I didn’t have a dog (no pun intended, Georgia fans) in last night’s national championship college football game, but an exclamation point was put on the dramatic finish when Alabama’s winning quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, spoke with the press following the overtime victory.
“My parents would be mad, so excuse me,” he began, “but first and foremost I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with Him, all things are possible and that’s what happened tonight.”
When asked what the victory meant to him, he talked about being overwhelmed by the win but also went on to say,
“All glory goes to God. I can’t describe what he’s done for me and my family. Who would have ever thought I would be here right now in this moment? I thank God for that.”
It’s not clear why Tua suggested his parents would be angry with his comments, but it was encouraging to see the second-string freshman quarterback speak out so boldly about his faith in Jesus Christ.
Social media agreed. Tagovailoa’s comments immediately began trending with many lauding him for his sincerity.
The popular writer and blogger Jon Acuff tweeted,
“Tu giving God the legit shoutout. If you say, ‘Thank you God’ it means you’re a rapper at the Grammys. If you say, ‘Lord and Savior’ and ‘all glory to God,’ you ain’t messing around.”
According to a story on Patheos.com this morning, the 18-year-old hero of last night’s game attends the Church of the Highlands in Tuscaloosa and takes his faith very seriously.
Georgia’s freshman quarterback, Jake Fromm, is also a committed believer who regularly tweets inspirational verses of Scripture and speaks at Fellowship of Christian Athlete events.
There’s been a lot of controversy associated with football this year, especially in the NFL. Even the college ranks haven’t been immune, though. After all, from time to time, young people are prone to do and say some pretty dumb things.
So, let’s just pause for a moment and applaud the poise, maturity and strong faith of these young men who played football in last night’s big game. In the months and years to come, it’ll be interesting to see where life takes them.
“I don’t know how Coach Saban found me all the way in Hawaii from Alabama,” Tagovailoa said after the game, speaking of his high school days in the Aloha state. “Thank God he found me and we’re here right now.”
I’m glad that both Tua Tagovailoa and Jake Fromm have found God.
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