Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter opened up about his decision to accept Jesus Christ as his Savior and receive the holy rite of baptism in a recent interview, even pushing back at one point when asked why he did it as if the answer was self-evident. Hunter was baptized before his Week 6 game against the Seattle Seahawks, and while his team lost 20-12, a single game loss pales in comparison to a lifetime of salvation.
Travis has long been a standout in the football community. A 2022 high school graduate, he was ranked as the #1 prospect heading into college. He reneged on a scholarship with his home-state school of Florida State to join Deion Sanders at Jackson State, making him the first top-rated prospect to ever play at an HBCU. He followed Sanders to Colorado when the former two-sport athlete took a coaching gig at the Boulder campus.
As a Bulldog, Hunter won numerous accolades, including simultaneously winning in 2024 the Fred Biletnikoff and Chuck Bednarik awards for best wide receiver and defensive player in the country, respectively. He would also win the Walter Camp Award and Heisman Trophy that same year. After amassing so many trophies, he was selected second in the NFL draft by the Jaguars, behind quarterback Cam Ward.
Still, for all of the clout, fame, and wealth at just the age of 22, Travis Hunter knew there was more to life than football greatness. What does it mean to be successful or even a good man without God in your life? And so it was before his Week 6 game that Hunter took the literal plunge and joined countless members of the Christian community in the sacramental of Holy Baptism.
As it is written in John 3:5-7, “Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.”
The interview in question begins with Hunter being asked why he got baptized before the game, to which the rookie star immediately reacted with incredulity. “It’s a crazy question. Why did I get baptized?” One can hear the self-evidence in why he got baptized, and he might as well have asked why everyone isn’t getting baptized. He’s not the weird one, those that don’t embrace Christ are.
He then explained it to the reporter. “I want to change my life, I want to become a better man… You know what changed my life over become a better man. What did it mean to you? Means a lot. Becoming a better man, leaving my old flesh and just becoming a new Travis.”
What the powerful response below:
An account on X that shared the video counted more than 3.5 million views, with many comments supportive of the young man’s faith journey. “American culture has been experiencing a role model shortage. Glad to see good men stepping up,” one comment replied. “Best way to change your life is by putting your faith in Christ,” said another. “People who find God always have great answers,” remarked a third.