The Broncos’ playoff-bound quarterback demonstrates that his greatest victories come from his relationship with Christ.
The Denver Broncos are in the playoffs.
With their win over the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday, they advance to postseason play for the first time since 2015. Amid all of the excitement in Denver, it is their quarterback’s faith and genuineness that is catching notice.
Bo Nix is the rookie starting quarterback for the Broncos. He played for Auburn and Oregon in college, where he consistently wore a cross on his wristband during games—a practice he has carried into his professional career. Being a disciple shapes everything he does, and Nix doesn’t need to draw attention to this fact — he simply lives it. He has even made a personal commitment to avoid cursing, reflecting his desire to live out his faith in all aspects of his life.
While he was in college, he explained why faith was his foundation. Nix wrote the following on Instagram:
Football is an amazing game, but it will never give you constant joy. The cross I wear on my wrist symbolizes where I find my true joy. It doesn’t come from success on or off the field. It comes from the good news of Jesus Christ and actively pursuing a relationship with Him. He achieved the ultimate victory when He was crucified on the cross for the sins of every person on earth and then rose from the grave after three days. Because I have chosen to put my faith in Him, I have the opportunity to share in His victory with others and one day spend eternity with Him in heaven.
Nix centers on a truth of the faith that has captured countless people throughout history: Nothing in this world can fill us. St. Augustine once famously wrote, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” If we place our joy in anything but God it will always lead to disappointment. However, if our core is built on our friendship with Jesus, he can never fail us.
Bo Nix continued his post with the following:
In a time filled with uncertainty, chaos, and distraction, it is as important as ever to lean on the cross. What better time than now to make a decision to put your trust in Him? If that is a decision you have already made, I encourage you to use this time to strengthen that relationship.
Nix is among a growing number of Christian professional athletes who desire to use their platform as a way to spread the faith. After being drafted by the Broncos, Nix said that he truly believes that this is where God desires for him to be:
You just have to trust and believe that His plans are higher than your ways. So that’s what I truly believe. I’m a perfect example of that. If you haven’t seen it already, you can look at my story and know that He has an individual plan for each one of our lives. He sets it out in front of us, and all we have to do is follow.
Entering the draft means that you don’t know where you are going to land and what team you will be on. You don’t know where you will live or start the next chapter of your life. Bo believes that he was placed specifically with the Broncos because this would be the place where he is called to grow as a man and as a follower of Christ. He also believes that it is where he is being specifically called to spread Jesus’ message and presence.
His favorite Bible verse is Colossians 2:23: “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” For this reason, he wears a wristband at each game that reads, “In Jesus’ Name I Play.”
It is common for Nix to praise Christ at the end of games when he is being interviewed. Some people don’t like it when players do so. Some claim that these comments are not genuine. Others simply don’t want sports to be connected to religion. For Nix, it is clear that he could never separate the two because the football field comes second to his faith. While he is imperfect like all of us, he desires for everything that he does to be motivated by his relationship with God.
Bo Nix hopes to enter and win the Super Bowl. He is motivated to play well and to win. Whatever the outcome, however, we can count on the fact that Nix will be praising God, because his faith is the center of his life.
While we will not be featured on national television for our accolades on a football field, we can be motivated by Nix’s witness and words. He has captured the essence of discipleship. We are called to make our relationship with Christ our everything and trust in his care above all else.
