In Week 4’s Michigan vs. USC showdown, the away team’s defense effectively shut down Michigan’s offense in the second half, blocking the Wolverine’s efforts. Up to the final two minutes of the game, Michigan needed a 79-yard drive to stay alive in their Big Ten opener. It wouldn’t have been a surprise if that moment had become too big for the Wolverines, but they are national champions for a reason! The drive gave the Wolverines the lead and the new QB Alex Orji the belief that despite needing improvements, the offense is moving in the right direction.

Orji managed only 32 passing yards in this game, but belief came to him at the most coveted times. And it’s funny, it was not just his belief in the game plan and his teammates – it was something more. “The confidence I get from the man above is second to none,” Orji said after the game. Orji also asked his teammate Isaiah to show the press, his hat real quick. What was written on the hat? “Jesus is King”. As he made his way on the football field, helping his team get to the right position to enable Kalel Mullings to score the winning touchdown, Orji was conscious of a force accompanying him. “The last drive really felt like a divine intervention,” he added, how he felt God was right there on the field. Football was not an essential aspect for Orji; it was faith.

It may not have shown much on paper: 47 receiving yards on the season and a QBR of 35.7, but Alex Orji’s belief in something greater lit up that final drive. And with every play, he expected that he was not alone. Mullings took the b— for the drive’s final yard to score 27-24 in favor of Michigan with only 37 seconds left on the clock. While USC blew their chance, Orji’s belief made him and his team triumph.

Faith and football. Two things that might, at first glance, seem vastly apart, though, for many individuals, they are very closely related. Among the prominent athletes who are known to be very religious and always displaying their faith there is Alex Orji. In that game, it was not only skills and tactics for Orji, but it was something more. Such a link between faith and football has been observed in the past, and Alex is not the only one praying to God for help in his profession. NFL stars have always not kept to themselves when it comes to giving credit to their faith in enabling them to endure the harsh season.

This is a perfect example of a player such as Alex Orji, who powers himself up by his spirit. After defeating USC, he did not talk to other people alone, his Michigan teammates or coaches, but to God. As a result, athletes like Orji turn to trust in God when the going gets tough. Carson Wentz, a former NFL quarterback, said it best: “I love Jesus. That’s what I love, so I’m going to talk about it.” Just like Wentz, Orji is not one to hide where his confidence comes from in public.

When faith and football collide: strength on and off the field

Another player, the retired NFL legend and current Buffs HC, Deion Sanders, also turned to faith whenever he was sinking. Sanders said, “Success almost ruined my life, but thank God, I came to Him just in time”.

Another is Bijan Robinson, from the Atlanta Falcons, who decided to rely heavily on his faith. Robinson had faith from childhood and was never shy to show it, even when going to games. When drafted, Robinson used these words, “I really can’t wait to see what God has in store for me.” For him, football is a platform for providing comfort, and joy, to preaching about God as much as celebrating victory.

Likely, the same applies to NFL star player Drew Brees, who relied on his Christianity to push through the rough times. In the same way that Brees claims that ‘’being a Christian helped me overcome,’’ it demonstrates how prayer was not only a part of his life but his football too. And for Troy Polamalu, faith wasn’t just part of the game; it was part of his identity: “Football doesn’t define me. It’s what I do and how I carry out my faith.”

These stories all share a common theme: football is merely the stage, but the Lord is the director. Whether it is a last-second – Hail Mary pass, the final seconds touchdown, or getting back from an injury, these athletes seek solace in their faith. Alex Orji was convinced that his last-minute drive was something like divine intervention, something that drives these NFL legends as well.

Faith is not ancillary for Orji; it is central to his operations and his philosophy of existence. When he continues to read Psalms, trust his family, and follow the Lord, there’s no way he will stop reappearing for Michigan, not just as a quarterback, but as a player led by something greater than football.