Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch says his faith has guided him long before the start of his NFL career.

Before football, workouts, or anything else, the 22-year-old starts each morning with God.

“Not necessarily game day, it’s really any day,” Branch told OutKick. “As soon as I first wake up, I got to make sure I read my devotional book — whatever the date is for that day.”

Branch said his Christian faith has been part of his life since childhood, and his daily devotional habit began during his freshman year at the University of Southern California.

“I’ve always been very, very faithful as a kid growing up,” he said. “But I think I started that my freshman year in college when I was at USC. I always started off with my devotional book, and that’s stuck with me through my whole career.”

For Branch, the practice is more than a game-day ritual; beginning each morning with his devotional helps set the tone for everything that follows.

“Definitely want to start my day with that every single day, and it’s been working for me,” he said.

After beginning his college career at USC, Branch transferred to Georgia for his final collegiate season. The Falcons selected him with the 79th overall pick in April, allowing him to remain in the Peach State as he began his professional career.

Now that he is in the NFL, Branch said he has found encouragement in being surrounded by teammates who share his faith.

“There’s a lot of guys in the locker room who have the same morals and same values, so it’s cool to be surrounded by a lot of those different guys,” he said.

Branch specifically mentioned having conversations about faith with teammates, including star running back Bijan Robinson.

Asked what his faith means to him, Branch had a simple answer: “Everything.”

“I don’t think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for the things God has allowed me to do and the opportunities He’s allowed me to have as well,” he explained.

Branch also credits God with giving him the athletic ability that helped carry him from Bishop Gorman High School to USC, Georgia and ultimately the NFL.

“The ability He has given me to do what I do on the field, that’s something that is all Him,” Branch said.

Rather than viewing those abilities simply as personal accomplishments, Branch said he feels responsible to make the most of what he has been given.

“I would be doing Him a disservice if I don’t take advantage of those things and the gifts He has blessed me with,” he said.

Only a few games into his professional career, Branch still has plenty of football ahead of him. Wherever his NFL journey takes him, he says the foundation will remain the same.

“I’m very, very grateful for the opportunities He has given me,” Branch said, “and the ones to come as well.”