{"id":52820,"date":"2026-10-02T10:00:21","date_gmt":"2026-10-02T14:00:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/?p=52820"},"modified":"2026-10-02T10:00:21","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T14:00:21","slug":"falcons-rookie-zachariah-branch-says-faith-is-everything-as-he-begins-nfl-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/idolchatter\/2026\/10\/falcons-rookie-zachariah-branch-says-faith-is-everything-as-he-begins-nfl-journey.html","title":{"rendered":"Falcons Rookie Zachariah Branch Says Faith Is \u2018Everything\u2019 as He Begins NFL Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Overtime SZN \/ YouTube<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Atlanta Falcons rookie wide receiver Zachariah Branch says his faith has guided him long before the start of his NFL career.<\/p>\n

Before football, workouts, or anything else, the 22-year-old starts each morning with God.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot necessarily game day, it\u2019s really any day,\u201d Branch told OutKick. \u201cAs soon as I first wake up, I got to make sure I read my devotional book \u2014 whatever the date is for that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always been very, very faithful as a kid growing up,\u201d he said. \u201cBut 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\u2019s stuck with me through my whole career.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cDefinitely want to start my day with that every single day, and it\u2019s been working for me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Now that he is in the NFL, Branch said he has found encouragement in being surrounded by teammates who share his faith.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of guys in the locker room who have the same morals and same values, so it\u2019s cool to be surrounded by a lot of those different guys,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Branch specifically mentioned having conversations about faith with teammates, including star running back Bijan Robinson.<\/p>\n

Asked what his faith means to him, Branch had a simple answer: \u201cEverything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think I would be where I am today if it wasn\u2019t for the things God has allowed me to do and the opportunities He\u2019s allowed me to have as well,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ability He has given me to do what I do on the field, that\u2019s something that is all Him,\u201d Branch said.<\/p>\n

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

\u201cI would be doing Him a disservice if I don\u2019t take advantage of those things and the gifts He has blessed me with,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very, very grateful for the opportunities He has given me,\u201d Branch said, \u201cand the ones to come as well.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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. \u201cNot necessarily game day, it\u2019s really any day,\u201d Branch told OutKick. \u201cAs soon as I first wake up, I got to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":516,"featured_media":52823,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-television"],"yoast_head":"\nFalcons Rookie Zachariah Branch Says Faith Is \u2018Everything\u2019 as He Begins NFL Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Zachariah Branch shares how daily devotionals, prayer and gratitude to God have shaped his journey from college football to the NFL.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" 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