Travis Hunter has already lived a life that many athletes dream of. He won the Heisman Trophy and a slew of other awards, and the Jacksonville Jaguars drafted him second overall in this year’s NFL Draft. In six games, Hunter has played on both sides of the ball, which highlights his versatility and athleticism.
But on the morning of October 12, Hunter did something truly remarkable. He got baptized before the Jaguars’ home game.
“After getting baptized, Hunter suited up for the Jaguars and snagged four receptions for 15 receiving yards on offense and also had two tackles in the 20-12 loss to the Seahawks,” ESPN points out.
Hunter explained to incredulous reporters why he got baptized that morning.
Travis Hunter was asked why he decided to get baptized before his game on Sunday
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 16, 2025
"It's a crazy question. Why did I get baptized?"
(Via @Jaguars, @Cali2Jax) pic.twitter.com/6Q2kwYTYfS
Most people would look at it and think, “Hey, good for him.” Even non-believers could be happy for him, but I would think that Christians everywhere would celebrate this public profession of faith.
And then there’s Skip Bayless. I’ve already roasted the room-illiterate Bayless after he criticized golf phenom Scottie Scheffler for recognizing that faith and family are more important than sports — and this from a man at the top of his game.
Related: Scottie Scheffler’s Priorities Confuse the Press. That’s a Good Thing.
Bayless, who calls himself a Christian, took to X to record a nearly 30-minute video criticizing Hunter for getting baptized on a Sunday morning before an NFL game. He captioned his rant, “There is no way Travis Hunter should’ve chosen to be baptized on the morning of a game. He is losing interest. He is mentally checking out on the Jags.”
There is no way Travis Hunter should’ve chosen to be baptized on the morning of a game. He is losing interest. He is mentally checking out on the Jags. pic.twitter.com/hzqydPXSYG
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) October 15, 2025
Just like with Scheffler, Bayless admitted that Hunter’s talents are from God, but for some reason, the king of lukewarm takes acted as if prioritizing God were somehow selfish:
Travis, God gave you a gift to achieve a platform from which you can spread God's word. You can show people, extremely influentially show people with your pro football platform just how much God has changed your life for the better. You can show everybody that from your platform, but you have to go ahead and play pro football on God's day, Sunday. Doesn't mean you can't worship him.
You can go to the— every team has a chapel on Sunday morning, chaplain in a chapel. You can obviously worship God. I'm not always able to go to church on Sundays during pro football season. I do sacrifice, but I always get up and do my devotional early Sunday morning, before I then get on the treadmill before the games start.
That's my routine on Sunday. There are ways to worship on Sunday, and I do my job every Sunday. I've worked in my career just, I don't know, maybe not— but every pro football Sunday I've worked, and a whole bunch of NBA Sundays and other Sundays. I probably worked 80% of the Sundays in my career, because I do value the platform that I have to do what I do.
And I told you what I believe, and I don't wear it on my sleeve, and I don't take advantage of my platforms in a bad way, but I live my life the way I live it, for God.
Two former college and NFL stars weighed in and called out Bayless for his boneheaded suggestion that Hunter’s decision to publicly announce his faith in Jesus took his eye off his team’s mission. Benjamin Watson, the Georgia Bulldog and NFL great who’s part of the SEC Network’s college football studio team, questioned why Bayless thinks that reading a devotion before covering sports on Sundays is any different from Hunter’s baptism.
He got me. I actually watch this video. Skip has a point about Hunter’s usage on both sides of the ball. However his assumptions about Travis’s dedication to football and questioning his decision to get baptized on Sunday is unwarranted.
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) October 16, 2025
The most disturbing part is at 26:16… https://t.co/Un0dYBq0MP
Below the fold on Watson's post, he wrote:
...Skip tells us how he gets up early on Sunday and does his devotion, before getting on the treadmill and preparing for the games. He says that he is able to worship AND do his job on Sundays. I applaud the dedication.
Why can’t Travis do the same thing? Why is Travis’s desire for spiritual growth a detriment but yours is a virtue? Why not be happy for the young man and pray that his outward profession continues to be a testimony of his inward transformation?
Side note: As much as I admire and respect Watson as a Dawg and as a Christian, he's wobbly when it comes to politics. He's one of those "third-way" guys who want to pick and choose from all political persuasions, and he often gets things wrong about conservatism — including parroting the lie that Charlie Kirk was racist. However, Ben's absolutely right here.
Heisman winner Robert Griffin III posted on X twice about Bayless’ moronic take. His first comment was a repost, in which he said, “There is never a wrong time to dedicate your life to serving God.” Amen!
Griffin weighed in with more commentary in video form:
Dear @RealSkipBayless
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 17, 2025
Questioning Travis Hunter’s focus and dedication to his team because he gave his life to God through baptism is not analysis.
It’s arrogance.
A man finding salvation doesn’t need your approval.
There’s never a wrong time to dedicate your life to God.… pic.twitter.com/cYvQoh6T3g
Preach, RGIII!
Jesus said:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Mark 8:34-38 (ESV)
Travis Hunter won’t have football forever, but he has Jesus for eternity. And that’s what his baptism was about: taking up his cross and gaining his soul over the world.
The late Dr. Michael Heiser (whom I didn't always agree with but always enjoyed) once described baptism as an act of spiritual warfare. He wrote, “In effect, baptism in New Testament theology is a loyalty oath, a public avowal of who is on the Lord’s side in the cosmic war between good and evil.” That battle cry, that declaration that Travis Hunter is on the Lord’s side, is infinitely more important than any gridiron battle later on that Sunday — regardless of what Skip Bayless thinks.
The sports media loves athletes who worship at the altar of fame — but when one bows before God, they lose their minds. Skip Bayless just proved it again. Join PJ Media VIP and help us tell the stories the mainstream sports world won’t touch. Get 74% off with promo code POTUS47 today!
Join the conversation as a VIP Member