While some lament that the NFL has lost its way with controversial singer Bad Bunny headlining the Super Bowl Halftime Show, one NFL player is offering a hopeful analysis of the sport’s future. 16-year NFL veteran and editor-in-chief of the Christian sports outlet Sports Spectrum, Benjamin Watson is sharing how he believes faith is moving to the center of the NFL. “You can’t turn on the NFL playoffs or college football without hearing an athlete in an interview talk about their relationship with Jesus and giving honor to God. It reminds me of Scripture when it talks about seeing what you’ve done and glorifying your Father in heaven,” he told Church Leaders before Sunday’s big game. “You see a lot of guys that are trying to live that out intentionally in ways that perhaps they weren’t before.”

Watson credited social media for giving a platform for players to share their faith. “Like you can promote anything you want to. I think athletes are taking advantage of that, but they’re also more aware of the power and influence that they have in ways that previous generations [were] not.” Testimonies of sports stars have become more accessible to other players since the days when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) would have to share testimonies of stars like Kurt Warner. Now those testimonies are accessible at the push of a button. “But now you can look at your phone on social media or see an interview and you just see it more often. So, there’s always been believers in sport. No matter what sector you work in, God always has folks in it,” said Watson.

He shared similar optimism with Fox News. “There was an idea that there were certain things that were off-limits because they might be controversial, people might think differently. So, I think that in general you’re seeing young people speak more about convictions, passions than they ever were before, specifically as regards to faith,” he said. Watson added that he believes as more players are open about their faith, it will encourage even more to do so. “They’ve lit a fire in everybody else, and so people are comfortable doing it.”

Watson opened up about the unique position that athletes have to inspire faith in others. “It is imperative that we support sports ministries and utilize every avenue to spread the Gospel. There are generations literally of kids and adults and grandparents that will hear, may hear the Gospel only through the mouth of an athlete,” he said. “Because they’re not going to go to church.” Watson affirmed that God can use any avenue to reach people with the Gospel. “He can use pastors in churches speaking on Sundays — yes, he does that all the time. My father’s a pastor and I’ve learned tremendously from him,” admitted Watson. “But he can also use athletes in a different way than perhaps somebody who is preaching. Everybody has a role. I mean, Scripture talks a lot about that. It doesn’t matter who planted the seed, who watered it, God brings it to harvest.”