Two NFL stars kicked off their weekends by getting baptized ahead of their games Sunday.
Before Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter headed to EverBank Stadium for the Jaguars’ home game against the Seattle Seahawks, he stopped at Celebration Church.
There, Hunter was baptized just hours before the game. A video of Hunter’s baptism was shared on social media.
“It’s Sunday. It’s God’s day. I’ve been planning to go get baptized for a minute. I changed my life over to become a better man,” Hunter said Sunday, per ESPN.
Hunter had four receptions for 15 yards on offense and two tackles on defense in the Jaguars’ 20-12 loss to the Seahawks.
For the rookie two-way player, his baptism “means a lot,” he said.
“I’m becoming a better man and leaving my old self and starting a new chapter,” he said.
Hollywood Brown’s baptism
Hunter wasn’t the only NFL star to get baptized this weekend.
On Friday, Kansas City Chiefs receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and his fiancée, Zoei Billions, were baptized at Journey Church.
Chiefs team chaplain Marcellus Casey baptized Brown, and Casey’s wife, Stephanie Casey, baptized Billion, according to Sports Spectrum.
Brown posted a video of his baptism on TikTok.
On Sunday, Brown scored two touchdowns for the Chiefs in the team’s 30-17 victory over the Detroit Lions.
In his postgame press conference, Brown brought up his baptism.
“All glory to God really. I just got baptized Friday, so this whole weekend’s been amazing for me,” he said.
Brown hadn’t had a two-touchdown game since 2021, and when asked to summarize his journey from that game to Sunday’s, he once again gave “all glory to God.”
“I’m just here to serve. Thankful for this organization. Just trying to get better each week and have some fun,” he said.
Brown was later asked what led him to get baptized. He revealed that last year had been tough mentally for him.
“I got baptized when I was younger, but I feel like last year, I had a lot on me. I had a lot on me mentally, and it all boils down to don’t worry about the extra stuff. I felt myself second-guessing a lot of stuff and as a believer, that’s not what I should do. So just to get back, get baptized with my fiancée, it felt good,” he said.
Brown added that his baptism is his way of “just letting God know that I’m a follower of him, and all of this is a blessing that’s from him and I don’t take it for granted,” he said.
Following the win, Brown took to X and wrote, “Thank you Jesus.”