 34-23 victory over Notre Dame at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20. Scott was the starting tight end for the Buckeyes that night.
“I was one of the players that had radically encountered the Gospel message of Jesus Christ and was transformed from the inside out,” Scott recently told Sports Spectrum. “I believe the man who entered college at Ohio State and enrolled to play some football left a completely different man. Not because of a football game per se, or anything of human effort, but of the life-changing transformation that only the Lord Jesus could give.”
Scott signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent following the draft and was with the team’s practice squad until last month. Newly married, Scott and his wife, Olivia, have a heart for sharing the Gospel with young, aspiring athletes.
Full of zeal for the Lord, Scott was led to launch an Ohio State team Bible study in 2023, and many trace Columbus’ spiritual awakening to what God did in the hearts of those in that group. A group of college students blossomed into a group of people defined by their relationship with Jesus. Winning on the field — and they did a lot of that — was in service to their greater purpose as children of God.
“In their biggest moments, and even in their lowest moments, they’re pointing to the Lord,” Matthew said.
Scott agreed.
“The whole entire story (of “Redemption”) kind of just encapsulates this pursuit of young men in a world where we could glorify a lot of things. We want to glorify the One who created us,” he said. “It just kind of encapsulates that message while also capturing, ‘This is the very team that goes on and wins a national championship.'”
On Thursday, Matthew’s and Marlee’s church,One Church, will be hosting a film showcase featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes shots from “Redemption” and insights from some of the film’s creators. Scott will be there, as will Tebow and his college coach at Florida, Urban Meyer, both of whom also speak in the film.
Proceeds for the event will go directly to theTim Tebow Foundation.
>> Do you know Christ personally? Learn how you can commit your life to Him. <<
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—QB Will Howard, spiritually strong Ohio State claim national title
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